E-management for administrative efficiency in higher education through participatory decision-making

Though many organizations have developed their own approaches in ensuring reliable decision making processes, not many have used technology to ensure effective participatory based decision making. This paper presents a model that incorporates reliable participatory based decision making practices and quality management indicators through strategic use of technology - an initiative of a faculty in a higher institution of learning. The model, called QuESt (Quality E-management System), integrates web-based technologies into an interconnected system to enable decision making by all stakeholders at multi levels of responsibility. Discussion in this paper is first focused on the bureaucracy and participatory models of decision making, then moves on to the research context, description of QuESt and discussion of the features and functions of the system. The paper concludes with an assessment of the potentialities of the system in taking an organisation's internal and external processes to the next level - using technology to ensure evidence based decision making, to interconnect staff roles and responsibilities and to use feedback to take appropriate action. Implications are drawn for knowledge advancement, policy making and practice.