Does sector-specific experience matter? The case of European higher education ministers

Julien Jacqmin and Mathieu Lefebvre

Research Policy, 2016, vol. 45, issue 5, 987-998

Abstract: This paper looks at the relationship between higher education ministers and the performance of the sector that they govern. Using an original panel dataset with the characteristics of European higher education ministers, we find that having a past experience in the sector leads to a higher level of performance, as measured by ranking data. Making a parallel with the literature about the impact of education on the educated, we discuss potential explanations behind the impact of this on-the-job learning experience. As we find that this characteristic has no impact on the spendings of the sector, we argue that this academic experience makes them more prone to introduce adequate reforms that makes the sector more attractive for top-researchers. Furthermore, we find that this result is driven by ministers with both sector-specific and electoral experience, the latter measured by a successful election at the regional or national level. This tends to show that political credibility should not be overshadowed by the importance of the sector-specific experience of ministers.

Keywords: Research performance; Higher education minister; Leadership; Political economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D7 H11 I23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733316300117
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
Working Paper: Does sector-specific experience matter ? The case of European higher education ministers (2016)
Working Paper: Does sector-specific experience matter? The case of European higher education ministers (2015)
Working Paper: Does sector-specific experience matter? The case of European higher education ministers (2015)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:45:y:2016:i:5:p:987-998

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2016.01.018

Access Statistics for this article

Research Policy is currently edited by M. Bell, B. Martin, W.E. Steinmueller, A. Arora, M. Callon, M. Kenney, S. Kuhlmann, Keun Lee and F. Murray

More articles in Research Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().