Demand and supply of higher education: total integration value chain and supply chains

Abstract

For the higher education (HE) supply and demand, this paper proposes a systemic model that integrates HE value and supply chains in Honduras, which includes HE inputs (e.g. high school graduates), HE process, HE outputs. Thus, this paper takes all players from what may be considered as a HE value and supply system (i.e. HE input providers, universities, and HE output demanders seen as HE users/beneficiaries/receivers) in order to understand how their interrelationship contributes to the success of operations of the three fundamental HE functions: teaching, research and society links. Thus, the holistic view considers both a teaching supply chain (i.e. knowledge transfer to students to become professionals as part of HE intellectual capital) and a research/ project supply chain (i.e. knowledge production), along with a value chain made up of society links that feeds back the value perceived of HE results (professionals and research) from society and other demanders. Hence, this integration shows not only the adding value of HE processes to both supplies (i.e. teaching and research) but also the productivity of both, thus continually improving a bidirectional HE-society flow. This will be used as a cornerstone for future research on an ongoing project that allows for an efficient and effective interrelationship among HE input providers, HE suppliers, and HE demanders, guided by demand (value supplied to demanders) from a model of value and supply system with total integration (a HE integrated not only forward by demand, but also backward by supply).