Does Sector-Specific Experience Matter? The Case of European Higher Education Ministers

33 Pages Posted: 24 Feb 2015 Last revised: 16 Oct 2015

See all articles by Julien Jacqmin

Julien Jacqmin

HEC School of Management

Mathieu Lefebvre

University of Liege - Research Center on Public and Population Economics

Date Written: October 8, 2015

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. Furthermore, we find that this result is driven by ministers with both this sector-specific and an 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: performance; higher education ministers; cross-country analysis; leadership

JEL Classification: D72; H52; I28

Suggested Citation

Jacqmin, Julien and Lefebvre, Mathieu, Does Sector-Specific Experience Matter? The Case of European Higher Education Ministers (October 8, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2569024 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2569024

Julien Jacqmin (Contact Author)

HEC School of Management ( email )

Bâtiment B31 quartier Agora
Place des Orateurs
Liège, 4000
Belgium

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/jacqminjulien/

Mathieu Lefebvre

University of Liege - Research Center on Public and Population Economics ( email )

B-4000 Liege
Belgium

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