Impact Analysis of Higher Education Research Trajectory on Governance and Public Policy: A Case Study of Four Federal Universities of Pakistan

The research situates link between the graduate researches in four academic institutes of Islamabad and analyzes its impact on the public policy. The study explores the relevance of graduate research trajectory followed by various academic departments of four major federal universities in Pakistan in formulation and execution of public policy. The author collected last five years graduate level dissertation titles from four federal universities and classified them by using thematic approach. An interview guide/questionnaire is prepared accordingly. Chairpersons, deans, professors, bureaucrats, and parliamentarians were approached for semi-structured, in-depth interviews. This is a qualitative study using thematic and analytical approach. The research finds a lack of cohesion between the graduate research trajectory and policy needs of the public institutions. The absence of a national research vision and collaborative framework, difference in training cultures of bureaucracy and academia, lack of logistic support system, defective learning strategies, and an overall neglect for social sciences are the major reasons for incoherence. The analytical correlation of the recorded opinions reveals opportunities to maximize the relevance of the academic research in public policy domain

Development of Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Quality Management Model

The pharmaceutical sector is the key entity in a healthcare supply chain. In a very competitive environment where health and safety also remain a prime concern, it is essential to manage the whole supply chain in addition to internal quality control measures. Customer satisfaction can only come off when product quality and value are united at each node in the supply chain. The concept of Supply Chain Quality Management (SCQM) has gradually evolved after recognition of the importance of integration between Quality management (QM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM) in achieving competitive advantage for companies. Healthcare sector’s pharmaceutical supply chains are facing many issues. These issues can be categorized into major categories of forecasting issues, long set up & lead times, planning & scheduling issues, poor inventory management and communication problems. Excessive build-up of inventories and Stock out situations are two complex situations often rising as the result of these issues. Previous studies of supply chain quality management have mostly addressed the conceptualization of concept and the development of different research frameworks in the subject area. Literature on empirical studies is scarce. Further, research conducted on supply chain quality management is based in developed countries. Only limited number of studies conducted in developing countries, especially in the region of South Asia, where the pharmaceutical industry is one of the major businesses. This study is unique as it explores the critical measures of quality in supply chain of a critical sector in a developing country which is missing in the existing studies and empirically executes conceptual models of supply chain quality management. The objectives of the research were to identify the critical success factors in pharmaceutical supply chain quality management, the association of these SCQM factors with supply chain performance and business results, and determination of mediation role of supply chain performance in the relationship between SCQM and business results. Three interfaces of the pharmaceutical supply chain of healthcare sector were targeted i.e., manufacturer, distributor, and retail pharmacies. Mixed methods research design was adapted by using qualitative method (focus group) as preliminary method for refinement of measurement scale developed from published literature and quantitative method (survey) as primary method for data collection and analysis. Data was collected from the CEO/ Plant Managers, Owners, Quality Assurance Managers, Marketing Managers, Operational Managers, Supply Chain Managers, Branch Managers and Qualified Persons (pharmacists) of pharmaceutical manufacturing units, distributors and retail pharmacies operating in ten large cities of Pakistan. Structural equation modeling using AMOS software version 24 is used to develop a valid and reliable scale comprising of supply chain quality management, supply chain performance and business results dimensions, and testing of relationship between SCQM, Supply Chain Performance and Business Results. The findings show that leadership, customer focus, supplier relations, process integration and management, quality practices, human resource practices, and safety emerge as the critical quality determinants. Significant direct positive impact of supply chain quality management on both supply chain performance and business results at all three interfaces of the pharmaceutical supply chain is established. It confirms the importance of SCQM in addressing all these issues by improving the performance of pharmaceutical supply chains. The findings of this study are particularly relevant for quality and supply chain managers of pharmaceutical companies as well as regulators who want to ensure safety and quality in the health care sector. Quality management offers a viable model for improving the overall performance of pharmaceutical supply chain which in turn has the potential to impact the lives of people, reduce the burden on pharmaceutical and healthcare, and fundamental structural improvements. In developing countries like Pakistan pharmaceutical supply chains are facing severe management issues. These issues are emerged due to problem in design of pharmaceutical supply chains as currently these supply chains are arbitrarily not scientifically designed. The key contribution of this research is that it highlights the factors of supply chain quality. These factors will help to change the design of the pharmaceutical supply chain for greater efficiency, safety and quality