STRATEGIC LECTURER MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE HIGHER EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT: EVIDENCE FROM LAO PDR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/aelr.2026.9Keywords:
Strategic Human Resource Management, Academic Workforce Planning, Faculty Professional Development, Higher Education Sustainability, Mixed-Methods TriangulationAbstract
Effective lecturer management is essential for optimizing institutional performance and ensuring educational quality in developing Asian contexts. This study comprehensively evaluates the determinants, practices, and outcomes of human resource management at Souphanouvong University, a provincial public institution in Lao PDR, to address critical gaps in the literature. Employing a quantitative descriptive research design supplemented by an institutional case study, the research cross-verifies secondary institutional records from 2018 to 2022 with primary survey data collected from 60 academic and administrative staff members. The evaluation focuses specifically on workforce planning, strategic recruitment, continuous professional development, and performance evaluation mechanisms. Results reveal a significant increase in the workforce from 239 to 320 lecturers, alongside pronounced faculty-level disparities in gender representation and educational qualifications. The findings demonstrate that systematic workforce planning, transparent recruitment protocols, targeted training initiatives, and equitable welfare provisions substantially enhance lecturer satisfaction, retention, and overall academic capacity. By explicitly aligning institutional human resource strategies with Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8, this research provides vital evidence-based recommendations for provincial higher education institutions seeking to build a stable, highly competent, and motivated academic workforce in resource-constrained environments.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Lamphaisith SOULIDONE, Dao Thanh TUNG, Bounmy KEOHAVONG
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