Measuring the performance of a private higher education institution in South Africa

This article postulates a model to measure the business performance of a private higher education institution in South Africa. The broad theoretical framework identified 15 antecedents and their respective measuring criteria to measure business performance. Statistical scrutiny ensured that these criteria are actual measures of the respective business performance antecedents, which culminated in a theoretical model to measure the business performance of private higher education in South Africa. The 15 business performance antecedents are sales, growth, profitability, technology, customer, innovation, service, leadership, return on investment, stakeholders, society, quality, marketing, communication, legality, and general measures of business performance. The results showed that all the antecedents are reliable indicators of business performance. The performance of a private higher education institution can be successfully measured and it is possible to determine whether the demographic variables influence the business performance antecedents. Besides, the model seeks to determine whether any significant correlations exist between the business performance antecedents. The measurement of business performance is valuable to business school directors, managers and investors in private higher education. Researchers and scholars who intend to explore this avenue of business performance models further could also benefit from this article.