Quality at Haaga-Helia

Quality in HH

Lead paragraph

The way Haaga-Helia operates and develops has the same features as how a top team operates in team play. We could refer to ourselves as HH Team, playing together passionately and always aiming for the best results.

The way HH-Team operates and develops its actions has been described in the portal. The description creates a base for our culture of development and learning. Read below how HH-Team works.

Planning and building the team and team spirit (PLAN)

We present our guiding principles as a Playbook, describing what we want to be as an organisation and what kind of goals we set for ourselves. Everyone contributes to the Playbook and has the possibility to influence its content. It includes our strategy and ethical principles. We are committed to acting according to it and creating team spirit to achieve a more successful operating culture.

Every member of the HH-Team, both student and staff member, is responsible for continuous improvement and maintaining our quality culture. Together we have described the quality management and development responsibilities for the role of every individual in the organisation.

Let the game begin! (DO)

When the team has been built and principles defined in the Playbook, it’s time to play. On the field, we see enthusiastic and competent staff and students. We have documented our offensive and defensive play formations in process descriptions and work instructions. In addition to our staff and students, our stakeholders join us on the field. Ultimately, together we advance and score.

The goal area and results (CHECK)

Our scoreboard and results are available to our staff and students as well as to stakeholders. We monitor our results from several perspectives: funding model indicators, our own internal indicators, student and staff results as well as from the perspective of societal impact.

Debriefing, analysis, results, awards and follow-up measures (LEARN&DEVELOP)

However, just following the indicators is not enough, action needs to follow the results. Similarly, as teams have a debriefing in the locker room after the game, we analyse our game and results, and decide on necessary follow-up actions. Evaluations, feedback systems and audits help us monitor our quality level. The information we receive through them helps us develop in the right direction.

How HH-Team works, resembles how Haaga-Helia’s management and quality system works – The Haaga-Helia way to operate and develop

A considerable part of the development is oral or written feedback received via unofficial feedback channels. However, this feedback is not a sign of a deficient quality system, but an understanding of human nature and natural ways of communicating directly and informally. Although we are not able to systematically document the feedback when this happens, it is still a valuable part of quality management and the information we receive for development. We need to be agile and improve our game already in the field, not only in the locker room after the game.

We evaluate our operations systematically internally and externally. Staff, students and stakeholders participate in evaluations. An internal evaluation is included in the setting of a yearly action plan and budget. Haaga-Helia’s quality system is audited every six years by Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) in accordance with the audit process for institutions in higher education. Haaga-Helia is a member of American AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EFMD (The European Foundation for Management Development) – we aim for international accreditation. We are also actively cooperating with Finnish Quality Association.