The need of managing information in European public universities: a brief approach to the Portuguese reality

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the importance of managing information in High Education Institutions - Public High Education Institutions, focusing on the Portuguese context. The scenery of financial crisis that crosses over the Portuguese public sector over the past few years is eye-catching. Salary cuts and the decrease on the number of vacancies in public high education institutions has been a major concern. Therefore, it is of high importance to analyze to what extend the cost accountancy by the means of managing information can support the management of high education institutions. It was taken a bibliographic research which allowed depicting the main functions of the cost information as a support to the decision making process in the High Education Institutions. The explanatory advantages which were found in this study lead us mainly to the raise of governmental efficiency and efficacy with a more adequate planning, the development of key performance indicators, the use of alternatives to cost reduction, the possibility of comparison and the boost of transparency for social control.