Publication Details
Abstract
This article examines institutional mechanisms through which higher education institutions contribute to training for the civil service, using survey evidence from four higher education institutions in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The cross-sectional survey included 755 respondents, of whom 704 complete observations were used in the regression analysis. The conceptual framework integrates Human Capital Theory, Institutional Theory, and the transfer-of-training perspective of Baldwin and Ford. Competency ratings were measured through five Likert-scale dimensions: digital governance, strategic thinking, analytical decision-making, communication, and ethics. Because the Breusch–Pagan test indicated heteroskedasticity, OLS estimates were reported with White HC3 robust standard errors. Research utilization (β=0.487; β*=0.389; p<0.001), institutional collaboration (β=0.356; β*=0.240; p<0.001), and training system (β=0.118; p=0.003) were positively associated with competency ratings. The model explained 35.0% of the variance in competency ratings (R²=0.350). The interaction between institutional collaboration and research utilization was not statistically significant (β=0.012; p=0.809), indicating that the hypothesized synergistic moderation was not supported in the observed sample. The findings should be interpreted as associative rather than causal. The main practical implication is that formal university–government collaboration alone may be insufficient; greater attention should be given to mechanisms through which university knowledge and research outputs are used in public-sector practice.