Abstract:
The focus of this study is to explore the institutional pressures and their
influence on the use of quality assurance (QA) practices in the higher education
institution (HEIs) of a developing country. The findings show that
the use of QA practices was the result of three institutional pressures, i.e,
coercive, mimetic, and normative pressures. The findings reveal the gradual
changes in the nature and intensity of institutional pressure. The
changes in institutions QA practices arose due to coercive pressures, including
the preferences of stakeholders and regulatory bodies including
the University Grants Commission (UGC), Bangladesh Accreditation
Council (BAC) aimed at improving the academic standards including academic
content and academic programs, curriculum review, research, and
establishment of formal QA framework. While mimetic pressures were
attributed to the high competition and the resultant uncertainty within the
HEI, the normative pressures emerged due to the influence of top management
support and training. Moreover, results reveal the effects of QA
practices on the effectiveness of the case in terms of increased satisfaction
of stakeholders, public image, employability, improved internal and external
processes, and stakeholders' confidence. The study contributes to
the quality management literature and developing country literature by
providing knowledge about institutional pressures and their subsequent
impact on QA practices in HEI within a developing country.
