The Role of Institutional Pressures on the Use of Quality Assurance Practices in Enhancing Effectiveness: A Case Study of Higher Education Institutions of Bangladesh

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 institutions (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 HEIs, 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 cases 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 HEIs within a developing country.