Literature Review on Higher education Quality

Educational institutes should improve their quality for the benefits of themselves and the society.
This is important not only for primary education, but also highly important in case of higher
education. There are various reasons and wide ranging meaning for quality. The meaning of
quality ranges from Standards to Excellence (Mishra, June 2006). Until unless Higher
Education Institutes (HEIs) give Quality assurance to its stakeholders, they tend to fail in
fulfilling their objectives.

It is imperative that higher education institutes should establish

confidence in the minds of its stakeholders. Stakeholders are the group without whose support no
organization can flourish. Therefore, it is the onus of the HEIs to give quality assurance to its
stakeholders. UNESCO (2008) defines Quality assurance as Assurance of quality in higher
education is a process of establishing stakeholder confidence that provision (input, process and
outcomes) fulfils expectations or measures up to threshold minimum requirements.
There are various factors that contribute to the quality. Consistent delivery of service through
standards, fitness in meeting customer specification and customer satisfaction, valuing the
money, transformative education for the empowerment and enhancement of students knowledge
and skills are four important dimensions of quality in education (Ali & Shastri, 2010).
Information received by the students and their past experiences also cater to the students
perceptions about quality in HEIs (Sultan & Wong, 2011). Content of the course opted by the
student, care and concern taken for student, the facilities offered to the students, medium of
instruction or delivery of the course content, social activities conducted by the institution through
student involvement and availability of people with like mindedness for students friendship are
various quality factors from students point of view (Paula.Y.K.Kwan & Paul.W.K.Ng, 1999).
Healthiness of students, healthy and invigorating environment, good process of education
through well trained teachers and the outcome of knowledge and skills are vital ingredients of
quality (UNICEF, 2000).
University teachers contribution is a major in the quality of the institutes. They are gradually
changing their orientation through research. It is because research will give universities best
rankings through patents obtained though research. University teachers realized these facts and

the culture of Research and Development (R&D) is growing in universities through publications
and research (Saeed, Rafi, Ahmed, & Rauf, 2011).
NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) plays commendable role in the
improvement and maintenance of quality in higher education. Its plan of action was based on two
major commission reports popularly known as Radhakrishnan Commission (1948-49) and
Kothari Commission (1964-66). Curricular aspects , teaching, learning and evaluation, research,
consultancy, learning resources; student support and student progress; governance and
leadership, and innovative practices are seven major criteria established by NAAC for measuring
excellence in HEIs (Mangnale & Potluri, 2011). Quality design, implementation, measurement
and consistent delivery are important to prove as a quality HEI. Internal evaluation is the best
tool for quality evaluation in higher education (UNESCO, 2008). Internal Quality Assurance Cell
(IQAC), as proposed by NAAC, helps develop the capacities of HEIs as quality HEIs (Mangnale
& Potluri, 2011).
References.
Ali, M., & Shastri, R. K. (2010). Implementation of Total Quality Management in
Higher Education. Asian Journal of Business Management , 2 (1).
Brennan, J., King, R., & Lebeau, Y. (2004). The Role of Universities in the
Transformation of Societies. Association of Commonwealth Universities. The Open
University of London.
Cho, Y. H., & Palmer, J. D. (2013). Stakeholders views of South Koreas higher
education internationalization policy. Higher Education , 65, 291-308.
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. (E. M.
Epstein, Ed.) Massachusetts, London: Pitman Publishing Ins.
Freeman, R. E. (1994). The Politics of Stakeholder Theory: Some Future Directions.
Business Ethics Quarterly , 4 (4), 409-421.
Hoat, L. N., Viet, N. L., Wilt, G. v., Broerse, J., Ruitenberg, E., & Wright, E. (2009).
Motivation of university and non-university stakeholders to change medical
education in Vietnam. BMC Medical Education , 9 (49), 1-14.

Jongbloed, B., Enders, J., & Salerno, C. (2008). Higher education and its
communities: Interconnections, interdependencies and a research agenda. Higher
Education , 56, 303-324.
Jorge, M. L., Hernndez, A. L., & Cejas, M. Y. (2012). Stakeholder Expectations in
Spanish Public Universities: An Empirical Study. International Journal of Humanities
and Social Science , 2 (10), 1-13.
Kaul, S. (2006). Higher Education India:Seizing the Opportunity. ICRIER (Indian
Council For Research on International Economic Relations) , Working Paper NO. 179,
1-66.
Lizzio, A., Wilson, K., & Simons, R. (2002). University Students Perceptions of the
Learning Environment and Academic Outcomes: implications for theory and
practice. Studies in Higher Education , 27 (1), 27-52.
Mainardes, E. W., Alves, H., & Raposo, M. (2010). An Exploratory Research on the
Stakeholders of a University. Journal of Management and Strategy , 1 (1), 76-88.
Mangnale, V., & Potluri, R. M. (2011). Quality Management in Indian Higher
Education System: Role of Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC). Asian Journal of
Business Management , 3 (4), 251-256.
Massy, W. (2003). Auditing Higher education to Improve Quality. The Chronicle
Review , 49 (41), B16.
Mazumder, Q. H. (2013). Student Satisfaction in Private and Public Universities in
Bangladesh. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) ,
2 (2), 78-84.
Mishra, D. S. (June 2006). Quality Assurance in Higher Education: An Introduction.
Banglore, India: The Director, NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation
Council).
Mitchell, R. K., Agle, B. R., & Wood, D. J. (1997). Toward a Theory of Stakeholder
Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of Who and What Really Counts.
Academy of Management Review , 22 (4), 853-886.
Panigrahi, D. M. (2013). Perceprions of Secondary School Stakeholders Towards
Women Representation In Educational Leadership in Harari region in Ethiopia.
International Women Online Journal of Distance Education , 2 (1), 27-43.
Paula.Y.K.Kwan, & Paul.W.K.Ng. (1999). Quality indicators in higher educationcomparing Hong Kong and Chinas students. Managerial Auditing Journal , 14 (1/2),
20-27.
Quinn, A., Lemay, G., Larsen, P., & Johnson, D. M. (2009). Total Quality Management
& Business Excellence. Total Quality Management , 20 (2), 139-152.

Reavill, L. R. (1997). Quality assessment and the stakeholder model of higher

education. Total Quality Management , 8 (2&3), 246-252.
Reavill, L. R. (1998). Quality assessment, total quality management and the
stakeholders in the UK higher education system. Managing Service Quality: An
International Journal , 8 (1), 55-63.
Saeed, A. M., Rafi, M. S., Ahmed, S., & Rauf, M. (2011). Quality in Higher Education:
Issues and Current Practices. Journal of Elementary Education , 21 (1), 43-51.
Seyoum, Y. (2008). Stakeholders Perceptions and Concerns on Open and Distance
Education in the Higher Institutions: The case of Eastern Ethiopia. Turkish Online
Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE , 9 (2), 138-159.
Sultan, P., & Wong, H. Y. (2011). Service Quality in a Higher Education Context:
Antecedents and Dimensions. International Review of Business Research Papers , 7
(2), 11-20.
Tan, K. C., & Kek, S. W. (2004). Service Quality in Higher Education Using an
Enhanced SERVQUAL Approach. Quality in Higher Education , 10 (1), 17-24.
Tang, S. F., & Hussin, S. (2011). Quality in Higher Education: A Variety of Stakeholder
Perspectives. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity , 1 (2), 126-131.
UGC. (1985, December 20). RULES & REGULATIONS UNDER THE UNIVERSITY
GRANTS COMMISSION ACT, 1956. New Delhi, India.
UNESCO. (2008). Reinventing Higher Education: Toward Participatory and
Sustainable Development. (C. Haddad, Ed.) Bangkok: UNESCO Bangkok.
UNICEF. (2000, June). Defining Quality in Education. A paper presented by UNICEF at
the meeting of The International Working Group on Education Florence, Italy ,
Working Paper Series.