View in EDS

Quality Assurance as Managerial Governance: Organizational Translation and Market Pressures in Chilean and Colombian Universities

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Quality Assurance as Managerial Governance: Organizational Translation and Market Pressures in Chilean and Colombian Universities
Language: English
Authors: Jonathan Bermúdez-Hernández, Julio Labraña, Isabel C. Montes
Source: Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective. 2026 34(3):514-532.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 19
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Quality Assurance, Educational Quality, Governance, Universities, Institutional Mission, College Administration, Performance Based Assessment, Accountability, Institutional Evaluation, Public Colleges, Private Colleges
Geographic Terms: Chile, Colombia
DOI: 10.1108/QAE-09-2025-0269
ISSN: 0968-4883
1758-7662
Abstract: Purpose: Quality assurance (QA), once considered a means of evaluation and measurement, has become integral to reputational and managerial issues in universities. This paper aims to examine how four universities in Chile and Colombia internalize quality assurance in response to managerial and market needs. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts a comparative qualitative case study design. The authors reviewed institutional documents and interviewed 33 senior managers from two Chilean and two Colombian universities. Findings: The translation of quality assurance is increasingly constrained by shared managerial rules, assumptions and practices. The analysis shows that, despite discursive differences in public and private universities, operational practices converge around strategic planning, performance monitoring and indicator-based evaluation. Research limitations/implications: The study focuses on the perspectives of senior managers and excludes the views of middle managers, faculty and students. Practical implications: Introducing QA schemes with greater flexibility regarding the unique context of different universities, fostering frameworks that recognize institutional diversity and social missions, and creating spaces for open discussion of performance metrics. Social implications: Development of QA as an instrument of reflexive governance that reconciles accountability with research and education as public goods that generate public benefits. Originality/value: This paper shows how quality assurance has evolved from an evaluative tool into a mechanism of market-driven university governance. It explains this by drawing on academic capitalism, specifically the market and market-like behavior of universities to obtain external resources, as well as the concepts of organizational isomorphism and translation theory.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508244
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1508244
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Quality Assurance as Managerial Governance: Organizational Translation and Market Pressures in Chilean and Colombian Universities
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jonathan+Bermúdez-Hernández%22">Jonathan Bermúdez-Hernández</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Julio+Labraña%22">Julio Labraña</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Isabel+C%2E+Montes%22">Isabel C. Montes</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Quality+Assurance+in+Education%3A+An+International+Perspective%22"><i>Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective</i></searchLink>. 2026 34(3):514-532.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 19
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Quality+Assurance%22">Quality Assurance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Quality%22">Educational Quality</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Governance%22">Governance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities%22">Universities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Mission%22">Institutional Mission</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Administration%22">College Administration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Performance+Based+Assessment%22">Performance Based Assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accountability%22">Accountability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Evaluation%22">Institutional Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Colleges%22">Public Colleges</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Private+Colleges%22">Private Colleges</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chile%22">Chile</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Colombia%22">Colombia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/QAE-09-2025-0269
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0968-4883<br />1758-7662
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: Quality assurance (QA), once considered a means of evaluation and measurement, has become integral to reputational and managerial issues in universities. This paper aims to examine how four universities in Chile and Colombia internalize quality assurance in response to managerial and market needs. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts a comparative qualitative case study design. The authors reviewed institutional documents and interviewed 33 senior managers from two Chilean and two Colombian universities. Findings: The translation of quality assurance is increasingly constrained by shared managerial rules, assumptions and practices. The analysis shows that, despite discursive differences in public and private universities, operational practices converge around strategic planning, performance monitoring and indicator-based evaluation. Research limitations/implications: The study focuses on the perspectives of senior managers and excludes the views of middle managers, faculty and students. Practical implications: Introducing QA schemes with greater flexibility regarding the unique context of different universities, fostering frameworks that recognize institutional diversity and social missions, and creating spaces for open discussion of performance metrics. Social implications: Development of QA as an instrument of reflexive governance that reconciles accountability with research and education as public goods that generate public benefits. Originality/value: This paper shows how quality assurance has evolved from an evaluative tool into a mechanism of market-driven university governance. It explains this by drawing on academic capitalism, specifically the market and market-like behavior of universities to obtain external resources, as well as the concepts of organizational isomorphism and translation theory.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1508244
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1508244
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1108/QAE-09-2025-0269
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 19
        StartPage: 514
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Quality Assurance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Quality
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Governance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Universities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Institutional Mission
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Administration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Performance Based Assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Accountability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Institutional Evaluation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Colleges
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Private Colleges
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chile
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Colombia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Quality Assurance as Managerial Governance: Organizational Translation and Market Pressures in Chilean and Colombian Universities
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jonathan Bermúdez-Hernández
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Julio Labraña
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Isabel C. Montes
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0968-4883
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1758-7662
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 34
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective
              Type: main
ResultId 1