Theoretical comparison of universitary quality assurance maturity models

Purpose – Internal quality assurance (IQA) systems are nowadays one of the main concerns for modern higher education institutions (HEIs). Several frameworks have been proposed to provide guidance on how to implement such systems. However, little research has been done, so far, on maturity models (MMs) tailored for such realm. To partially cope with this gap, the aim of the present study is to provide a comprehensive comparative review on existing MMs within the domain of QA for HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach – Following an accepted systematic data processing approach for conducting effective reviews, the paper uncovers MMs originated both from academia and practice. Subsequently, they are classified using as a foundation a generic theoretical attribute-based framework for MMs.
Findings – During the study, a total of 18 MMs are identified analysed and classified based on the previous framework.
Research limitations – While being comprehensive in nature, we cannot exclude the possibility of having missed some single relevant MM for the review, which may represent a risk for the achieved results.
Practical implications – The study has practical implications for both researchers and practitioners, by presenting a reference survey of existing MMs for QA in HEIs, and thus, enhancing their transparency and reusability. It also provides basic insights on how to improve future new developments.
Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper represents the first attempt to develop an in-depth theoretically-oriented comparative review on MMs for QA in HEIs.

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Quality assurance systems, Higher education, Maturity models, Comparative review.