Mediating Role of Quality Assurance on The Relationship Between TQM Practices and Education Performance in Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan

Abstract

Educational performance is a critical element that helps to assess how well a university is performing in terms of education, developing skills in her students, and bringing about significant societal changes. Prior literature reveals that quality assurance despite considered an integral component, has been neglected to examine between Total Quality Management (TQM) and education performance. The main objective of this research was to analyze the impact of TQM practices on educational performance, and to understand the role of quality assurance as a mediating factor between TQM practices and educational performance. To achieve this, a structured questionnaire was designed and distributed among the top management of universities of Pakistan to gather relevant information using convenience sampling technique. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, among them 264 were fully completed and returned, resulting in a response rate of 53%. The data was evaluated using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach. The results of the data analysis reveal that TQM practices are significantly related to educational performance, as well as to quality assurance. Furthermore, quality assurance was found to have a significant and positive impact on education performance. This research ultimately demonstrates that quality assurance serves as a significant mediator between TQM practices and education performance in the context of higher education institutions. The study implicates for the theory and practitioners that both TQM and quality assurance are pivotal antecedents to enhance education performance in Pakistani universities. Moreover, quality assurance plays a crucial role in developing an underlying mechanism with TQM practices to harness education performance in Pakistani universities.