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Higher Learning Research Communications

Digital Object Identifier

10.18870/hlrc.v16i1.1645

Abstract

Objectives: In higher education institutions (HEIs), building a strong quality culture (QC) is essential to ensure the quality of education provided. QC integrates organizational, managerial, and psychological elements that shape how quality is understood and improved in HEIs. This study explores how leaders at the departmental and faculty levels navigate and contribute to quality culture development (QCD).

Methods: We employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. A total of 1,029 academics completed questionnaires, and 33 leaders at the departmental and faculty levels were interviewed at three public universities in Ethiopia.

Results: The findings reveal that leadership roles at the departmental and faculty levels are key determinants of QCD. However, the current leadership practices in the studied universities have not yielded satisfactory results. This shortfall is attributed to a quality assurance (QA) management approach that fails to adequately integrate organizational, managerial, and psychological elements with the leadership roles of department- and faculty-level leaders.

Conclusions: To foster QCD, this study recommends that leadership roles be grounded in a systemic approach that integrates all three QC elements. It outlines practical mechanisms for department- and faculty-level leaders to align these elements effectively to promote QC, ultimately supporting ongoing quality enhancement in HEIs. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need for higher education policies, strategies, plans, and QA methods to incorporate QC explicitly into existing QA frameworks.

Implications: This study offers a meaningful contribution to the higher education quality literature by highlighting the integration of organizational, managerial, and psychological elements in explaining quality within HEIs. It also provides valuable insights into how QC can be recognized and strengthened through existing leadership practices. Furthermore, the study addresses a significant gap in QC research, particularly within the Ethiopian higher education sector and comparable educational contexts.

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