How Quality Management Practices Lead Innovation in Higher Education: A Framework for Universities' Sustainability in Pakistan

Abstract

Quality management practices play a vital role in the sustainability of an institution, while timely innovation is a significant factor that leads toward sustainable performance. That is why this study aims to explore the importance of quality management practices for sustainable performance of higher education institutions in Pakistan with the mediating role of innovation and strategy. This study also checked the influence of state and government policies. The data was collected from 353 respondents, i.e., the Pakistani universities' academic staff, and analyzed using SmartPLS 3.0. Empirical findings stated that soft and hard, both quality management practices have a significant impact on sustainable performance while innovation and strategy play indirectly to make more contributions to the sustainability of higher education institutions. However, state and government policies strengthen the soft perspective of management practices for sustainability but do not significantly contribute to hard practices. This study is one of the initial types of research which provides empirical evidence in the higher education context of Pakistan to make sustainable institutional performance with the help of soft and hard quality management practices. Moreover, this study stated that directors with modern thinking should concentrate on both quality management practices and innovation in accordance with the proposed models to enhance sustainable performance, especially in emerging economies.