The influence of soft and hard quality management practices on quality improvement and performance in UAE higher education

Abstract

The present research examines the debated relationship between quality management and innovation using a multidimensional quality management perspective. The quality performance that is supposed to result from the adoption of quality management is investigated further as a possible mediator between quality management and innovation in the higher education sector. The data needed to test the hypotheses was gathered by sending a survey via the internet to the faculty members at universities in the United Arab Emirates. Applying the approach of structural equation modelling with partial least squares, the hypothesised associations between 175 respondents are evaluated. According to the findings, implementing rigorous quality management has a direct as well as indirect impact on innovation performance via its impact on quality performance. The impacts of soft quality management on hard quality management have indirect consequences on innovation performance. The association between rigorous quality management and innovation performance is moderated in part by quality performance. This study provides one of the initial studies to apply the multidimensional method of quality management in higher education and has the potential to assist directors in better comprehending the interdependencies between soft and hard quality practices.