Total Quality Management and Corporate Social Responsibility Theoretical Model applied to a Higher Education Institution: The Case Study of the University of Évora

Abstract

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of a qualitative and theoretical tool for the evaluation of Quality Management and Social Responsibility applied to Higher Education Institutions, specifically to the University of Évora, Portugal. Methodology: The elaboration of the qualitative and theoretical model was based on the content analysis of two scientific articles on the theme of Social Responsibility and Quality. The articles in question were "TQM and CSR Nexus" of Ghobadian et al., published in 2007 in the International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management and "The Corporate Social Responsibility Audit Within the Quality Management Framework" of van der Wiele et al., published in 2001 in the Journal of Business Ethics. A relational analysis between the philosophies of Total Quality Management (TQM) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), quality excellence models and the elements of the TQM process, aspects and elements of the social responsibility process and CSR audit tools was done. The model resulting from the relational analysis was then applied to the University of Évora (UEv), which allowed us to analyze this case study. Result: The model was successfully applied to the University of Évora and the results obtained revealed the importance of Quality Management and Social Responsibility on the general managing of the institution to achieve a sustainable and promising future for all stakeholders (among others, students, workers, employers and society in general). Conclusion: The model has proved to be successful in providing useful information for a sustainable management of the University. It is shown that in a sustainable way both concepts and practices of TQM and CSR have evolved and have conjugate, making possible the improvement of the institution performance.