Determinants of the effectiveness of quality assurance systems and institutional performance in higher education

This study analyses the determinants of the effectiveness of Quality Assurance Systems (QAS) and its impact on institutional performance in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Based on stakeholder theory and the Resource-Based View (RBV), it investigates how management support, infrastructure quality and faculty and student engagement shape QAS effectiveness and, through it, institutional outcomes in teaching, research and societal impact. The research followed a quantitative design, covering all public and private HEIs in Portugal between December 2024 and February 2025. Using a non-probabilistic sample, an online questionnaire obtained 984 valid responses from academics, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to empirically test the hypothesised model and mediating effects. The results show that management support and institutional leadership are the strongest predictors of QAS effectiveness, while infrastructure quality and faculty engagement also make significant contributions. Student engagement, although statistically weaker, remains strategically relevant, reflecting institutional limitations in embedding student voices rather than disengagement itself. In summary, the study positions QAS effectiveness as a central mechanism that transforms organisational resources and stakeholder participation into institutional performance, while offering a consistent theoretical contribution and practical guidance for leaders and decision-makers committed to strengthening quality culture and competitiveness in higher education. This study quantifies the determinants of the effectiveness of Quality Assurance Systems (QAS) in higher education and demonstrates how QAS effectiveness acts as a mediating variable between institutional conditions and the performance of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Based on a national sample of academics, the findings show that management support is the most decisive factor for QAS effectiveness, followed by faculty engagement and infrastructure quality. Student engagement shows a more limited impact, suggesting the existence of institutional barriers to their full participation. By integrating variables that are usually analysed separately into a single explanatory model, this study fills an important gap in the international literature and offers practical guidance to institutional decision-makers seeking to strengthen governance, accountability, and continuous improvement. The study shifts the quality assurance debate from a logic of procedural compliance to a focus on effectiveness and institutional performance impact, providing novel empirical evidence to the international discussion.