{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,13]],"date-time":"2026-01-13T00:17:45Z","timestamp":1768263465766,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,7,3]],"date-time":"2017-07-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1499040000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["QAE"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,7,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This paper aims to look at the characteristics of internal quality assurance (IQA) systems of higher education institutions to understand whether these systems tend to reproduce a given model, externally defined and suggested to institutions, or rather to be shaped by institutions\u2019 features and interests.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The study is supported in the analysis of the content of self-assessment reports of 12 internal QA systems certified, in Portugal, between 2012 and 2015. An analysis grid was used based on three categories: IQA systems\u2019 historical framework, structural\/managerial component and monitoring, assessment and continuous improvement.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Institutions tended to follow a \u201cone size fits all\u201d approach, meaning that external (European and national) quality assurance (QA) references were used in an identical way, giving origin to rather similar IQA systems. Institutional characteristics do not seem to have played a relevant role, eventually due to institutions\u2019 will to obtain their systems\u2019 certification and, thus, achieve a light-touch external QA.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The study was based on the analysis of only certified IQA systems and relies on document analysis. It would be interesting to also include non-certified systems, in a comparative perspective, complemented with data deriving from interviews and\/or questionnaires with some of the actors involved in the certification process.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The study provides an understanding of how IQA systems are being implemented in Portugal. Thus, it can be of interest to other institutions as well as to QA agencies.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The study addresses a topic still relatively absent from research on QA in higher education, being of interest for researchers in the field.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/qae-03-2017-0007","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,5,16]],"date-time":"2017-05-16T11:43:53Z","timestamp":1494935033000},"page":"329-342","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Internal quality assurance systems: \u201ctailor made\u201d or \u201cone size fits all\u201d implementation?"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"25","author":[{"given":"S\u00f3nia","family":"Cardoso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Maria J.","family":"Rosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Pedro","family":"Videira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Alberto","family":"Amaral","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2020120614534447900_ref001","unstructured":"A3ES \u2013 Ag\u00eancia de Avalia\u00e7\u00e3o e Acredita\u00e7\u00e3o do Ensino Superior (2013), \u201cAuditing internal quality assurance systems in higher education institutions - manual for the audit process, Version 1.1\u201d, A3ES, Lisbon, January, available at: http:\/\/a3es.pt\/sites\/default\/files\/Manual_for_Audit_Process.pdf (accessed May 2015)."},{"key":"key2020120614534447900_ref039","first-page":"79","article-title":"From quality assurance to accreditation \u2013 a satirical view","volume-title":"Towards a Cartography of Higher Education Policy Change","year":"2007"},{"key":"key2020120614534447900_ref002","first-page":"13","article-title":"Where are quality frontiers moving to?","volume-title":"Quality Assurance in Higher Education - Contemporary Debates","year":"2014"},{"key":"key2020120614534447900_ref003","first-page":"141","article-title":"The Portuguese case: can institutions move to quality enhancement?","volume-title":"Enhancing Quality in Higher Education: International Perspectives","year":"2013"},{"key":"key2020120614534447900_ref005","volume-title":"An\u00e1lise de Conte\u00fado [Content Analysis]","year":"1995"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020120614534447900_ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147","DOI":"10.2307\/2095101","article-title":"The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields","volume":"48","year":"1983","journal-title":"American Sociological Review"},{"key":"key2020120614534447900_ref007","volume-title":"Drivers and Barriers to Achieving Quality in Higher Education","year":"2014"},{"key":"key2020120614534447900_ref008","article-title":"Quality culture in European Universities: a bottom-up approach","author":"EUA \u2013 European University Association","year":"2006"},{"issue":"1\/2","key":"key2020120614534447900_ref009","first-page":"84","article-title":"Quality assurance and quality enhancement in higher education: Contested territories?","volume":"62","year":"2008","journal-title":"Higher Education Quarterly"},{"key":"key2020120614534447900_ref010","unstructured":"Fonseca, M. 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