Transformative quality and its impact on the perceived quality of higher education institution stakeholders

Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) ISSN: 2958-8413 Vol. 3, No. 6, Novembre 2025 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. http://www.revue-irs.com 6344 Transformative quality and its impact on the perceived quality of higher education institution stakeholders Achhibat Imane1, Lebzar Bouchra2, Dounia Ait el Bour3 1 Université Cadi Ayyad,FSJES,Laboratoire L-qualimat Marrakech 2Université Cadi Ayyad, FSJES, Laboratoire L-qualimat Marrakech 3Université Privée de Marrakech Abstract: While previous studies have taken a similar stance, this particular study is focused on consolidating stakeholders' perceptions about the extent to which university curricula are relevant to transformative dimensions of practice readiness and self-growth. Utilizing qualitative methodology, interviews were carried out with students, faculty, and administrators for a detailed exploration of stakeholders' views. The findings revealed an overwhelming majority agreed that perceived real-life experience involving internships and opportunities for industrial networking enhanced employment opportunities, while conflicting views regarding adequacy of both resources and infrastructure support the notion that provision of high-quality educational services has its fair share of challenges. The results highlight a need for stakeholder consideration within quality frameworks aiming to develop commonly recognized standards in higher education. Keywords: Transformative quality, perceived quality, higher education institution, stakeholders Digital Object Identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17511577 1 Introduction Quality of service in the higher education sector is of crucial importance for student development and success. It encompasses aspects such as access to educational resources, the relevance of programmes, the efficiency of administrative processes and the quality of interactions between teachers and students. In a quality academic environment, higher education institutions strive to provide enriching learning experiences, with an emphasis on in-depth subject understanding, the development of professional skills and adequate preparation for working life. The availability of teaching staff, modern infrastructure, educational technology and an inclusive climate all contribute to creating an environment that is conducive to students' academic and personal development, thereby enhancing the reputation and overall quality of higher education institutions. Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) - ISSN : 2958-8413 http://www.revue-irs.com 6345 2 Perception of Quality in Higher Education: The Student as Customer 2.1 Perception of Quality in Higher Education: The Student as Customer The perspective of students as customers in the educational context has generated extensive discussion and reflection. The work of Griffin (1996) has helped to broaden the definition of the term 'customer' to include anyone who makes a financial investment to access the products or services offered by an organisation. This extension of the traditional conception of the customer was reinforced by the work of Stanton, Etzel and Walker (1994), who made an important distinction by separating the role of the customer as the decision-maker in the purchase decision from that of the consumer as the actual user of the product or service. 2.2 The Role of Stakeholders in Quality Management within Higher Education Institutions The literature on quality management in higher education shows that there is no consensus on a single model of quality management, despite the different approaches implemented in different countries (Srikanthan & Dalrymple, 2003; Becket & Brooks, 2008). While there may not be a one-size-fits-all approach to defining and managing quality, researchers argue that any quality model must reflect stakeholder perspectives to gain community-wide acceptance (Birnbaum, 2000; Srikanthan & Dalrymple, 2007; Houston, 2008). Stakeholders, including students, teachers, administrators, government agencies, employers and the wider community, play a crucial role in defining and determining quality in higher education (Harvey & Green, 1993; Shanahan & Gerber, 2004). Consequently, most discussions of quality in higher education adopt a 'customer' or 'stakeholder' approach, recognising that the views and expectations of stakeholders need to be considered (Cheng & Tam, 1997; Cullen et al., 2003). Becket & Brooks (2006) highlight the importance of considering the diverse perspectives of stakeholders when addressing quality issues in higher education. Similarly, Srikanthan & Dalrymple (2003) argue that any model of quality must be sensitive to and reflect stakeholder expectations. Cullen et al (2003) advocate a stakeholder-centred approach to quality, stressing the need for quality concepts to consider the perspectives of different stakeholders. Ultimately, the integration of stakeholder perspectives into quality management frameworks is essential for the development of effective and widely accepted models of quality in higher education. If quality is 'stakeholder defined', then who are the 'stakeholders' in higher education? Modern quality management argues that there are many 'customers' or 'stakeholders', especially when it comes to service providers such as higher education institutions (Lagrosen et al., 2004). Some studies use the term 'customer', while others prefer the term 'stakeholder'. Various authors, such as Lagrosen et al (2004), suggest using the term 'stakeholder' instead of 'customer' when discussing quality in higher education, as this term is less controversial. This article adopts this approach. Srikanthan & Dalrymple (2003) have suggested that there are many stakeholders for whom quality in higher education is vital, such as government, funding bodies, students, academic staff, employers and society as a whole, to name but a few. Cheng & Tam (1997) identify both internal and external stakeholders in the quality management process. Current students and academic staff are internal stakeholders in the quality management process, while employers, government funding bodies, institutional management, prospective students or professional bodies are external; these stakeholders are likely to have disparate definitions of quality as well as different preferences for evaluating quality (Cheng & Tam, 1997). This study focuses on two internal stakeholders: students and academic staff. The choice of these two stakeholder groups from the range of potential stakeholders reflects the desire to focus, as far as possible, on the primary relationship in the educational exchange. In summary, the literature proposes a "pragmatic approach" (Harvey et al., 1992) to quality: an approach that identifies a set of criteria considered to be the determinants of quality, which are defined by the stakeholders and then used to measure quality. Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) - ISSN : 2958-8413 http://www.revue-irs.com 6346 3 Methodology We opted for an exploratory qualitative approach in order to analyse the influence of transformative quality on the quality of service of higher education institutions in the Moroccan context. Our aim is to better understand stakeholders' perceptions of transformative quality and the main benefits they personally value. Through detailed analysis, we sought to explore the context and experiences of students, administrators and faculty. Given the cultural specificity of Moroccan educational institutions, we chose an exploratory method because the contributions of the literature may vary from one context to another. Indeed, given the influence of the Moroccan context on adherence to traditional teaching methods and preference for classical pedagogical approaches, we believe it is essential to analyse perceptions of transformative quality in this specific Moroccan context. Semi-structured interviews were chosen to achieve our goal. Through face-to-face conversations that resulted in recorded and faithfully transcribed verbal communication, we gathered a large amount of information. This method made it possible to obtain relevant information thanks to the interviewees' freedom of expression. Semi-structured interviews enabled us to follow the evolution of the interviewees' ideas and thought processes, while taking into account changes in their situation and potential contradictions in their answers. Data Collection Instruments: The Interview Guide as a Depth Tool In this study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with six Professors, five students, and seven administrators working in Moroccan higher education institutions, both public and private (Detailled in table 2), using openended questions. We limited our sample size because we reached theoretical saturation (Akyıldız and Ahmed, 2021), which occurs when the researcher begins to obtain identical data across different interviews. When saturation is reached, conducting further interviews would not guarantee the creation of added value to the analysis. 3.1 Table 1: Characteristics of the study sample Interview Ref Duration of the interview University/Institution Function of the interviewee Sector P1 54 min Faculty of Language, Ibn zohr, Agadir Professor Public P2 50 min Multidisciplinary Faculty, Errachidia Professor Public RA1 45min Multidisciplinary Faculty, Errachidia Administrator Public RA2 60 min UM6P, Benguerir Administrator Private P3 40 min ESIT TANGIER Professor Public E1 60 min ESIT TANGIER Student Public E2 54min Faculty of Language, Ibn zohr, Agadir Student Public E3 1h30min Faculty of Language, Ibn zohr, Agadir Student Public P4 60 min The private university Of Marrakech Professor Private Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) - ISSN : 2958-8413 http://www.revue-irs.com 6347 RA3 75 min The private university Of Marrakech Administrator Private P5 40min ENCG Meknes Professor Public E4 55min Multidisciplinary Faculty, Errachidia Student Public RA4 45min ENCG Meknes Administrator Public P6 60min ENCG Eljadida Professor Public E5 54min HEEC Marrakech Student Private RA5 60min HEEC Marrakech Administrator Private RA6 80 min Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech Administrator Public RA7 60 min Faculty semlalia Marrakech Administrator Public Source: Own elaboration We can describe our interviews as semi-structured because they included a large number of questions that were not predetermined but focused on themes relevant to Moroccan higher education institutions, providing flexible guidelines while allowing a great deal of freedom. We sometimes used an interview guide containing specific questions, but adjustments were made during the interviews depending on the desire to revisit or clarify answers, often using the interviewees' own language. Nevertheless, the main themes of our study followed a logical sequence that we systematically followed and announced at the beginning of each interview. We chose to interview a diverse range of higher education institutions in the private and public sectors, with varying characteristics, to analyse the influence of context on perceptions of transformative quality, intervening whenever interviewees needed guidance. The interviews lasted about an hour to an hour and a half and were recorded using a professional dictaphone with the consent of all participants, then faithfully transcribed; However, the participants preferred to remain anonymous. We conducted our interviews between August and November 2023. Data Analysis: Unveiling Insights Through Evolving Content Analysis We opted to use the most common method of data analysis in management sciences, namely content analysis. This method, dating back to the 20th century, has undergone significant evolution over time, adapting to the complexities and advancements in both communication channels and analytical techniques. Content analysis is a versatile tool that allows researchers to systematically examine and interpret textual data. It has been employed in various fields, including psychology, sociology, and marketing, due to its ability to provide insights into patterns, themes, and trends within the data. Several researchers have defined content analysis over the years, highlighting its multifaceted nature. Silverman et al. (2021) describe it as "a research technique for an objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the manifest content of communications, with the aim of interpreting them." This definition underscores the method's dual focus on objectivity and systematic analysis, ensuring that the findings are both reliable and replicable. The quantitative aspect emphasizes the importance of measurable and verifiable data, which enhances the robustness of the research outcomes. In the study of our theme, we chose, within the wide scope of content analysis, thematic analysis as a specific approach. Thematic analysis identifies,analyzes,and reports patterns within the data. It emphasizes gaining insights from complex, subtle data that would otherwise remain hidden. It is through themes that the data can be presented as a thorough and cogent interpretation of our research objectives. Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) - ISSN : 2958-8413 http://www.revue-irs.com 6348 Thus, by virtue of the thematic analysis, we venture into the depths of the meaning at the content's service, beyond the superstitious tale of its context and implications. Within the bounds of management sciences, much could be derived from the deliberation of communications when it comes down to organizational behavior, chief executives, and decision-making processes. With the thematic approach in content analysis, we endeavor to demonstrate crucial insights to the field that are practice-oriented. Results discussion Insights into Higher Education Quality: Perspectives from Stakeholders According to the analysis of our interviews and the verbatims from the interviewees regarding the perception of quality in higher education, several keywords stand out for their frequency of occurrence. The term "quality," foremost with 74 mentions, represents the central theme of assessing service quality. "Access," "orientation," "students," and "teaching," in turn, seem to show concern about student access and orientation and the value of teaching. "Professors" and "administrator" reflect the importance of both. The words "employability," "professional," "internships," and "graduate" underline the interest in preparing students for careers with gainful employment. Finally, the words "service" and "information" highlight the significance of E-services and students' access to relevant information. These results indicate that quality service in education is indeed paramount, and emphasis should be laid on the training of the students to perform well both in school and in the labor market. Table 1: Perception of service quality in Higher education Interview Ref Perception of service quality P1 Our institute has all the necessary elements to deliver high-quality service, both in terms of the expertise of the teaching staff and the infrastructure available. P2 The quality of services offered by our institution surpasses the expectations arising out of financial constraints. This determination of resilience underlines theziest evolution: the commitment to maintain their well-being with limited resources. RA1 Our enhancement towards quality is attested by the recognition of UM6P at local, national, and international levels. Regionally, we have established agreements and partnerships with leading international universities, thus placing UM6P in the category of a reference institution. Alongside the socio-economic changes that influenced our revised curriculum offerings, there has been a radical shift in the entire academic landscape. RA2 The quality of higher education in the institution is satisfying; it remained. Being a young establishment, we have established an ambitious sense of activity within our students. Other configurations are expected to allow students to take part in research projects, academic competitions, and international exchange programs. The overall satisfaction with the quality of higher education has put on the fallback burner our drive to confirm our rightful place and trigger a flame from the nation's point of view, going beyond, to an international level. P3 The faculty is devoted to offering quality education with limited support. Facilities have to be improved amidst existing constraints. The introduction of state-of-the-art technology requires immense investment on any institute's part. E1 The aforementioned challenges; the lack of classroom space, the lack of infrastructural facilities, and the lack of resources are a big hindrance towards students' ultimate learning experience and provide less value to the entire thought of "student satisfaction". One has to really advocate for the same towards betterment so that every student has access to quality education and no child is deprived of an affirmative learning experience. E2 Unfortunately, our institution does not have all the necessary elements to provide a quality education service. E3 Little things like the understaffing of teachers, overfilling of classrooms, and revision of teaching resources are really issues that need to change. Having these problems does indeed Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) - ISSN : 2958-8413 http://www.revue-irs.com 6349 affect the actual learning of the students and their overall satisfaction. Thus, it is important to advocate that these problems must be rectified in order to give these students a fair shot at quality education. P4 As a lecturer in private higher education, the focus is on the delivery of quality education through several means, such as structuring courses, adequate infrastructure, and guideline resources to facilitate teaching sessions. RA3 We have highly qualified professors, relevant curricula, appropriate technological aids to support the lecture, and the more recent infrastructure and equipment. We are determined to develop and improve services in accord with the needs of students in order to facilitate their learning experience. P5 The lack of financial and human resources signifies a dire threat to the institution in quality education delivery. Fund limitations for infrastructures and recruitment of qualified staff cause the ability to overload with over-qualification and restrict the diversity. E4 While we provide resources and an extraordinarily committed faculty, there is still room for improvement concerning the curriculum to be aligned more to industry demands, student support services, and infrastructure improvement. These areas need to be addressed in order for education to continue to improve. RA4 With modern-day dedicated faculty members and latest resources of education, we have a rather unique, stimulating, and enriching learning environment for our students. I am convinced that such a commitment to excellence will give clear benefits for our students and university community as a consequence. P6 In fact, it can be said that higher education is reasonably good in terms of quality; nevertheless, it is the practical aspects of method and training programs that do leave some area for concern. E5 As a student in private higher education, usually we expect quality education in terms of programmed syllabus, well-structured courses, sufficient infrastructure, and more of enabling resources for teachers to deliver courses. Likewise, there would be many more resources available to students and some good faculty chosen with prior respectable academic background knowledge. RA5 In newer contexts, the quality of higher education at our hands is enhanced, thanks to professors, administrators, and a concerted contribution from the students. RA6 We have several aspects to consider, including governance in terms of administration, the streamlining of digital applications for information input, a communication service that benchmarks nationally and internationally, all aimed at ensuring better quality for our target audience, which is the students. RA7 Our institution has the necessary elements to provide a quality higher education service, including qualified teachers, adequate infrastructure, educational resources, and mechanisms for evaluation and continuous improvement. Source: Authors In fact, it is noteworthy that both students and instructors generally have positive opinions about the quality of higher education, according to the analysis of the replies from our participants. Administrators, on the other hand, hold a slightly different viewpoint, believing that education may be improved upon and is beginning to decline. Many educators and learners base their evaluations of the quality of higher education on pedagogical content criteria, such as program quality, student success rates, and faculty academic performance. Administrators, on the other hand, place more weight on metrics like governance, the caliber of the administrative staff, the utilization of ICT, and e-services, which are meant to gauge the caliber of higher education. The findings make it clear that the most important factors in determining the caliber of higher education are those that pertain to several areas, such as the availability of internships and graduate employability, the availability of information and academic counseling, the integration of cutting-edge teaching strategies, and the caliber of instructors. Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) - ISSN : 2958-8413 http://www.revue-irs.com 6350 Interestingly, the most frequently highlighted factors in the discourse of all three types of participants (students, administrators, and academics) are graduate employability and the quantity of internships. All parties involved in the educational community place special emphasis on these standards since they seem to be crucial in determining how high-quality higher education is perceived. According to the poll, most respondents—especially professors—think that their institutions are equipped with everything needed to offer high-quality services that satisfy employers' demands. A tiny percentage of participants do, however, believe that some institutions are devoid of all the components required to guarantee high-quality care. According to these participants, these organizations continue to struggle with a lack of funding, infrastructure, It is interesting to observe, though, that a sizable percentage of administrators think the study programs and faculty at their universities are of high caliber. Additionally, they believe that the infrastructure is generally adequate. Furthermore, there exist collaboration programs, both domestic and foreign, which foster the institution's transparency and generate employment prospects for graduates in the labor market. The literature does, however, also draw attention to the methodological and practical difficulties that come with evaluating service quality in the context of higher education using models like SERVQUAL. The validity and dependability of these models have been questioned in relation to the assessment of student expectations and item construction (Buttle, 1996). As one participant put it, "Unfortunately, our institution does not have all the necessary elements to provide quality educational service." Our data support this issue. This view draws attention to the resource and infrastructure constraints that many universities confront, which may have an impact on the caliber of services offered. The published literature and our research findings both highlight the recurrent subject of resource and infrastructure restrictions in higher education institutions. One of the survey participants highlighted that the lack of essential elements needed to provide high-quality educational services highlights a larger issue faced by many institutions across the globe. Scholars have noted that colleges are under increasing pressure to maintain quality standards in the face of decreasing funding, a theme that appears throughout scholarly works (Harvey, 2010). Certainly! The recurring theme of resource and infrastructure constraints in higher education institutions emerges prominently in both our research findings and the established literature. As emphasized by one of our study participants, the absence of vital components required for delivering high-quality educational services underscores a broader challenge encountered by numerous institutions worldwide. This issue resonates throughout scholarly works, with researchers noting the growing strain on universities to uphold quality standards amid shrinking financial resources (Harvey, 2010). Additionally, our findings are in line with previous research that highlights the critical role of resources and infrastructure in delivering high-quality education. According to Suttarso et al. (2011), universities are increasingly being seen as service providers, necessitating investments in modern facilities, technological advancements, and skilled personnel to meet the evolving expectations of students. However, as observed in our results, not all institutions possess the necessary resources to meet these requirements, resulting in disparities in the quality of services provided. Furthermore, the impact of resource constraints on the quality of education goes beyond physical infrastructure to include the expertise of teaching staff and support services. Our participants emphasised the importance of qualified teaching staff and access to academic advice, echoing the findings of Pitman (2000) and Varey (1993), who highlighted the essential role of effective teaching and administrative support in ensuring quality provision. In conclusion, our study reaffirms the crucial importance of service quality in higher education, while highlighting the challenges and limitations associated with its assessment. The information drawn from the literature and the participants' views provide us with a better understanding of this complex issue and pave the way for future research aimed at improving the quality of services in higher education. Influence of transformative quality on stakeholders’ satisfaction Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) - ISSN : 2958-8413 http://www.revue-irs.com 6351 The transformative quality of university curricula in their interaction with the job market is distinguished by keywords such as 'professional', 'internships', 'skills', 'programmes' and 'development'. These terms reflect a particular focus on preparing students to thrive in their professional careers (Appendix 1). The presence of the words 'business', 'projects', 'workshops', 'networking', 'training', 'market', 'work' and 'company' testifies to the close relationship between the university and the professional world. Internships, projects, workshops and networking provide students with opportunities to acquire practical skills and connect with businesses. In addition, the mention of 'mentoring' indicates the interest of industry professionals in guiding students. The 'transformative quality' of university programmes in relation to the professional world is addressed through a number of key terms such as 'professionals', 'internships', 'skills', 'programmes' and 'development'. These words reflect a strong desire to prepare students to succeed in their future careers. The presence of terms such as 'business', 'projects', 'workshops', 'networking', 'training', 'market', 'work' and 'enterprise' underlines the importance of establishing links between the university and the professional world. Internships, projects, workshops and networking provide students with opportunities to acquire practical skills and connect with the professional world. The emphasis on mentoring also reflects the interest of industry professionals in mentoring students. Teachers, students and administrators recognise that the institutions play a crucial role in helping students make the transition to the professional world. Meetings between students and professionals, conferences, colloquiums and training seminars all contribute to this transition. In addition, establishing partnerships with the professional world to offer internship and apprenticeship programmes reinforces this preparation. Employers also have a key role to play in integrating young graduates into the labour market. They offer highquality training and integration programmes to ensure that students are ready to enter the world of work as soon as they leave university. Collaboration between institutions and employers is therefore crucial to a successful transition to the world of work. An analysis of the responses shows a divergence of opinion among the participants. While some felt that university programmes perfectly met the needs of the labour market, others thought that there was a significant gap between the training provided and the requirements of the market. This divergence underlines the importance of ongoing reflection on the match between programmes and market needs, as well as the need to strengthen links between higher education and the world of work. Practices implemented by institutions to ensure student employability include compulsory internships, practical workshops and professional networking. These initiatives are aimed at preparing students to enter the labour market successfully and to acquire practical and relevant skills. Finally, comments highlight the importance of cross-disciplinary skills in addition to academic and technical skills, as well as the need to master constantly evolving technology. It was also suggested that partnerships should be developed between academic institutions and companies to better understand the needs of the labour market and adapt programmes accordingly. Revue Internationale de la Recherche Scientifique (Revue-IRS) - ISSN : 2958-8413 http://www.revue-irs.com 6352 Table 2: Transformative quality in Higher education Interview Ref Transformative quality P1 We have established solid partnerships with local and international companies, enabling us to offer our students internship opportunities and practical projects that enhance their experience and skills. This greatly facilitates their transition to the job market, effectively preparing them for the professional challenges ahead. P2 The transformative dimension of our university is indisputable and is of vital importance in preparing our students for their entry into the professional world. This translates into a diverse range of internships and practical projects that greatly enrich the experience and skills of our students. RA1 Through dynamic partnerships with a variety of companies, we offer our students internship and project opportunities that challenge, inspire and prepare them to successfully navigate the professional world. RA2 The integration of online services at our university has significantly increased satisfaction levels among our stakeholders. P3 The quality of online services contributes directly to improving the overall perception of the quality of our institution by students and other stakeholders. E1 The institution provides high-quality teaching and promotes proximity to the job market by offering us the opportunity to attend conferences and ceremonies led by renowned experts. E2 My University cultivates a close relationship with the private sector through a number of strategic partnerships. Facilitating students' transition to the world of work is also a key priority. E3 The institution strives to provide high-quality teaching, enriched by regular seminars led by recognised experts in a variety of fields. P4 I must say that the e-services provided by our institution are indeed quite satisfactory. The university's investment in technology and digital infrastructure allows for seamless access to course materials, communication with students, and administrative tasks. RA3 Our investment in digital infrastructure has greatly improved the efficiency and accessibility of various administrative processes, including student registration, fee payment, and academic record management. The e-services offered contribute significantly to the overall satisfaction of students, faculty, and staff alike. P5 I believe that e-services play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of our educational offerings. The availability of e-services has greatly facilitated administrative tasks such as course registration, grade management, and communication with students. E4 I find that e-services contribute significantly to the overall quality of our educational experience. These services, such as online course materials, virtual classrooms, and electronic library resources, provide us with convenient access to essential learning resources.