The role of organizational culture in the operational performance of a higher education institution in the light of SINAES’ quality indicators

Abstract

In this study, we argue that it is part of the strategy of any private higher education institution (HEI) to meet the goals of improving its academic and social effectiveness and that organizational culture can act as a contributory factor of its competitiveness by meeting goals of improving the quality of courses offered. Thus, the purpose of this study is to discuss the role of organizational culture in the operational performance of a HEI in the light of the quality indicators of the National System for the Evaluation of Higher Education (SINAES). To do so, we conducted a survey using the Organizational Culture Assessment Tool (OCAI) by Cameron and Quinn (2011) to identify the cultural profiles of a private HEI from Espírito Santo, which has been in the market for 50 years. The results show that, although there is a cohesion in the cultural manifestations between the two groups analyzed – faculty and administrative staff – at IES/ ES, the role of a clan culture, on the one hand, has been contributing for a competitive parity, that is, to achieve a competitive parity – an average performance in its industry. On the other hand, it can also play a restrictive role by making it difficult to formulate a strategy to improve the SINAES indicators, considering that it operates in an environment with many competitors, including a strong growth in distance education, and aggressive towards prices.

Keywords: organizational culture, higher education institution (HEI), effectiveness.