Uniformity in TQM Adoption and its Effect on Institutional Assessment and Accreditation Process of HEIs in Odisha

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have significant potential to elevate the quality of education by embracing Total Quality Management (TQM) practices. TQM aids HEIs in enhancing their preparedness for institutional assessment and accreditation processes conducted by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). The study aims to find out whether both private and public HEIs in Odisha are adopting TQM practices equally. For that purpose a survey was conducted by using a structured questionnaire. Total 416 valid responses from the faculty members of both private and public HEIs were collected and hypothesis was tested by using t-test in SPSS. The study reveals significant difference between public and private HEIs in their TQM adoption, particularly concerning quality practices such as faculty excellence, supportive administrative staff, research and innovation facilities, and physical and digital infrastructure. A uniform approach for TQM adoption will encourage the HEIs for their readiness for assessment and accreditation. Considering more number of responses the result of the study could have its broader applicability.