PurposeThe aim of the study is to develop a TQM model of academic excellence and empirically establish a relationship between TQM implementation and students' satisfaction of academic performance.Design/methodology/approachA sample of students from ISO and non‐ISO engineering institutions from South India has been taken for the study. Statistical measures like mean, t‐test, correlation and regression analysis were used.FindingsThe results reflect that ISO 9001:2000 engineering institutions are moving towards the path of TQM offering better quality of educational service than the non‐ISO institutions. A relationship between the five TQM constructs and students' satisfaction of academic performance has also been established.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has been conducted in higher engineering education from the students' perspective only. The study is limited to the privately funded engineering institutions. Research relating to other types of institutions namely the government institutions and the deemed universities can be taken up in future.Practical implicationsThe academic excellence model developed in this paper can be effectively implemented in the higher educational institutions to enhance the quality of education and students' satisfaction.Originality/value5C TQM excellence model is unique. Suggestions to educational authorities interested in improving the quality of education are valuable.

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Purpose -There has been an exponential proliferation of higher engineering educational institutions in India. The purpose of this paper is to seek to investigate students' perceptions of the level of Commitment of Top Management and Leadership (CTML) and Education Service Design and Delivery (ESDD) in Government Run Engineering Colleges (GREC), Privately Funded Engineering Colleges (PFEC) and Privately Funded Deemed Universities (PFDU) in India. The paper also strives to find out the significant predictors of Overall Engineering Education Excellence (OEEE). Design/methodology/approach -A conceptual model has been developed linking Total Quality Management (TQM) elements and OEEE. The data were obtained from a survey of 992 students of higher engineering institutions in South India and analyzed using SPSS. Findings -Significant differences among GREC, PFEC and PFDU were noticed in several TQM dimensions under study, and also in OEEE. The findings show correlation between the seven TQM variables and OEEE. CTML made a significant contribution toward attaining OEEE. Campus Facilities and Congenial Learning Environment also contributed greatly to OEEE.Research limitations/implications -The sample is limited to engineering institutions in a particular geographical area of India. Related study with a global perspective can be taken up in the future. Practical implications -The comparative analysis of higher engineering institutions as well as the results of the investigative study of the impact of TQM on overall engineering educational excellence will prove useful to academic leadership. Originality/value -The research framework presented in this paper is valuable to the top managements of higher engineering institutions.

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