Bridging Intellectual Capital, Sustainable Development and Quality of Life in Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

This paper analyses the relationship between the intellectual capital of higher education institutions (HEIs) and their sustainable development practices, and assesses whether higher education institutions’ sustainable development practices are related to their stakeholders’ quality of life. Using a structural equation model, two model specifications are estimated, gathering primary data from a convenience sample composed of 738 full-time students and 587 teachers/researchers at seven Portuguese higher education institutions. The findings reveal that intellectual capital influences sustainable development practices directly and positively, whereas sustainable development practices influence students’ quality of life in a significant way, although the same is not verified for teachers/researchers. These findings provide insightful implications for policy-making and intellectual capital management for practices in higher education institutions; firstly, by showing that the sustainable development concept is associated with HEIs’ practices of economic, environmental, social and organisational sustainability; secondly, by concluding that public Portuguese HEIs need to improve the social dimension of their sustainable development practices, and here there may be room for improvement in the institution through better and more proficient social engagement that is more directed to the challenges of sustainability and social change; and thirdly, by showing that the inclusion of better sustainable practices has repercussions on the quality of life of all stakeholders.

Input and Output Indicators of the Higher Education Institutions for Quality of Life in Portugal

“…This paper is a preliminary study that aims to identify and analyze some statistical-based indicators in Portugal, on the demand-side basis (inputs), at the population, student and R&D levels; and the knowledge-based supply side (outputs), related to human capital, innovation and knowledge transfer, as a way to identify and consolidate information on indicators that can contribute to the QoL of the surrounding regions. Pedro, Leitão, and Alves (2020) confirm that intellectual capital directly and positively influences sustainable development practices and that these strongly influence the students' quality of life, although the same is not true for teachers and researchers. These insights are important for policy-making and intellectual capital management in HEIs, as they show that: the sustainable development concept is associated with HEIs' economic, environmental, social and organizational practices; HEIs need to improve the social dimension of their sustainable development practices; the inclusion of the best sustainable practices has an impact on the quality of life of all stakeholders.…”

Quality of Higher Education through the Pursuit of Satisfaction with a Focus on Sustainability

“…Nevertheless, the role played by a quality education that is geared towards pro-sustainability can no longer be ignored. This includes its economic, social, environmental and organisational dimensions, as these can mark differences in the inter-related circles of learning and performance throughout life [41]. The challenge posed by this to teachers, students and family members alike centres on the struggle to incorporate effective participatory methods within the teaching process.…”

“…We find ourselves embroiled in initiatives that have been developed to analyse and satisfy the needs of interested parties in general; in other words, families, institutions, teaching staff and students [38]. DiDomenico and Bonnici [39] argue that higher education institutions must analyse the quality of service offered in order to be able to function effectively and efficiently within a competitive environment, whilst also making efforts to define a strategy focused on the need satisfaction of clients [40,41]. The Bolonia process has made this a reality by accelerating the introduction and elaboration of quality assurance, taking both an institutionalized approach and making use of quality management mechanisms [42].…”

Transforming Turkish Universities to Entrepreneurial Universities for Sustainability: From Strategy to Practice

“…In recent years, higher education institutions have faced with many challenges like budget reductions, changing expectations of stakeholders [47], and a continuous and growing demand for higher education [21]. Due to those pressures, universities are now challenging for sustainability and trying to find out new ways to face those expectations for supporting themselves and sustainable development of societies, populations, and stakeholders in which they are embedded [47,48].…”

“…In recent years, higher education institutions have faced with many challenges like budget reductions, changing expectations of stakeholders [47], and a continuous and growing demand for higher education [21]. Due to those pressures, universities are now challenging for sustainability and trying to find out new ways to face those expectations for supporting themselves and sustainable development of societies, populations, and stakeholders in which they are embedded [47,48]. According to UNESCO, for a sustainable development, the institution has to be transformed as a whole [47], thus transformation of higher education institutions to entrepreneurial universities may be a good response for their sustainable development [49].…”