Instituciones de educación superior. Una  mirada desde las operaciones

Alejandro Medina Contento; Diana María Cárdenas Aguirre

doi:10.15332/xk835w88

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2023)

Published 2025-09-12

license

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Los autores mantienen los derechos sobre los artículos y por tanto son libres de compartir, copiar, distribuir, ejecutar y comunicar públicamente la obra bajo las condiciones siguientes:

Reconocer los créditos de la obra de la manera especificada por el autor o el licenciante (pero no de una manera que sugiera que tiene su apoyo o que apoyan el uso que hace de su obra).

RIIEP está bajo una licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

La Universidad Santo Tomás conserva los derechos patrimoniales de las obras publicadas, y favorece y permite la reutilización de las mismas bajo la licencia anteriormente mencionada.

ARTÍCULOS DE REVISIÓN

Higher education institutions. An operational perspective

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15332/xk835w88

Alejandro Medina Contento Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Diana María Cárdenas Aguirre Universidad Nacional de Colombia

PDF (Spanish)

Abstract
References

Objective: This article aims to identify the current context of higher education institutions, as well as to characterize them as a type of service provider organization and define their operating system. Methodology: To achieve this objective, a bibliographic review of the subject under study was carried out and verification of the characteristics that make universities a service company and the particularities of their operations system was made. Results: it is possible to identify that the literature in which HEIs are studied as organizations is limited. Conclusions: based on the survey carried out, it can be concluded that they are service provider organizations that are part of the knowledge economy and that have a system of operations where inputs (inputs and resources) are converted into outputs (students trained, research carried out and interaction with the external sector).

keywords: universities, services, organizations, tertiary sector, management, educational institutions

Al-Ababneh, H. A., & Alrhaimi, S. A. S. (2020). Modern approaches to education management to ensure the quality of educational services. *TEM Journal, 9*(2), 770–778. https://doi.org/10.18421/TEM92-46

Álvarez Gómez, G., Romero Fernández, A., & Gómez Armijos, C. (2018). Pertinencia de la educación superior; un reto para la universidad latinoamericana actual. *Revista Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores, 6*(24), 1–17.

Ávila, L., Ferreira, L. M. D. F., & Amorim, M. (2021). What is different about social enterprises’ operational practices and capabilities? *Operations Management Research.* https://doi.org/10.1007/s12063-021-00213-z

Balzer, W. K., Brodke, M. H., & Thomas Kizhakethalackal, E. (2015). Lean higher education: Successes, challenges, and realizing potential. *International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, 32*(9), 924–933. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-08-2014-0119

Barbón Pérez, O. G., & Fernández Pino, J. W. (2018). Rol de la gestión educativa estratégica en la gestión del conocimiento, la ciencia, la tecnología y la innovación en la educación superior. *Educación Médica, 19*(1), 51–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edumed.2016.12.001

Blanco-Valbuena, C. E., & Pineda, W. (2019). Transferencia de conocimiento como factor crítico para la gestión de la ciencia, la tecnología y la innovación en Maloka Bogotá, Colombia. *Revista Interamericana de Investigación, Educación y Pedagogía (RIIEP), 12*(2), 41–70. https://doi.org/10.15332/25005421.5008

Chiavenato, I. (2001). *Administración: Teoría, proceso y práctica* (3.ª ed.). McGraw Hill.

Claverie, J. (2013). La universidad como organización: Tres enfoques para el análisis de sus problemas de gestión. *Gestión y Gerencia, 7*(1), 4–27.

Couto Da Silva, S. L., Canal Vieira, L., & Pinto Da Silva, E. (2017). Strategy, performance evaluation and process management in higher education institutions. *Independent Journal of Management & Production, 8*(2), 362–377. https://doi.org/10.14807/ijmp.v8i2.476

Croucher, G., & Lacy, W. B. (2022). The emergence of academic capitalism and university neoliberalism: Perspectives of Australian higher education leadership. *Higher Education, 83*(2), 279–295. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00655-7

de Grandbois, Y. (2016). The story of service science. En *Service science and the information professional* (pp. 27–46). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-1-84334-649-4.00002-0

Fialová, H., Adamcová, L., & Ambrožová, A. (2018). Non-market services as quaternary sector of the economy. *38th International Academic Conference*, 61–62. https://doi.org/10.20472/iac.2018.038.013

Field, J. M., Victorino, L., Buell, R. W., Dixon, M. J., Meyer Goldstein, S., Menor, L. J., Pullman, M. E., Roth, A. V., Secchi, E., & Zhang, J. J. (2018). Service operations: What’s next? *Journal of Service Management, 29*(1), 55–97. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-08-2017-0191

García Gil, M. E., & Piovani, J. I. (2022). El aseguramiento de la calidad como generador de cambios institucionales en universidades privadas de Colombia. *Revista Interamericana de Investigación, Educación y Pedagogía (RIIEP), 15*(1), 253–280. https://doi.org/10.15332/25005421.7752

González-Campo, C. H., Vásquez Rivera, O. I., & Cifuentes-Madrid, J. H. (2020). Efecto del seguimiento a la gestión estratégica sobre las funciones sustantivas en las instituciones de educación superior en Colombia. *Cuadernos de Administración, 33.* https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.cao33.esge

Gonzalez-Garrido, A., Saez-De-Ibarra, A., Gaztanaga, H., Milo, A., & Eguia, P. (2019). Annual optimized bidding and operation strategy in energy and secondary reserve markets for solar plants with storage systems. *IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 34*(6), 5115–5124. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPWRS.2018.2869626

González, M. L., & Codagnone, T. (2005). La organización universitaria. En *Aportes al debate sobre la gestión universitaria II* (pp. 107–116). De los cuatro vientos. http://nulan.mdp.edu.ar/2892/

Greenwood, R., Hinings, C. R., & Whetten, D. (2014). Rethinking institutions and organizations. *Journal of Management Studies, 51*(7), 1206–1220. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12070

Guajardo, J. A., & Cohen, M. A. (2018). Service differentiation and operating segments: A framework and an application to after-sales services. *Manufacturing and Service Operations Management, 20*(3), 440–454. https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2017.0645

Hammershøj, L. G. (2019). The perfect storm scenario for the university: Diagnosing converging tendencies in higher education. *Futures, 111,* 159–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2018.06.001

Heffernan, T., Eacott, S., & Bosetti, L. (2021). Higher education leadership and context: A study of university vice-chancellors and presidents. *International Journal of Educational Management, 35*(5), 1063–1073. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-02-2021-0061

Holstein, J., Starkey, K., & Wright, M. (2018). Strategy and narrative in higher education. *Strategic Organization, 16*(1), 61–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127016674877

Hrnciar, M., Madzik, P., & Uram, M. (2018). Unfamiliar relatives in the service sector. *Benchmarking, 25*(1), 156–177. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-12-2015-0119

Iacob, S. E., Mieilă, M., Ștefan, M., & Petrariu, I. R. (2019). Significant interdependencies of the services sector in the Romanian economy: An analytical examination. *Economic Computation and Economic Cybernetics Studies and Research, 53*(4), 143–158. https://doi.org/10.24818/18423264/53.4.19.09

Kellerman, A. (1985). The evolution of service economies: A geographical perspective. *Professional Geographer, 37*(2), 133–143. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0033-0124.1985.00133.x

Kenessey, Z. (1987). The primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary sectors of the economy. *Review of Income and Wealth, 33*(4), 359–385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4991.1987.tb00680.x

Martín Peña, M. L., & Díaz Garrido, E. (2016). *Fundamentos de dirección de operaciones en empresas de servicios* (2.ª ed.). E. Editorial.

Mateo, J. L. (2006). Sociedad del conocimiento. *Arbor, Ciencia, Pensamiento y Cultura, 182*(718), 145–151.

Matthews, J. A. (2014). Service industries. En *Encyclopedia of Environmental Change* (p. 995). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446247501

Medina Rubio, R. (2005). Misiones y funciones de la universidad en el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior. *Revista Española de Pedagogía, 53*(230), 17–42. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23765790

Miceli, S. (2019). La universidad como organización. En *El sistema de aseguramiento de la calidad: Evaluando los instrumentos de medición de la CONEAU* (p. 192). Teseo.

Mosquera Mosquera, C. E., & Ramírez Martínez, J. E. (2019). El desencantamiento de la escuela: sus cambios y zarandeos en la era posindustrial. *Revista Interamericana de Investigación, Educación y Pedagogía (RIIEP), 13*(1), 45–61. https://doi.org/10.15332/25005421/5459

Muneeb, D., Tehseen, S., Amin, M., Kader, F., & Latif, K. F. (2020). Internal marketing strategies in United Arab Emirates higher education. *Journal of Enterprise Information Management.* https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-03-2020-0105

O’Reilly, S. J., Healy, J., Murphy, T., & Ó’Dubhghaill, R. (2019). Lean Six Sigma in higher education institutes: An Irish case study. *International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 10*(4), 948–974. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLSS-08-2018-0088

Parrillo, V. N. (2008). *Encyclopedia of social problems.* Sage.

Paulus, N. (2006). La universidad desde la teoría de los sistemas sociales. *Calidad en la Educación, 25,* 285–314. https://doi.org/10.31619/caledu.n25.263

RAE. (2022). *Universidad*. https://dle.rae.es/universidad

Render, B., & Heizer, J. (2014). *Principios de administración de operaciones* (9.ª ed.). Pearson Educación.

Rueda, I., Acosta, B., & Cueva, F. (2020). Universities and their practices of outreach with society. *Educação e Sociedade, 41,* 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1590/es.218154

Sadeh, E., & Garkaz, M. (2015). Explaining the mediating role of service quality between quality management enablers and students’ satisfaction in higher education institutes: The perception of managers. *Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 26*(11–12), 1335–1356. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783363.2014.931065

Sajwani, Z. S., Hazzam, J., Lahrech, A., & Alnuaimi, M. (2021). A strategy tripod perspective on merger effectiveness in the higher education industry: The mediating role of future foresight. *International Journal of Educational Management, 35*(5), 925–942. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-11-2020-0525

Schafran, A., McDonald, C., Lopez Morales, E., Akyelken, N., & Acuto, M. (2018). Replacing the services sector and three-sector theory: Urbanization and control as economic sectors. *Regional Studies, 52*(12), 1708–1719. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2018.1464136

Singh, S., & Singh Jasial, S. (2020). Moderating effect of perceived trust on service quality–student satisfaction relationship: Evidence from Indian higher management education institutions. *Journal of Marketing for Higher Education.* https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2020.1825029

Sirat, M. Bin. (2010). Strategic planning directions of Malaysia’s higher education: University autonomy in the midst of political uncertainties. *Higher Education, 59*(4), 461–473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9259-0

Southerton, D. (2011). Service industry. En *Encyclopedia of Consumer Culture* (pp. 1272–1276). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412994248

Suciu, M.-C., Drăgulănescu, I.-V., Ghiţiu-Brătescu, A., Picioruş, L., & Imbrişcă, C. (2011). Universities’ role in knowledge-based economy and society: Implications for Romanian economics higher education. *Amfiteatru Economic Journal, 13*(30), 420–436.

Sumardi, S., & Fernandes, A. A. R. (2018). The mediating effect of service quality and organizational commitment on the effect of management process alignment on higher education performance in Makassar, Indonesia. *Journal of Organizational Change Management, 31*(2), 410–425. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-11-2016-0247

Tambovtsev, V., & Rozhdestvenskaya, I. (2020). Higher education quality management: What is “quality” and what is “higher education”? *Upravlenets, 11*(1), 2–14. https://doi.org/10.29141/2218-5003-2020-11-1-1

Turečková, K., & Martinát, S. (2015). Quaternary sector and extended sectoral structure of the economy in the selected European countries. *Working Paper in Interdisciplinary Economics and Business Research, (10).*

Victorino, L., Field, J. M., Buell, R. W., Dixon, M. J., Meyer Goldstein, S., Menor, L. J., Pullman, M. E., Roth, A. V., Secchi, E., & Zhang, J. J. (2018). Service operations: What have we learned? *Journal of Service Management, 29*(1), 39–54. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-08-2017-0192

Voropai, O., Pichyk, K., & Chala, N. (2019). Increasing competitiveness of higher education in Ukraine through value co-creation strategy. *Economics and Sociology, 12*(4), 214–226. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-789X.2019/12-4/14

Wilkins, S. (2020). The positioning and competitive strategies of higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates. *International Journal of Educational Management, 34*(1), 139–153. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-05-2019-0168

Wright, M., Clarysse, B., Lockett, A., & Knockaert, M. (2008). Mid-range universities’ linkages with industry: Knowledge types and the role of intermediaries. *Research Policy, 37*(8), 1205–1223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2008.04.021

Yorkstone, S. (2016). Lean universities. En T. Netland & D. Powell (Eds.), *The Routledge companion to lean management* (p. 22). Routledge.

Zafiropoulos, C., & Vrana, V. (2008). Service quality assessment in a Greek higher education institute. *Journal of Business Economics and Management, 9*(1), 33–45. https://doi.org/10.3846/1611-1699.2008.9.33-45

license

How to Cite

Medina Contento, A., & Cárdenas Aguirre, D. M. (2025). Higher education institutions. An operational perspective. Revista Interamericana De Investigación Educación Y Pedagogía RIIEP, 16(1), 169-187. https://doi.org/10.15332/xk835w88

Download Citation

Almétricas

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...