Quality assurance as a driver of information management strategy Stakeholders' perspectives in higher education

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the understanding of stakeholders of the Polish higher education sector to the internal quality assurance (QA) system and its role as a driver of information management strategy. Design/methodology/approach - The paper employs a qualitative approach. It started with an exploratory research in the form of 12 in-depth interviews with the Bologna process experts, followed by empirical research via 30 face-to-face interviews with key educational informants in five selected universities in Poland. Findings - The findings show that a key element for a successful implementation of the QA system is the stakeholders' own understanding of the rationale behind it as an information management strategy. In addition, the study places emphasis on the priorities in front of the top-level management to create the quality and information culture within the academic community. Originality/value - The study assists in finding global practical and creating a benchmark for policymakers concerning the information management strategies based on the Polish experience.