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PurposeThe purpose of this paper aims to propose and validate a measurement scale for integrating performance in universities with a global and local Latin-American perspective.Design/methodology/approachThis research followed a sequential, mixed-method design which uses quantitative and qualitative approaches. The data collection and analysis used two stages. The first stage was a systematic literature review analysing the data through a bibliometric analysis followed by thematic analysis. From this stage emerged the global universities' performance thematic map, a flow diagram for universities' performance system and a measurement scale. The second stage validated this scale applying a survey to the academic and administrative staff members of two Colombian private universities. A total of 705 useable responses were collected and analysed using exploratory factor analysis and the SPSS software.FindingsThe results validated five dimensions (research, resources, internationalisation, extension and academics) and 15 indicators proposed to determine the performance in universities. This study concluded that the instrument developed for measuring performance is a consistent starting point for the study of universities in Latin-American countries such as Colombia.Research limitations/implicationsThis study empirically validated the instrument for measuring performance from a systemic perspective at universities; however, a broader validation of the measurement scale is needed in the context of developing countries in Latin America to generalise the results.Practical implicationsResults provide a starting point considering the Latin-American context. They could help in future studies to improve the understanding of performance management in higher education.Originality/valuePerformance in universities has created multiple parameters and indicators, generating a lack of global consensus for their measurement. Thereof, this paper contributes to filling this gap in Latin-American universities. This work postulates a starting point considering the local context from global reported findings. It integrated the relations visually for sub-dimension and performance indicators into the university performance system. From this research emerged a novel theoretical hierarchical model for measuring university performance.

Purpose This paper aims to know how university’s strategic managers, from botacademic and administrative systems, perceive the relationship between sustainability and accreditation as sustainability incorporation and the quality of their processes are amongst the actual challenges of universities. Design/methodology/approach This paper opted for an inductive, exploratory study using the case study approach, including 19 in-depth interviews to administrative and academic managers in a private, high-quality certified university in Colombia. The data were assessed using the content analysis methodology. The Colombian accreditation guidelines were the base to analyse the data as accreditation is part of the quality assurance system. Findings This paper provides empirical insights into how the implementation of sustainability in universities relates to the Colombian accreditation factors. The main links found were in the areas of the university’s social impact and organisational responsibility, which are highly relevant to graduates, external stakeholders and sustainability skills. Sustainable campus operation was associated with environmental management and improvement of the quality of the physical plant, with social and economic benefits in the long-term. Additionally, this research found a need for administrative and academic managers to understand and increase their commitment to sustainability. Research limitations/implications Because it was a case study, results are not generalisable. Consequently, further research on similar lines is required to universalise the mentioned observation and results. Practical implications The accreditation factors related to sustainability, inductively defined and exposed in this paper, provide an idea of how sustainability implementation could contribute to higher education quality assurance. Originality/value This paper contributes to filling the knowledge gap about embedding sustainability in Latin-American universities. This paper postulates a starting point considering accreditation standards and the link of the strategic manager’s perceptions of sustainability.

Objetivos: Este trabajo buscó comparar los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible con las representaciones sociales que los individuos o comunidades de América Latina tienen sobre la pobreza, el hambre, la educación, la igualdad de género, los recursos y los ecosistemas, entre otros. Para ello, el autor investigó cómo el ser humano, inmerso en una comunidad, representa sus recursos, su calidad de vida y cómo su realidad armoniza con el concepto de desarrollo sostenible. Materiales y Métodos: En esta investigación exploratoria cualitativa se utilizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura y se aplicó la metodología de análisis de contenido a los artículos seleccionados. Las categorías de análisis de la investigación fueron la definición de desarrollo sostenible de las Naciones Unidas y su programa 2030, en sus cinco áreas: Gente, Planeta, Prosperidad, Paz y Comunidad.   Resultados: Se encuentra del análisis de las representaciones sociales que estas obedecen a la causalidad, justificación y diferenciación social y se mueven en diferentes esferas de realidad o múltiples realidades. La mayor parte de los casos mostraron que los conceptos y los logros que buscan las Naciones Unidas son diferentes de lo que los individuos entienden y viven. Conclusiones: Las representaciones sociales reportadas en la literatura frente a la situación actual de pérdida de biodiversidad, contaminación y agotamiento de recursos naturales, diferencias sociales e inequidad, aunque escasas, sugieren que es importante cuestionarse sobre si los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible se cumplirán para el 2030. Este trabajo es solo una fase exploratoria del análisis de la literatura encontrada en Latinoamérica. Al encontrarse pocas investigaciones en el tema, se infiere necesidad en investigaciones en las representaciones sociales del desarrollo sostenible. Otras futuras investigaciones pueden incluir análisis de los resultados con métodos mixtos para llegar a conclusiones que aumenten la confiablidad de los hallazgos latinoamericanos.