A acreditação internacional como fator gerador de vantagem competitiva para uma universidade comunitária brasileira

Abstract

This research in the area of educational management filled a theoretical and empirical gap identified in the literature regarding the effects of international accreditation of business schools as a competitive advantage in a school within a university. The research problem sought to answer how accreditation contributes to this generation of value in the specific environment of a university as this condition was not studied in the bibliography located and used in this work. With the general objective of analyzing how accreditation can contribute to generating a competitive advantage for a Brazilian community university, a qualitative, descriptive study was carried out, based on a single case study, with data collection from interviews and analysis of documents. The results showed that the fact that the school is part of a university and has to share energy and investment from its managers with other schools increases the complexity in achieving a competitive advantage for this HEI. However, it was possible to identify ways to get closer to the competitive objectives of having such certification, such as investing in the engagement of course coordinators – who are the most important link with students and potential students – and dedicating themselves to showing the closest external community the value of an accredited HEI and the benefits of having a relationship with it. This research contributed to the academic and scientific field when it filled the gap in the literature used in the work; in the field of applied research, by making material available to higher education institutions with facilitating actions that make these HEIs more sustainable; and, finally, contributions in the social sphere, helping HEIs in the objective of training professionals’ agents of change to improve the place where they live.