Forging a relationship between quality management and sustainable development in higher education institutions: insights from a cross-country Kano study

Purpose This study’s objective is to offer a process to adapt the Kano model as a quality management (QM) tool for prioritizing students’ sustainability transformation requirements of higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach Data for this study were gathered from business students enrolled in bachelor’s programs at two state universities in the USA and one public university in Germany. In total, 239 students participated in the survey. For the Kano analysis, instead of selectively applying various evaluation rules and quality criteria, an integrative-sequential analysis process involving three steps is employed to enhance classification quality. Findings Results show that sustainability transformation expectations and their priority orders differ across the countries studied. Although the Kano model as a QM tool has not been extensively used by HEIs to gauge students’ sustainability expectations, it offers significant potential as part of a comprehensive process to translate stakeholder sustainability needs into HEIs’ actions. Originality/value As the first study adapting the Kano model as a QM tool for use in HEIs’ sustainability transformations, our study contributes to the growing body of research on incorporating QM tools and customer and stakeholder orientation into the sustainability context at HEIs.