Discursive tensions of institutional evaluation as a practice of transformation or control in university management

Abstract

This article aims to understand the meanings that managers at Yacambú University attribute to institutional evaluation based on their lived experiences, interpreting these meanings in relation to the evaluation process and its influence on the institutional transformation currently underway at the university. The research is conducted using a qualitative approach, within the interpretive paradigm and based on the phenomenological-hermeneutic method, following the frameworks of Van Manen (2003) and Ayala (2008). The study relied on the perspectives of three key informants whose lived experiences were collected through in-depth interviews, and the findings were then analyzed through categorization, structuring, and comparison. The tensions between control and transformation lead to a rethinking of the institutional evaluation process beyond simple static measurement mechanisms. On the contrary, it is necessary to look towards comprehensive, reflective and participatory evaluative processes that provide relevant inputs for informed decision-making, continuous improvement, organizational learning and thus strengthen institutional transformation by offering new perspectives so that Yacambú University is able to face current challenges in complex and uncertain contexts.