STUDENTS' PERCEPTION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT LEVEL IN UNIVERSITY STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS: THE CASE OF SERBIA

The Total Quality Management (TQM) paradigm encompasses adapted and developed management techniques, emphasizing process management, leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, supply management, human resources management, and quality indicators. This research focuses on applying a TQM-based model to analyze relationships among TQM criteria in university student associations. Specifically, it explores students' perceptions of process approach-based thinking as a catalyst for organizational and quality indicators in these associations. The study, involving 700 respondents, utilized Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), incorporating confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis. Key findings reveal that process management positively influences all TQM elements, while only leadership and human resources management directly impact quality indicators. The study's outcomes have the potential to enhance decision-making processes in universities and student associations, thereby improving academic and future business life quality.