Abstract:
The quality enhancement of undergraduate education is presently, a much discussed area
in Sri Lanka, with the implementation of the World Bank funded Improving the
Relevance and Quality of Undergraduate Education (IRQUE) Project. In this context, this
study explores the case of IRQUE Project of Department of Accounting (DA), University
of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ) in relation to the institutionalization of good practices
resulted through its interventions. The study examines the institutionalization of these
practices in DA by drawing inferences from New Institutional Sociology (NIS) (Scapens,
2006) with specific reference to the works of DiMaggio and Powell in relation to
institutional isomorphism. The study finds that DA has developed and adopted many
good practices through the interventions made through the IRQUE Project to improve the
quality and relevance of B.Sc. Accounting (Special) Degree Programme. Further, the
study suggests that institutionalization of these good practices in DA, reflects all three
forms of isomorphism viz. coercive, mimetic and normative as proposed by DiMaggio
and Powell (1983).
