{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7122000325","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2026.2613789","title":"Sustainability, rankings and legitimacy: tools of competitive advantage for academic and social efficiency in higher education institutions","display_name":"Sustainability, rankings and legitimacy: tools of competitive advantage for academic and social efficiency in higher education institutions","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-10","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7122000325","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2026.2613789"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1080/08841241.2026.2613789","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2026.2613789","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2026.2613789","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S40814766","display_name":"Journal of Marketing for HIGHER EDUCATION","issn_l":"0884-1241","issn":["0884-1241","1540-7144"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["abdc-b","cwts-core","jufo-1","norway-1","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320547","host_organization_name":"Taylor & Francis","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320547","https://openalex.org/P4310320449"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Taylor & Francis","Informa"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of Marketing for Higher Education","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://reunir.unir.net/bitstream/123456789/18770/2/Universities%20legitimacy%20Original%20Submission.pdf","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5081815459","display_name":"Giorgia Miotto","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0973-6597","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0973-6597"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I134033392","display_name":"EADA Business School","ror":"https://ror.org/033qfx261","country_code":"ES","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I134033392"]}],"countries":["ES"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Giorgia Miotto","raw_affiliation_strings":["EADA Business School"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0973-6597","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"EADA Business School","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I134033392"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5059240726","display_name":"Alicia Blanco\u2010Gonz\u00e1lez","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-7993","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-7993"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I182083151","display_name":"Universidad Rey Juan Carlos","ror":"https://ror.org/01v5cv687","country_code":"ES","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I182083151"]}],"countries":["ES"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Alicia Blanco-Gonz\u00e1lez","raw_affiliation_strings":["Rey Juan Carlos University"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8509-7993","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Rey Juan Carlos University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I182083151"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5020741251","display_name":"Jos\u00e9 Torres-Pru\u00f1onosa","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2276-1655","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2276-1655"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210116615","display_name":"Universidad Internacional de La Rioja","ror":"https://ror.org/029gnnp81","country_code":"ES","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210116615"]}],"countries":["ES"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jose Torres-Pru\u00f1onosa","raw_affiliation_strings":["Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR)"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2276-1655","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR)","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210116615"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5081815459"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I134033392"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":25.1387,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":5,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.99299457,"is_in_top_1_percent":true,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":97,"max":98},"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"1","last_page":"26"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10546","display_name":"Higher Education Governance and Development","score":0.7904999852180481,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3304","display_name":"Education"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10546","display_name":"Higher Education Governance and Development","score":0.7904999852180481,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3304","display_name":"Education"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11835","display_name":"Sustainability in Higher Education","score":0.09629999846220016,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3304","display_name":"Education"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12738","display_name":"Corporate Identity and Reputation","score":0.028200000524520874,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1408","display_name":"Strategy and Management"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/14","display_name":"Business, Management and Accounting"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/university-rankings","display_name":"university rankings","score":0.9290000200271606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/higher-education-sustainability","display_name":"higher education sustainability","score":0.6290000081062317},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/organizational-legitimacy","display_name":"organizational legitimacy","score":0.75},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/academic-efficiency","display_name":"academic efficiency","score":0.8029999732971191},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-efficiency","display_name":"social efficiency","score":0.9909999966621399},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/competitive-advantage","display_name":"competitive advantage","score":0.8149999976158142},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/third-mission","display_name":"third mission","score":0.6129999756813049},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/university-social-impact","display_name":"social impact of universities","score":0.5289999842643738},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/academic-reputation","display_name":"academic reputation","score":0.7570000290870667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/research-output","display_name":"research output","score":0.6909999847412109},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/graduate-employability","display_name":"graduate employability","score":1.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/stakeholder-management","display_name":"stakeholder management","score":0.8669999837875366},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/external-communication","display_name":"external communication","score":0.7570000290870667}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120912362","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q136822","display_name":"Higher education","level":2,"score":0.9090999960899353},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C58546491","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1150207","display_name":"Competitive advantage","level":2,"score":0.5228999853134155},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144133560","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4830453","display_name":"Business","level":0,"score":0.47130000591278076},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162853370","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q39809","display_name":"Marketing","level":1,"score":0.39750000834465027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.387800008058548},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C189430467","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7293293","display_name":"Ranking (information retrieval)","level":2,"score":0.3783999979496002},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C22088475","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q647974","display_name":"Data envelopment analysis","level":2,"score":0.3765999972820282},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C40700","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1411783","display_name":"Industrial organization","level":1,"score":0.3628999888896942},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C91306197","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q45767","display_name":"Competition (biology)","level":2,"score":0.35530000925064087},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C39549134","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q133080","display_name":"Public relations","level":1,"score":0.3319000005722046},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48798503","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q877546","display_name":"Reputation","level":2,"score":0.3082999885082245},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C100001284","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2248246","display_name":"Public economics","level":1,"score":0.29499998688697815},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C50522688","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189833","display_name":"Economic growth","level":1,"score":0.25780001282691956},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C131158328","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1307337","display_name":"Social influence","level":2,"score":0.2551000118255615}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1080/08841241.2026.2613789","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2026.2613789","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2026.2613789","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S40814766","display_name":"Journal of Marketing for HIGHER EDUCATION","issn_l":"0884-1241","issn":["0884-1241","1540-7144"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["abdc-b","cwts-core","jufo-1","norway-1","poland-100","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320547","host_organization_name":"Taylor & Francis","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320547","https://openalex.org/P4310320449"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Taylor & Francis","Informa"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of Marketing for Higher Education","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:reunir.unir.net:123456789/18770","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://reunir.unir.net/handle/123456789/18770","pdf_url":"https://reunir.unir.net/bitstream/123456789/18770/2/Universities%20legitimacy%20Original%20Submission.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400329","display_name":"Re-Unir (International University of La Rioja)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"pmh:oai:reunir.unir.net:123456789/18770","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://reunir.unir.net/handle/123456789/18770","pdf_url":"https://reunir.unir.net/bitstream/123456789/18770/2/Universities%20legitimacy%20Original%20Submission.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400329","display_name":"Re-Unir (International University of La Rioja)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5326848601","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"PP_2023_10","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320317360","funder_display_name":"Universidad Internacional de La Rioja"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320317360","display_name":"Universidad Internacional de La Rioja","ror":"https://ror.org/029gnnp81"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7122000325.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7122000325.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":122,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W108501668","https://openalex.org/W647354072","https://openalex.org/W1895439571","https://openalex.org/W1897831604","https://openalex.org/W1963122776","https://openalex.org/W1964659862","https://openalex.org/W1967338615","https://openalex.org/W1975249191","https://openalex.org/W1999018734","https://openalex.org/W2017707396","https://openalex.org/W2039239459","https://openalex.org/W2040770625","https://openalex.org/W2044906311","https://openalex.org/W2059001513","https://openalex.org/W2060327946","https://openalex.org/W2066593388","https://openalex.org/W2073260340","https://openalex.org/W2076452041","https://openalex.org/W2085203356","https://openalex.org/W2122006260","https://openalex.org/W2129763896","https://openalex.org/W2131041736","https://openalex.org/W2131219024","https://openalex.org/W2142524211","https://openalex.org/W2144706451","https://openalex.org/W2149794942","https://openalex.org/W2153070359","https://openalex.org/W2154888111","https://openalex.org/W2162412465","https://openalex.org/W2171053695","https://openalex.org/W2223562046","https://openalex.org/W2274038552","https://openalex.org/W2278584999","https://openalex.org/W2295828388","https://openalex.org/W2338251753","https://openalex.org/W2342235544","https://openalex.org/W2400069463","https://openalex.org/W2471752996","https://openalex.org/W2476254914","https://openalex.org/W2496218594","https://openalex.org/W2501367617","https://openalex.org/W2518718063","https://openalex.org/W2562020581","https://openalex.org/W2620411403","https://openalex.org/W2749454119","https://openalex.org/W2761524075","https://openalex.org/W2802424529","https://openalex.org/W2811067583","https://openalex.org/W2889928159","https://openalex.org/W2892247020","https://openalex.org/W2901733611","https://openalex.org/W2903280962","https://openalex.org/W2905361531","https://openalex.org/W2912597203","https://openalex.org/W2916658213","https://openalex.org/W2963794647","https://openalex.org/W2991299308","https://openalex.org/W2998706490","https://openalex.org/W3004624996","https://openalex.org/W3005667378","https://openalex.org/W3005782850","https://openalex.org/W3018683589","https://openalex.org/W3020908524","https://openalex.org/W3022678608","https://openalex.org/W3035608475","https://openalex.org/W3037437592","https://openalex.org/W3037521997","https://openalex.org/W3044556188","https://openalex.org/W3090001819","https://openalex.org/W3095728192","https://openalex.org/W3096580189","https://openalex.org/W3099156625","https://openalex.org/W3102773880","https://openalex.org/W3109678096","https://openalex.org/W3112092165","https://openalex.org/W3126752064","https://openalex.org/W3134138876","https://openalex.org/W3136534620","https://openalex.org/W3137212652","https://openalex.org/W3143541849","https://openalex.org/W3146679483","https://openalex.org/W3147042192","https://openalex.org/W3173797296","https://openalex.org/W3176189029","https://openalex.org/W3178365958","https://openalex.org/W3202265498","https://openalex.org/W3208371460","https://openalex.org/W3216544817","https://openalex.org/W4206930024","https://openalex.org/W4210757439","https://openalex.org/W4225400000","https://openalex.org/W4235153782","https://openalex.org/W4240547422","https://openalex.org/W4281750713","https://openalex.org/W4284971000","https://openalex.org/W4287981758","https://openalex.org/W4301430975","https://openalex.org/W4303184084","https://openalex.org/W4308286893","https://openalex.org/W4309075207","https://openalex.org/W4309623212","https://openalex.org/W4312220987","https://openalex.org/W4361256038","https://openalex.org/W4362609730","https://openalex.org/W4366966747","https://openalex.org/W4376505302","https://openalex.org/W4385075791","https://openalex.org/W4388335799","https://openalex.org/W4390665751","https://openalex.org/W4391361194","https://openalex.org/W4391690018","https://openalex.org/W4392194675","https://openalex.org/W4392462461","https://openalex.org/W4395049753","https://openalex.org/W4400361218","https://openalex.org/W4401346177","https://openalex.org/W4406588285","https://openalex.org/W4406622588","https://openalex.org/W4406915669","https://openalex.org/W4407121759","https://openalex.org/W4408718754","https://openalex.org/W4409083715"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2998706490","https://openalex.org/W4413073155","https://openalex.org/W4406153908","https://openalex.org/W7073908035","https://openalex.org/W7203642316","https://openalex.org/W7165118992","https://openalex.org/W7149001519","https://openalex.org/W4399095431","https://openalex.org/W4403936679","https://openalex.org/W4404335848"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Legitimacy,":[0],"understood":[1],"as":[2,20,128],"the":[3,43,88,129,140,173,176,187],"social":[4,23,67,118,143,167],"acceptance":[5],"of":[6,14,83,133,179,192],"organizational":[7],"actions,":[8],"has":[9],"become":[10],"a":[11,107,170,202],"key":[12,151],"source":[13],"competitive":[15,61],"advantage":[16],"for":[17],"universities,":[18,35],"particularly":[19,163],"sustainability":[21],"and":[22,46,49,66,115,117,124,137,154,158,166,182,189,198,205],"impact":[24],"gain":[25],"prominence":[26],"in":[27,58,149,156,185,195],"global":[28],"rankings.":[29],"This":[30],"study":[31],"examines":[32],"whether":[33,50],"top-ranked":[34],"when":[36],"sustainability-related":[37,150],"criteria":[38],"are":[39,41,69],"considered,":[40],"also":[42],"most":[44,130],"academically":[45],"socially":[47],"efficient,":[48],"perceived":[51,113,190],"legitimacy":[52,77],"is":[53,78,145],"associated":[54],"with":[55,142],"such":[56],"efficiency":[57,68,144],"an":[59,93],"increasingly":[60],"higher":[62],"education":[63],"environment.":[64],"Academic":[65,120],"assessed":[70],"using":[71,92],"Data":[72],"Envelopment":[73],"Analysis":[74],"(DEA),":[75],"while":[76],"measured":[79],"through":[80],"sentiment":[81],"analysis":[82,99],"news":[84],"articles":[85],"retrieved":[86],"from":[87],"Lexis":[89],"Nexis":[90],"database":[91],"artificial":[94],"intelligence\u2013based":[95],"tool.":[96],"The":[97],"empirical":[98],"focuses":[100],"on":[101],"public":[102],"Spanish":[103],"universities.":[104],"Results":[105],"reveal":[106],"positive":[108],"relationship":[109],"between":[110],"ranking":[111,135,206],"position,":[112],"legitimacy,":[114],"academic":[116],"efficiency.":[119,138],"reputation,":[121],"research":[122],"outputs,":[123],"graduate":[125],"employability":[126],"emerge":[127],"consistent":[131],"drivers":[132],"both":[134],"performance":[136,152],"However,":[139],"association":[141],"weaker,":[146],"reflecting":[147],"inconsistencies":[148],"indicators":[153],"challenges":[155],"measuring":[157],"communicating":[159],"universities'":[160],"third":[161],"mission,":[162],"their":[164],"environmental":[165],"impact.":[168],"From":[169],"managerial":[171],"perspective,":[172],"findings":[174],"highlight":[175],"strategic":[177],"role":[178],"external":[180],"communication":[181],"stakeholder":[183],"management":[184],"enhancing":[186],"visibility":[188],"value":[191],"university":[193],"outputs":[194],"research,":[196],"teaching,":[197],"community":[199],"engagement":[200],"within":[201],"sustainability-driven":[203],"media":[204],"landscape.":[207]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":5}],"updated_date":"2026-11-10T11:39:43.021295","created_date":"2026-01-11T00:00:00"}