The methodology has been designed following a five-step approach, known as a bibliometric workflow, which involves research design, compilation of data, analysis, visualization, and interpretation. The search was conducted in the Scopus database and includes relevant articles published up to and including the year 2024.

Findings identify the most relevant sources, articles, keywords, and authors in literature, and their evolution and dynamics over the years. A growing interest in the subject has been detected mainly in Quality and Lean-related journals, as well as an opportunity or gap between intensifying the research in higher education-related journals in order to increase the quality of education and reduce the adverse effects of new management practices as perceived by academics. In addition, the findings point to an unexplored line of research combining AI with quality approaches in HEIs, and highlight the potential of linking sustainability (both social and environmental aspects) with TQM, Lean, or Lean Six Sigma to embed it more deeply into institutional management.

This paper is the first research article offering a bibliometric perspective of the existing literature about the implementation of TQM, Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen in Higher Education Institutions, providing guidance for researchers and practitioners in the field.