Factors of the institutional image, a perspective from the Instituto Superior Tecnológico Cotacachi

Abstract

This research develops a documentary analysis of the image as part of the strategic planning of higher education institutions. This process generates individuation criteria, where communication acts as an associated medium. In this sense, it is the institutions' own reality that allows them to communicate with heterogeneous magnitudes that are above and below them. Thus, the objective of this study was to explain how the image represents the product of the communication that an organization undertakes with its internal and external audiences, being an intangible asset that has the potential to lead to understanding and commitment with key groups. The present study contributes to the understanding of the phenomena described from two points of entry: first, it focuses on the determination of the image from its management, considering its relationship with the institutions of Higher Education, which corresponds to the collection and analysis of information from conceptual spaces. Finally, the study introduces the definition of attributes, which explains its determination process. To carry out this research, the qualitative method was applied through the review of specialized literature, whose data were extracted from academic databases such as: Scopus, Scielo, Dialnet, Redalyc, among others, and subsequently, a comparative analysis of the information obtained in the documents versus the documentary review of the Instituto Superior Tecnológico Cotacachi was carried out. This, in order to establish the relationship between theory and its application. The results show that the dynamics found in the literature are directly related to those established in the institution, evidencing their relevance in the context of higher education.