The paper focuses on the impact of evaluation in the university organisation using a systemic approach with particular attention to the effects of evaluation at an institutional and organisational level. The impact of evaluation is divided into three areas: organisational learning, resource development and power management. Through the study of three European universities the impact of evaluation has been empirically recorded. In conclusion the important role of quality culture and organisational bodies on the determination of
the impact of evaluation is investigated. The analysis pinpointed certain factors that are fundamental for understanding the effects of evaluation. These include the importance of peer review, difference between teaching and research, significance of time factors and the risk of the degeneration of evaluation.