The fit between organisational structure, management orientation, knowledge orientation, and the values of ISO 9000 standard

PMBOK, IPMA and fuzzy-AHP based novel framework for leadership competencies development in megaprojects

Purpose

Effective leaders have emerged as the cornerstone of project success. The major purpose of this paper is to propose a framework to categorize and prioritize leadership competencies for project managers in megaprojects.

Design/methodology/approach

In the first stage, this study utilizes PMBOK 6th Edition, IPMA ICB 4.0 frameworks to develop a hierarchy-based four clusters of leadership competencies. In the second stage, a Fuzzy-AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) approach was employed to prioritize the leadership competencies for an organization dealing in megaprojects. Finally, using ordinal priority approach (OPA), the results of Fuzzy-AHP method are validated.

Findings

Based on PMBOK, IPMA and literature, the proposed framework deduced twenty-four leadership competencies and grouped them in four clusters. The Fuzzy-AHP results indicate that among clusters, people competencies cluster is ranked most important, followed by perspective, practice, and innovation competencies. Considering the sub-categories and global weights, culture/values, governance, interpersonal skills, and development and growth emerged as the most important leadership competencies. The results from OPA corroborate the findings of Fuzzy-AHP method.

Practical implications

Megaprojects are characterized by massive investments and extensive economic and social impact. The proposed framework would be an important aid for policymakers to develop suitable strategies and programs to inculcate leadership competencies that would lead to successful project managers and improved project performance.

Originality/value

The need for this research stems from the need to integrate popular project management frameworks in leadership competencies development in project based organizations. The proposed integrated framework, based on PMBOK 6th Edition and IPMA ICB 4.0 competency frameworks, is an original contribution to understand and prioritize leadership competencies for megaproject success.

Sustaining ISO 9001-based QMS in higher education: a reality?

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe how a large public university sustains its ISO 9001 quality management system (QMS) for the past 20 years. At the same time, this paper also provides a snapshot on the problems and challenges faced and overcame by the university in its quality journey.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a case study and therefore it describes interventions and experiences within the university as the subject understudy.

Findings

There are four main phases of QMS that the university has undergone, namely, initiation, internalisation, alignment and improvement in the last 20 years. Critical success factors for implementing and maintaining the QMS are commitment from people, training and good communication. Some of the problems and challenges encountered have included a lack of knowledge and understanding of the processes and standards, lack of relevant skills, lack of commitment and cooperation from people, lack of resources and poor communication.

Originality/value

This paper provides insights into the world of QMS’s sustainability in a large public university that will be useful as a guide for academic managers and administrators. It also presents the issues of transitioning from the previous to the current standard experienced by the university which has not been discussed by many.

Developing a knowledge management policy for ISO 9001: 2015

Purpose

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001: 2015 quality management systems places an obligation on organizations to consider the role of organizational knowledge as a resource. The purpose of this paper is to systematically relate the key fundamentals of knowledge management to the seven quality management principles of ISO 9001: 2015. It is the first to consider this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper traces the history of quality standards and the background to the inclusion of an organizational knowledge clause in ISO 9001: 2015. It then systematically considers the seven quality management principles in relation to knowledge management principles.

Findings

The core elements of the knowledge management standard are incorporated with the organizational knowledge clause. Explicit and tacit knowledge are addressed by the ISO standard. Knowledge and its management will become increasingly important in organizations driven by ISO certification requirements.

Research limitations/implications

ISO 9001: 2015 was released in September 2015 which means that organizations have yet to apply the organizational knowledge clause. This paper is a conceptual one which needs to be complemented with empirical research.

Practical implications

This paper identifies the role of knowledge management principles as they apply to ISO 9001: 2015 and the seven quality management principles. More than 1.1 million organizations are certified to ISO 9001, plus many others who use the standard informally. Those involved with organizational quality will need to understand the role of knowledge in the organization.

Social implications

Quality services and products need to be underpinned with strategic knowledge management.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to discuss knowledge management in relation to the seven quality management principles which assist the development of policy for quality management.

Theory and practice of knowledge managed ISO 9001:2000 supported quality system

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to initiate researches in the direction of integrating knowledge management (KM) principles with ISO 9001:2008 Supported Quality System and motivate the practitioners to implement such integrated system in real-time practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– The principles of KM were integrated with the five major clauses of ISO 9001:2000 standard. After designing this integrated system, it was subjected to peripheral implementation study in a government-managed company situated in India. The knowledge portal required for maintaining this integrated system was also developed.

Findings

– ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2000 standards rest on the same process-based quality system model which is comprised of five major clauses. Hence, the integrated system proposed in this paper can be utilized by the contemporary organizations to infuse KM principles in ISO 9001:2008 based quality system.

Research limitations/implications

– Though the integrated system designed in this research could not be implemented in a full-fledged manner, the experiences gained have been useful to indicate the future direction of research and practice for integrating KM principles with ISO 9001:2008 Supported Quality System.

Practical implications

– A roadmap has been evolved to guide the practitioners to implement Knowledge Managed ISO 9001:2008 Supported Quality System.

Originality value

– No researcher or practitioner has so far contributed a model integrating the process-based quality system incorporated in ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9001:2008 standards with KM principles. As this gap is filled in this paper, the contributions of this paper are valuable to both researchers and practitioners.