ISO 9000 and TQM: are they complementary or contradictory to each other?

A literature review on total quality management (models, frameworks, and tools and techniques) in higher education

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the evolution of total quality management (TQM) models, frameworks, and tools and techniques in higher education (HE) over the last thirty years from 1991 till 2020, based on a literature review

Design/methodology/approach

30 articles from 52 journals were used to perform this detailed literature review. For the detailed analysis, the focus was only on articles related to TQM in higher education and specifically related to models, frameworks and tools and techniques. The study has investigated the growth of research articles, research streams, research methodologies, models and frameworks in the higher education sector and tools and techniques related to those.

Findings

This review addresses the progress and gaps in the application of TQM in HE, including the shift in global research in this area from the USA and Europe to Asia in recent years. The articles have been classified into four research methodologies and two research streams which have been reviewed in detail. The findings include reasons for multiple models/frameworks in HE proposed by researchers over the years and the importance of tools and techniques used in TQM implementation.

Originality/value

This study, which tries to bring a perspective to the main trends in TQM application to higher education wrt models, frameworks, tools and techniques over the last thirty years, is expected to add to the body of knowledge in this area and help future researchers to focus on the relevant areas identified in this paper.

Total Quality Management in higher education: a literature review on barriers, customers and accreditation

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the evolution of Total Quality Management (TQM) in terms of barriers, customers and accreditation in higher education (HE) over the last three decades (1991–2020) using literature review to establish the current state.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 137 articles across 55 journals were consolidated for this review specifically focused on TQM (barriers, customers and accreditation) in HE. The investigations were carried out to identify the chronological growth of articles, research streams and methodologies. The articles were classified based on four research approaches and three research streams which have been reviewed in detail.

Findings

Considering the rapid growth in the HE sector and the concerns over reduction in quality of education especially in developing countries, the importance of TQM in HE is immense. The findings include identification of the barriers to successful TQM implementation, the need for alignment of TQM objectives of higher educational institutions (HEIs) and identified target customer(s) with the selected model/framework and the impact of accreditation/certification in the attainment of TQM.

Originality/value

This study which tries to bring a perspective to the main trends in TQM application to HE with respect to barriers, customers and accreditation over the last three decades is expected to add to the body of knowledge in this area and help future researchers to focus on the relevant areas identified in this paper.

The heterogeneous implementation of ISO 9001 in service-oriented organizations

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the heterogeneity in the implementation of the ISO 9001 quality management system in service-oriented organizations, and to identify patterns (i.e. relationships, dependencies and exceptions) among critical implementation factors, possible implementation determinants and desired post-implementation outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a qualitative approach, in the form of a multiple case study of five ISO 9001 certified, service-oriented organizations, located in Greece. Using multiple data collection methods including interviews with upper management and employees, desk research and on-site observation allowed for data triangulation.

Findings

The analysis reveals that ISO 9001 implementation can range across different levels of fidelity, from merely superficial to genuinely substantive. Several determinants (i.e. implementation experience, motivation for certification, perception of quality, commitment to change) affect the level of fidelity and, in turn, the post-implementation outcomes. Interestingly, even a superficial ISO 9001 implementation can initiate, at least to a moderate degree, beneficial changes throughout the organizations. The organizations that strictly abide by ISO 9001 requirements still have to address some challenges, most notably to instill a culture of prevention in their management system and to efficiently balance standardization and flexibility.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the ISO 9001 internalization literature, providing an in-depth analysis of possible patterns among ISO 9001 implementation factors, determinants and outcomes. Related findings are also discussed under the prism of the revised ISO 9001:2015.

Measuring internal service quality: the case of the Greek public higher education institutions

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the idea of internal service quality in public organizations. An attempt is made to determine the key elements that define the concept of internal service quality and to identify the factors that support the attainment of high levels of internal quality. Internal service quality refers to the quality of services offered between units and/or employees within an organization and achieving internal quality in public authorities can contribute to the sustainability of the public sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted among administrative staff of the publicly owned Greek Higher Education Institutions. The research instrument uses a three-level approach on internal service quality: individual, departmental and organizational. The model was tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings

Findings reveal a five-factor structure of internal service quality by adding the factors of interdepartmental quality and the human aspect of internal service provision. Analysis of the data suggests that internal service quality is dependent on the level of responsibility of the respondent’s job.

Research limitations/implications

There is evidence that the individual internal service quality factor needs to be enhanced with more items. In addition, in order to gain generalizable results, further research should be conducted in various types of public organizations.

Originality/value

This study examines a questionnaire that evaluates internal service quality and proposes a basic five-factor model for estimating this type of service quality. It also triggers the use of internal service quality theory within public sector organizations.

ISO 9001-certified public healthcare center’s efficiency and re-certification

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure the efficiency of ISO 9001-certified public healthcare center in Jakarta, Indonesia and examine the impact of “re-certification“ on the efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample of the research is 30 ISO 9001-certified district public healthcare centers in Jakarta. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the Man–Whitney U test were applied.

Findings

The research result showed that there is a variation in efficiency values of ISO 9001-certified public healthcare centers that this research studied. There are only 23 percent of the public healthcare centers that can be categorized as the technically efficient public healthcare center. Furthermore, this research also found that there are no significant efficiency value differences among the groups of public healthcare center based on the number of “re-certification” the center experienced.

Research limitations/implications

This research only involved ISO 9001-certified public healthcare center from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Practical implications

Registering ISO 9001 for the public healthcare center does not guarantee that the public healthcare center will have better efficiency. The government and the public healthcare center management should ensure that the ISO 9001 implementation method used by the public healthcare center is appropriate for improving the efficiency of the public healthcare center.

Originality/value

There is a lack of research that studied the efficiency of ISO 9001-certified public healthcare center. Furthermore, there is no research that investigates the effect of “re-certification“ on efficiency. This research fulfills the literature gaps.

ISO 9001 and supply chain quality in the USA

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of ISO 9001 certification and diffusion in the USA in relation to organizational supply chain position, quality maturity, and supplier quality maturity.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for comparison in this study comes from an e-mail survey questionnaire of supply chain professionals across the USA. A pilot survey was initially e-mailed to 100 supply chain professionals and preliminary data from 27 respondents were used to revise the questionnaire. Respondents to the revised questionnaire returned 565 e-mailed questionnaires out of 2,924 active e-mail addresses.

Findings

The results suggest that companies adopting ISO 9001 are likely doing so as part of an overall quality management program more so than from direct market pressure. It appears that ISO 9001 certification rates differ by organizational position in the supply chain. ISO 9001 certified organizations are more likely to have quality programs of greater maturity and suppliers with greater quality maturity than organizations that are not ISO 9001 certified. Certified organizations are also more likely to use suppliers that are ISO 9001 capable or certified than non-ISO 9001 organizations.

Research limitations/implications

Not all industry groups or supply chain positions were well-represented due to some small sub-group sizes.

Practical implications

The study of ISO 9001 certification in US organizations has been lacking in the literature. Given the weak adoption rate of ISO 9001 in the USA, this study helps characterize ISO 9001 certification from a supply chain perspective and explores possible reasons for low certification rates.

Originality/value

This research extends the knowledge of quality management in the supply chain by studying ISO 9001 certification in relation to supply chain position and differences in quality maturity between certified and non-certified organizations in the USA.

Performance assessment of an e‐learning software system for sustainability

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the performance of an e‐learning software system to ensure its teaching and learning quality, contextual relevance and longer operational life to achieve economies of scale.

Design/methodology/approach

A Goal‐Question‐Metric (GQM) paradigm along with the ISO 9126 quality characteristics is proposed to assess performance of an in‐house e‐learning software system in terms of its functionality, usability, efficiency and effectiveness. The e‐learning software system was designed and implemented for teaching staff of developing countries attending the T&L “train the trainer” course at the Colombo Plan Staff College (CPSC), Manila, Philippines. The data were collected from the participants from 20 countries who attended the program over a period of three years.

Findings

The approach was very effective for assessing and evaluating various functions of the web‐based teaching and learning software system and assessing its suitability in teaching and learning, and interaction among the users. The findings were utilized to further improve the management and quality of the training program.

Research limitations/implications

Commitment and participation of stakeholders/users is required to appropriately define the assessment goals, generate underlying questions that define those goals, and identify the metrics that provide answers to those questions. The research has limitations similar to any other questionnaire based subjective data collection method, much relying upon the respondent judgments. Therefore, a sound mechanism for data collection, validation and analysis needs to be employed to ensure internal consistency and accuracy.

Social implications

Many e‐learning software systems are accessed across the globe and are utilized by a number of institutions simultaneously while crossing over national and geographical boundaries. Therefore, performance assessment based on different ethical and social values and language barriers, to meet the clientele requirements belonging to different social backgrounds, is essential. Also this research provides many guidelines to reduce the customization requirements for different nationalities, and therefore, makes overall implementation of the learning management system more efficient and cost effective.

Originality/value

Due to the generic nature of GQM approach, this framework can be applied to undertake performance assessment of an in‐house built, web‐based teaching and learning system using the selected ISO 9126 quality characteristics to ensure the appropriateness, longevity and sustainability of the learning system.

Quality models in industrial and engineering educational scenarios: a view from literature

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report a literature review which was conducted to trace the quality journeys occurring in industrial and educational scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the literature was reviewed to trace the efforts made to implement quality models in industrial scenarios. Quality models include International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 9000 certification, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA), Deming Prize and European Quality Award (EQA). Next, the literature was reviewed to trace the quality journey being undertaken in an engineering educational scenario.

Findings

Modern Engineering Educational Institutions (EEIs) are required to first accredit their programs by following Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)‐based stipulations. Then, these EEIs have to strive to implement quality models.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the low volume of research conducted, relatively very few papers dealing with ABET and quality models could be reviewed. However, the exhaustive review of most of these papers has overcome this limitation.

Practical implications

First, modern EEIs should gain accreditation to ABET and then strive to obtain quality models. This endeavour would make fresh engineers employable in industrial scenarios.

Originality/value

It appears that no researcher has so far attempted to examine the implementation of quality models in an engineering educational scenario. In this context, the results of the literature review reported in this paper could be utilized while implementing quality models in EEIs via ABET‐based accredited programs.

ISO 9000 as an organisation development intervention

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature of ISO 9000, illustrate how ISO 9000 can be implemented in face of strong resistance to change, and demonstrate how comprehensive work redesign for higher organisational effectiveness can be realised through ISO 9000 implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

A novel model and process for ISO 9000 implementation in an Indian public sector manufacturing industry have been described. After successful implementation in several production units, the model was examined for congruence with well‐known frameworks in Organisation Development (OD).

Findings

The model has congruence with several OD frameworks. It complements OD by harnessing organisational knowledge through creative involvement of organisational members, adopting three‐tier working to involve the organisation at different levels, employing three‐phase execution to sustain organisational members' motivation throughout the programme; and realising comprehensive work redesign while attaining ISO 9000 certification.

Originality/value

The study show‐cases ISO 9000 as an excellent OD intervention.

Pay‐off selection criteria for quality and improvement initiatives

Purpose

The variety of possible quality management (QM) and continuous improvement (CI) initiatives and their various possible permutations can make it difficult for a company to choose the best approach for their requirements. This paper aims to address the selection issue by presenting a method to compare popular QM and CI initiatives from the perspective of the pay‐offs, or expected benefits, to an organisation which successfully adopts the approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The relevant QM and CI literature was analysed, examining key initiatives and their reported pay‐offs to the organisation. A matrix diagram approach is introduced which presents the extent and credibility of arguments advanced for these initiatives, in seven categories of pay‐off. A system of assessment is proposed, which quantifies the extent and weight of empirical evidence and estimates the strength of the claim for each pay‐off.

Findings

The pay‐off matrix summarises the claims in each of the pay‐off categories, assesses their credibility, and displays the similarities and differences for six key initiatives: total quality management, six sigma, ISO 9000, business process reengineering, lean and business excellence. Graphical pay‐off profiles are presented. Significant differences between the claimed pay‐offs for these initiatives are identified, analysed and discussed.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed matrix and assessment system attempts to support a comprehensive and rational approach to assess the pay‐offs of QM and CI initiatives. As with any analysis of literature, there is inevitably an element of selection, but this approach consciously attempts to avoid omission and promote objectivity. The analysis is based on articles published between 1990 and 2005. Hence, new research and additional evidence may change the weight and credibility of claims.

Originality/value

This paper suggests a way in which evidence from the literature might be most effectively used by managers for decision support in the choice of quality and improvement initiatives. A similar approach might also be used for other areas, where businesses face choices and a considerable body of evidence exists to assist the decision‐making process.

The historical impact of ISO 9000 on Lebanese firms

The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of the new ISO 9001:2000 standard on the Quality Management Systems (QMS) of Lebanese firms that were already certified under ISO 9000:1994. To get an accurate feedback of stakeholders in a firm, three different questionnaires were developed and distributed to management, employees, and customers respectively. Empirical results indicate that ISO 9001:2000 has improved the QMS performance of Lebanese firms over that of the 1994 edition. Nevertheless, results showed that the new standard still has some weaknesses when it comes to improving suppliers' relationships and empowering employees.