ISO 9000 in the public sector: a successful case from Australia

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 in health service sector: a review and future research proposal

Purpose

– This paper aims to describe the state-of-the-art in ISO 9001 research in healthcare service sector and propose the future research agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

– A comprehensive literature review of the ISO 9001 studies in healthcare service sector was carried out.

Findings

– The effectiveness of ISO 9001 implementation in healthcare service sector is still not clear. Previous researches show common stages for implementing ISO 9001 in a healthcare service organization. However, there is no previous research that reveals the content of the system implemented. In addition, there is no previous research that reveals the interpretation of ISO 9001 based on the practice of ISO 9001 implementation in an organization. Based on the review, eight future research agendas were proposed.

Originality/value

– The paper is believed to be the first to discuss the state-of-the-art of ISO 9001 researches in healthcare service sector.

Implementing CAF in public administration

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to stimulate interest in the use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), a self-evaluation quality tool for the public sector, to disseminate relevant experiences from CAF implementation in Europe, to offer ideas about CAF optimization and to provide a basis and direction for further improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology that is followed in the paper is based on the study of best practices (BP) of CAF implementation in European public administrations. The BP were selected in order to cover a wide range of political fields and to prove that CAF can be used by organizations in all parts of the public sector with different characteristics of size and structure.

Findings

– Studying relevant examples leads to the conclusion that effective CAF implementation can improve the performance of public administration and help establish a quality philosophy. The paper shows that CAF is a tool that can be easily modified and adapted to the organizations' special needs and characteristics.

Practical implications

– The study of the selected cases and the related information that is presented in this paper helps to disseminate relevant experiences from CAF implementation in Europe. It offers managers of the public sector ideas and helps on how to implement the CAF model, by providing real examples of organizations that have implemented it. It also helps them understand the benefits from CAF implementation, as well as the obstacles and barriers that may be faced, in order to be better prepared for its successful implementation.

Originality/value

– The value of this paper lies in the identification and presentation of several ideas and tools which have been successfully developed by European organizations and may as well be implemented by others. Ideas about modifying CAF and adjusting it into the uniqueness of every organization can be obtained only through careful study and analysis of its implementation.

Service quality in the public sector: the case of the Citizen's Service Centers (CSCs) of Greece

Purpose

The purpose of the present study is to measure the level of public service quality in a unique body of service provision, namely the Citizen's Service Centers (CSCs) of Greece. CSC is a public service organization created in 2002, aiming at providing assistance to all citizens and reducing the bureaucracy of the Greek public administration. Moreover, the present study aims to underline the importance of citizen participation in service planning and provision processes, thus providing an additional dimension to the “New Public Management” (NPM) discipline that has recently found itself under serious critique.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study utilized a slightly modified SERVQUAL instrument that was distributed to citizens visiting a representative sample of CSC branches. More specifically, 221 CSCs were visited by the members of the research team (20.35 per cent of the total population) and 843 usable questionnaires were collected from citizens. Random sampling techniques were used in order to acquire a representative and reliable sample.

Findings

In brief, it is found that, although citizen expectations are not met in three of the five SERVQUAL dimensions, the overall service quality performance is well above average, allowing one to claim that CSCs have achieved their initial target. The gap scores for the dimensions of empathy and responsiveness were positive, while the same scores for the dimensions of tangibles, reliability and assurance were negative.

Research limitations/implications

The use of the SERVQUAL instrument has been a subject of critique by various authors. Its ability to measure service quality has been supported by many and disputed by few. The present study analytically examined the validity and reliability of the instrument, so as to ensure that its use successfully fits the public service environment.

Practical implications

The paper makes an analytical effort in order to point out areas that managers and policy makers should emphasize in order to increase the level of public services. Certain practical implications are offered in the final part of the paper.

Originality/value

CSCs are, according to the best of the researchers’ knowledge, a worldwide innovation only implemented in Greece. Hence, their examination may serve as a guiding light for other countries suffering from public sector inefficiencies. The methodological contribution of the paper lies in the implementation of the SERVQUAL instrument in the context of public services and its subsequent validation with the use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. On a theoretical level, the present paper enhances the current literature with a paper that argues that citizens should actively participate in the processes of service planning and service provision.

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.

The willingness of professionals to contribute to their organisation's certification

Purpose

This paper seeks to find out which factors influence the willingness of professionals to contribute to a certification process and to understand the rationale behind this willingness.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on literature, prerequisites are formulated for the willingness of professionals to contribute to certification. These are compared with the results of a study among lecturers at Universities of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands and Flanders about their willingness to contribute to accreditation of their schools. This study combines survey and Delphi research.

Findings

Professionals agree on the added value of certification systems. They are willing to contribute to the certification process, provided that a set of conditions is fulfilled.

Research limitations/implications

The case focuses on large organisations for which certification is obligatory. The findings may not apply in small or medium‐sized organisations or if the main driver for certification is internal improvement. Further research is needed to verify the generalisation of the results to other sectors and countries.

Originality/value

Research has shown that it is difficult to motivate professionals to contribute to certification. Little research has been done on the reasons why. The paper provides more insight into the difficulties that organizations face to commit their professionals to become involved in certification and turns these into requirements to be fulfilled to achieve commitment. These are relevant for organisations, which need the support of their professional employees to achieve management system certification.