Quality management practices and their relationship to organizational performance

How to improve firm performance? – The role of production capabilities and routines

Purpose

In the multilayered capability framework the authors integrate two layers, namely functional level production capabilities and shop floor-level production routines (PRs). The authors examine how these two layers are interlinked, and additionally, they explore how these layers contribute to firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested the hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a sample of manufacturing firms.

Findings

Regarding the capability layers, the authors found that at the functional level, production dynamic capabilities (PDCs) drive the renewal of production ordinary capabilities (POCs), and that at the shop floor level, deployment of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is influenced by lean production. Regarding the direct links between capability layers, the authors showed that PDCs and POCs have different roles in shaping shop floor PRs: PDCs is linked to I4.0, and lean methods is impacted by POCs. Concerning performance implications, only PDC and POC have significant impact on firm performance (the latter is negative), while PRs do not.

Research limitations/implications

Although, contextual factors (e.g. technology intensity, size) do not influence our findings, the potential country-effect and the dominance of medium-sized firms offer future research directions.

Practical implications

If production managers want to contribute to business performance, they should be more susceptible to resource renewal (PDCs) than to their general (POCs) or specific (PRs) exploitation efforts. As they exploit current resource stocks, they face a trade-off: they must consider that beyond their positive impacts on operational performance, their implications on business performance will be controversial.

Originality/value

Scholars usually examine one layer of capabilities, either capabilities or routines, and associate that with one dimension of performance, either financial and market measures or operational indicators. The authors propose a multilayered capability framework with a complex view on performance implications.

An investigation of mediating factors for export–import business performance excellence: a systems perspective framework for Thailand

Purpose

The Baldrige criteria for assessing business performance excellence (BCPE) suggests a relationship among seven self-assessment categories. The purpose of this paper is to take an in-depth look at the BCPE by testing the causal relationship among categories grouped into four basic dimensions – driver triad, work core, outcomes, and brain centre. Identifying meaningful interrelationships for leaders helps them transform their organisations to achieve performance excellence.

Design/methodology/approach

A systems perspective supports system mapping for understanding meaningful interrelationships among dimensions and mediating factors affecting business performance excellence. A 35-item questionnaire designed to measure seven categories of the BCPE (version 2022–2023) was administered to export and import (EXIM) businesses across Thailand. Valid responses (n = 290) were analysed through SPSS and AMOS via structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypotheses and explore the influencing factors.

Findings

A strong systems perspective focus is essential for high organisational performance. The result reveals that all seven BCPE categories are significantly linked. In addition, mediation analysis (taking selected mediators) proved hypothesised cause-and-effect relationship as significant. The results demonstrate that the brain centre plays a crucial role in driving business success promulgating its influence within the model.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides the necessary backgrounding in systems perspectives confirming that the BCPE premises on a set of four basic dimensions: driver triad (leadership, strategy, and customers category), work core (workforce and operations category), brain centre (measurement, analysis, and knowledge management category), and outcomes (results category). These four dimensions define the essentials of an integrated management system. Further, the study shows that measurement, analysis, and knowledge management directly influenced customer focus, the highest coefficient path among the criterion in the Baldrige framework. This is the critical driver in predicting performance outcomes via meaningful feedback.

Practical implications

From a managerial point of view, the structured system management framework proposed provides a specific guide for the alignment in quality management, which can change its practice in business management and award assessment. The results evidence a significant relationship among driver triad, work core, brain centre, and outcomes to propose a form of system management. The findings help award examiners or business practitioners provide system mapping for evaluation – i.e. how well organisations meet their goals and how best to prepare feedback reports to applicants that paint meaningful pictures.

Originality/value

This study promotes a systems perspective when approaching business performance excellence, whereas other studies provide evidence to individual relationships. Moreover, the examined interrelationship among dimensions – driver triad, work core, outcomes, and brain centre – provide novel system mapping to guide managers, practitioners, or award examiners in evaluating quality management practice.

The Impact of Healthcare 4.0 on the Healthcare Service Quality: A Systematic Literature Review

Healthcare 4.0 is inspired by Industry 4.0 and its application has resulted in a paradigmatic shift in the field of healthcare. However, the impact of this digital revolution in the healthcare system on healthcare service quality is not known. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of healthcare 4.0 on healthcare service quality. This study used the systematic literature review methodology suggested by Transfield et al. to critically examine 67 articles. The impact of healthcare 4.0 is analyzed in-depth in terms of the interpersonal, technical, environmental, and administrative aspect of healthcare service quality. This study will be useful to hospitals and other stakeholders to understand the impact of healthcare 4.0 on the service quality of health systems. Besides, this study critically analyses the existing literature and identifies research areas in this field and hence will be beneficial to researchers. Though there are few literature reviews in healthcare 4.0, this is the first study to examine the impact of Healthcare 4.0 on healthcare service quality.

Impact of perceived importance of cultural readiness factors on perceived importance of Lean Six Sigma success factors for manufacturers

Purpose

This study aims at investigating the impact of the perceived importance of critical cultural readiness factors (CRFs) is on perceived importance of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) technical critical success factors (CSFs) in UK manufacturing sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire through a multiple embedded case study was conducted. The study involves surveying people in the manufacturing firms followed by non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test to study the relationships.

Findings

It was found that the people's perception towards impact of CRFs on technical CSFs of LSS projects is different depending upon each CRF, demographic factors and technical CSFs. This means that particular CRFs need to be prioritised to address LSS technical CSFs.

Research limitations/implications

The study fills the research gap in investigating the perception of people towards inter-relationship of cultural or soft CSFs of LSS and technical or hard CSFs of LSS in manufacturing firms. Nevertheless, the authors suggest further multi-case study analysis covering different manufacturing fields as future studies.

Practical implications

The study is crucial for managers financially to be ready to invest on a successful LSS project and it helps them to diagnose the cultural causes of failure in a more timely way and effectively.

Originality/value

This is a preliminary study focussing on analysing inter-relationship between perceived importance of soft readiness factors and perceived importance of implementing success factors as a missing jigsaw in the current literature.

Assessment of quality performance in the Egyptian manufacturing industry

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the quality performance of the Egyptian manufacturing industry based on Flynn's quality management practices framework.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature-based questionnaire was developed to collect the research data. The sample studied included 193 professionals from different manufacturing firms in Egypt. The research model utilized seven first-order constructs to measure infrastructure and core quality practices and the model was analyzed by structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results of the study showed that infrastructure practices had a positive effect on core quality practices, which in turn, significantly influenced quality performance. The findings confirmed that Egyptian manufacturing firms have a good foundation of quality management practices enabling them to improve quality performance.

Practical implications

This study provides a foundation for Egyptian manufacturing firms to develop a practical plan for implementing total quality management (TQM). In addition, the results of this study will help managers and policy makers develop a thorough understanding of the current status of TQM initiatives, enablers and barriers in Egypt.

Originality/value

The study represents one of the few attempts to examine quality practices and quality performance in the manufacturing sector in Egypt. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to examine these parameters in this context in Egypt.

Effect of total quality management practices on nonfinancial performance: an empirical analysis of automotive engineering industry in Ethiopia

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the total quality management (TQM) practices and identify their effect on the nonfinancial performance (NFP) in the automotive engineering industry in Ethiopia. Despite many studies investigating the relationship between TQM practices and NFP, rare research has been conducted on TQM in automotive industries, making this a hugely unexplored field.

Design/methodology/approach

The data underlying this study was collected using more than 500 self-administered questionnaire survey, distributed to the employees working under different departments and factories under one automotive engineering industry. Extensive data screening and refinement processes for discarding irrelevant items for the questionnaire (Likert five-point scale) were carried out. The data was employed to test the proposed theoretical model, established with the objective of assessing the effect of TQM practices on the NFP in the case industry. Empirical validated relations have been proofed for previously done researches that there were positive relations between the TQM practices and NFP. Different statistical tools applied include descriptive data analysis, correlation analysis, mean scale test, reliability analysis and factor analysis, and finally, two models were developed based on structural equation modeling by using SPSS and AMOS-26 software.

Findings

Results found in this study were quite surprising. Initially, there was a total of ten TQM factors. The six independent factors survived from factor analysis only two factors (employee involvement and innovation) were contributing to the NFP. The study was acted as a performance evaluation system to track the industry NFP. Although the study focused on the effect of TQM practices, for more results it is recommended to conduct a 360-degree further research study to reveal the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities and challenges of the case industry performance.

Research limitations/implications

Every research has its own limitations. The way the analysis is conducted in this study ensures that the limitations do not compromise the validity of the results obtained. Control variables (industry type, size, age, process type and technology used) are not considered in the research which may affect the results obtained. The study included the automobile industry alone, so the obtained results cannot be generalized to other industries.

Practical implications

The positive relationship between the TQM practices and NFP measures indicates the importance of each of these practices in improving the industry. Researchers/managers/practitioners can use this developed model periodically to understand where the industry stands in the quality management journey. They can also analyze the effect of TQM practices on financial as well as operational performance measures. The research findings can also motivate the top management of the industry for better planning of goals, to arrange resources in time, in pursuit of improving quality, employee and industry performance.

Originality/value

The Ethiopian manufacturing industry is required to improve their manufacturing and service quality, in order to enhance their productivity and boost their competitiveness in an international market, which is the basis of this study. This study signifies one of the first attempts to empirically explore this linkage between TQM and performance in the Ethiopian automotive industry context.

Modelling enablers of efficiency and sustainability of healthcare: a m-TISM approach

Purpose

It would not be an exaggeration to say that healthcare is the most crucial one in today's perspective. The healthcare sector, in general, is engaged in working on various dimensions simultaneously like the safety, care, quality and cost of services, etc. Still, the desired outcomes from this sector are far away, and it becomes pertinent to address all such issues associated with healthcare on a priority basis for sustaining the outcomes in a long-term perspective. The present study aims to explore the healthcare sector and list out the directly associated enablers contributing to increasing the viability of the healthcare sector. Besides, the interrelationship among the enlisted enablers needs to be studied, which further helps in setting-out the priority to deal with individual enablers based on their impedance in the contribution towards viability increment.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have done an extensive review to list out the enablers of the healthcare sector to perform efficiently and effectively. Further, the attempt has been made on the enablers to rank them by using the modified Total Interpretative Structure Modelling (m-TISM) approach. The validation of the study reveals the importance of enablers based on their position in the hierarchical structure. Further, the MICMAC analysis on the identified enabler is performed to categorize the identified enablers in the different clusters based on their driving power and dependence.

Findings

The research tries to envisage the importance of the healthcare sector and its contribution towards national development. The outcomes of the m-TISM model in the present study reveal the noteworthy contribution of the organizational structure in managing the healthcare facilities and represented it as the perspective of future growth. The well-designed organizational structure in the healthcare industry helps in establishing better employee–employer cooperation, workforce coordination and inter-department cooperation.

Research limitations/implications

Every research work has limitations. Likewise, the present research work also has limitations, i.e. input taken for developing the models are from very few experts that may not reflect the opinion of the whole sector.

Practical implications

The healthcare sector is the growing sector in the present-day scenario, and it is essential to keep the quality of treatment in check along with the quantity. The present study has laid down the practical foundations for improvement in the healthcare sector viability. Besides, the study emphasized on accountability of the healthcare sector officials to go with the enablers having the strong driving power for effective utilization of all the resources. This would further help them in customer (patients) satisfaction.

Originality/value

Despite an increase in demand for good quality healthcare facilities worldwide, the growth of this sector is bounded by the economic, demographic, cultural and environmental concerns, etc. The present study proposed a unique framework that provides a better understanding of the enablers. It would further help in playing a key role in increasing the viability of the healthcare sector. The hierarchy developed with the help of m-TISM and MICMAC analysis will help the viewers to recognize the important enablers based on their contribution to the viability improvement of the healthcare sector.

Quality management practices as a driver of employee satisfaction: exploring the mediating role of organizational image

Purpose

Total quality management (TQM) has been a universally applienod management strategy to improve organizational performance and thereby to achieve competitiveness. Compared with the scholarly and practical attention paid to identify the consequences of implementing TQM practices, little is known about how those practices enhance organizational image and employee satisfaction. This paper aims to address that research gap and is designed to empirically prove the relationship between TQM practices, organizational image and employee satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire-based survey of 285 employees including administrators, managers and heads of departments of 21 National Accreditation Board for Hospital and Healthcare providers-accredited hospitals in India was conducted. The proposed research model was tested using partial least squares based structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results revealed that TQM practices have positive direct and indirect effects on employee satisfaction, confirming the partial mediation role played by organizational image in the relationship between TQM practices and employee satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

From the findings, leaders can understand that by implementing TQM practices, organizations can enhance image of the organization and bring high level of employee satisfaction.

Originality/value

The study tries to answer questions largely ignored in the TQM literature: the effect of TQM practices on organizational image and employee satisfaction, and the mediating role of organizational image on TQM practices and employee satisfaction.

Quality management for high-contact professional service firms: a multiple-case evidence from Indian law firms

Purpose

This paper presents an exploratory study to understand the distinctive quality dimensions of high-contact Professional Service Firms (PSFs) and develop a conceptual model for Quality Management (QM). The paper is based on empirical evidences from multiple cases in leading Indian law firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopted an exploratory, multiple, embedded and comparative case study design. The empirical evidence from multiple case studies in 10 law firms (data includes 42 individual interviews, archival records, field notes) was used to explore the QM dimensions for PSFs.

Findings

The results showed that QM in PSFs is a multifaceted and continuous process rather than a straightforward and episodic one. The findings reveal three distinctive dimensions of QM for PSFs: managing the firm's image; managing the client-firm interaction and support processes and; managing the perceived value of service outcome. Further, the results showed a significant variation in the design of QM practices in a relatively homogenous group of PSFs (law firms). This reflected the influence of personnel and organizational characteristics on the QM.

Research limitations/implications

The research is based on evidences collected from 10 Indian law firms and the research design is exploratory in nature. The future research is suggested in terms of extending the scope and research design.

Practical implications

The insights obtained from the paper have implications for managers working on the design of service operations and particularly service quality in high-contact PSFs similar to law firms. While the study does not prescribe a standard design of QM systems for PSFs, it seeks to foster the thinking of managers by helping them conceptualize the broad quality-control checkpoints and quality attributes specific to PSF settings

Originality/value

The academic research in the management of professional service quality is dominated by conceptual/theoretical models for customer evaluation of service provider's performance and the issue of operationalization of QM in PSFs is still needs further investigation. This paper contributes to the theory of service operations management (SOM) by focusing on the structure of QM systems in PSFs.

The management index: simplifying business excellence for management teams?

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a qualitative research study that was designed to examine the application of the management index (MI) to support effectiveness among management teams. Specifically, the research was twofold: to examine the usefulness of the MI as a tool to enhance effectiveness in management teams; and to identify conditions necessary for successful use of the MI.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-year multi-site qualitative case study was conducted with five medium- to large-scale organizations, from public and private sectors, to apply and examine the use of the MI. Data were collected from participants during a series of workshops designed to examine the ways in which the tool was used to enhance effectiveness in management teams, and conditions that were determined supportive or a hinder to using the tool.

Findings

Findings from the qualitative data demonstrate four primary uses of the in which the MI: pulse reader, navigation, systematic dialog, management team development. It is, however, not clear yet if the use of the MI contributes to improvement in efficiency and effectiveness. The degree of maturity within the organization and teams, as defined by open and transparent communication and clarity of purpose of direction, appear to be key factors for how well teams benefit from the MI. Furthermore, the tool appears to benefit from longer term usage rather than quick-fix usage, although this claim has yet to be validated by further investigations.

Practical implications

The MI was developed by Swedish Institute of Quality to provide a simpler performance measurement tool for management teams to support quality improvement processes in organizations in Sweden. The MI was developed to provide management teams with access to vital information that could serve as the basis for prioritizing areas of needed improvement, while reducing time and complexity associated with traditional business excellence models.

Originality/value

This study contributes to an ongoing dialogue about how to support quality management through the use of performance measurement tools. In particular, the study supports the need to develop understanding about the importance of dialogue and process combined with the use of measures to achieve results.

The effect of TQM practices on operational performance: an empirical analysis of ISO 9001: 2008 certified manufacturing organizations in Ethiopia

Purpose

This study is aimed at examining the effect of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices on the operational performance of ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing companies in Ethiopia.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to meet the purpose. Primary data was collected from the managers and senior experts working under the production and quality management units of the surveyed firms. Data was obtained from a survey of 302 participants found in 73 ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing organizations. Both EFA and CFA were applied to validate and confirm the instrument, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results revealed that among the practices of TQM used in the model only supplier quality management, continuous improvement and process management were found to have significant and positive effect on the operational performance of the ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing organizations in Ethiopia.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies are suggested to consider some contextual variables such as firm age, scope of operation, firm size and firm strategy while addressing the objective.

Practical implications

The study will encourage managers of manufacturing companies in Ethiopia to utilize a reliable and valid framework of TQM practices for better operational performance results.

Originality/value

The fact that Ethiopian manufacturing organizations are required to improve their product's quality in order to improve their productivity and enhance their competitiveness in a global market is the rationale of this study. Even though several studies have evolved to scrutinize the link between TQM and operational performance across the world, nearly nothing, is known about this linkage in Ethiopia. Thus, the study represents one of the first attempts to empirically investigate this linkage in Ethiopian context.

Impact of total quality management, organisational excellence and entrepreneurial orientation on organisational performance: empirical evidence from the public sector in UAE

Purpose

Drawing upon the resource-based view, the authors examined empirically the total effect of total quality management (TQM), organisational excellence and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on organisational performance

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses were formed to be tested using primary data collected through a survey questionnaire. The data were collected from the Dubai police organisation as a field of study. Out of the 500 distributed questionnaires, 280 questionnaires were returned. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the data for measurement and structural models.

Findings

The statistical results that were extracted using PLS-SEM confirmed the positive and significant effect of TQM, organisational excellence and EO on organisational performance.

Practical implications

In this study, many valuable implications were found from the results. The outcomes of this study can help managers, decision makers and practitioners in considering the importance of implementing practices, such as TQM, excellence and EO in their organisations. Therefore, the outcomes can help in achieving the best desired performance.

Originality/value

The present study is one of the most important empirical research studies that examine the total effect of TQM, organisational excellence and EO on performance relationships.

The Sustainable Effect of Operational Performance on Financial Benefits: Evidence from Chinese Quality Awards Winners

Quality management practices have become increasingly important as firms seek to obtain quality certifications to dominate markets. To date, adequate research evaluating the effects of quality management is lacking. In this work, we used Chinese quality awards to evaluate a firm’s quality level. A PSM-DiD (propensity score matching and difference-in-difference) model describing the relationship between quality award effects and financial benefits in terms of return on assets was developed. We further used a hierarchical regression to examine the influence of operational performance on financial benefits. The results show that quality awards cannot assure their winners a higher return on asset. Indicators of operating performance, such as less lead time and higher inventory turnover, can significantly enhance firms’ profitability. The moderating effects of operational performance suggest that firms may focus on how to translate quality management practices into business improvement. This study also contributes to the operation management literature by describing how firms need outstanding financial performance for sustainable development and continuous improvement.

Improving service quality

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of total quality management (TQM) internalization factors on the relationship between the proposed drivers (internal/external motives) and outcomes (external benefits and financial results).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of quality managers, this study adopts a two-step methodological approach to explore the key components of TQM internalization via an initial exploratory study followed up with a quantitative study to examine the relationships between the proposed drivers using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The qualitative study revealed the key components of TQM implementation factors, namely top management commitment, middle management commitment and audits, training and employees’ commitment. The quantitative results show that a positive relationship between external motives and TQM internalization was not supported; yet, the results supported the influence of internal motives on TQM internalization. Further, the results revealed a significant relationship between TQM internalization and internal benefits but not financial benefits. Finally, a strong positive link between internal and financial benefits emerged.

Research limitations/implications

The study findings are only based on the perceptions of quality managers and future research could test the proposed model using other units of analysis in order to fully capture the role of TQM internalization.

Practical implications

The findings show that award model adoption is a significant tool for quality improvement in organizations, a procedure that drives both internal and financial benefits. Further, the study points out areas that companies should emphasize in order to successfully implement a quality award model and therefore harvest its potential benefits.

Originality/value

The paper proposes an empirically tested conceptual framework that examines vital issues concerning the internalization of the TQM approach through award models, thus providing valuable outcomes for decision makers to improve service quality.

Investigating the view of quality management success factors amongst future early career operations leaders

Purpose

The study aims to investigate the gap between the current vision and knowledge of future early career operations leaders (OL) and common strategic total quality management (TQM) frameworks such as Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards and competing value framework.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire was developed for different groups of participants as current higher education students to identify the gap and analyse the significance of these groups on the factors in TQM framework. The Kruskal–Wallis test as the non-parametric quantitative analysis technique was adopted for this study.

Findings

A new set of TQM factors with necessity of more knowledge and understanding of future generation was identified, followed by highlighting clear differences amongst different groups of this generation in terms of their demographic measures, perceived leadership style and organisational culture.

Research limitations/implications

This research study contributed significantly to the existing study about common QM models and their integration with theories relevant to organisational culture and leadership. The data collection can be extended further in the higher education sector or beyond that.

Practical implications

A sustainable operations leadership practice needs managers and leaders with a sustainable knowledge development of quality management; and as a result of this study, the current vision of future young OL would not echo this.

Originality/value

This study has a systematic, non-parametric approach towards currently fragmented QM analysis, and is integrated with human resource and visionary elements of future young OL and universal QM models and theories.

Implications of TQM in firm’s innovation capability

Purpose

Over the last few decades, some researchers have analysed the role of total quality management (TQM) as a precursor of innovation. However, the relationship between TQM and organisational innovation remains unclear and contradictory. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework intended to clarify the complex effect that the implementation of a TQM system has on organisational innovation, where market orientation (MO) and knowledge management (KM) play a mediator role.

Design/methodology/approach

Data in this study come from a survey of 706 Spanish CEOs. The results were analysed employing structural equation modelling to determine how TQM, MO and KM influence innovation.

Findings

The results of the empirical study show that there is a curvilinear effect between TQM and organisational innovation. Both MO and KM perspectives play a mediator role between TQM and innovation.

Practical implications

Managers should be aware that management based on TQM help organisations not only to get higher quality but also to be market oriented and better manage their knowledge; what will help them to develop innovations.

Originality/value

This research sheds light on the question of the relationship between TQM and organisational innovation that has received mixed conclusions in the literature. There is evidence in this research that the relationship between TQM and innovation responds to a curvilinear relationship, where high levels of TQM favour a more than proportionate effect on the development of innovation. It also clarifies the mechanisms by which this effect is produced, with MO and KM as mediator variables.

Ranking model of total quality management enablers in healthcare establishments using the best-worst method

Purpose

Recent years have witnessed a significant rise in Indian healthcare establishments (HCEs) which indicate that there is a constant need to improve the healthcare quality services through the adoption and implementation of TQM enablers. The purpose of this paper is to identify such enablers and then propose a ranking model for TQM implementation in Indian HCEs for improved performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study identifies 20 TQM enablers through comprehensive literature survey and expert’s opinion, and classifies them into five main categories. The prominence of these enablers is established using a recently developed novel multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method, i.e. best-worst method (BWM). The importance of the various main category and sub-category enablers is decided on the basis of their weights which are determined by the BWM. In comparison to other MCDM methods, such as analytical hierarchy process, BWM requires relatively lesser comparison data and also provides consistent comparisons which results in both optimal and reliable weights of the enablers considered in this paper. Further, a sensitivity analysis is also carried out to ensure that the ranking (based on the optimal weights) of the various enablers is reliable and robust.

Findings

The results of this study reveal that out of five main category enablers, the “leadership-based enablers (E1)” and the “continuous improvement based enablers (E5)” are the most and the least important enablers, respectively. Similarly, among the 20 sub-category enablers, “quality leadership and role of physicians (E14)” and “performing regular survey of customer satisfaction and quality audit (E52)” are the most and the least dominating sub-category enablers, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

This study does not explore the interrelationship between the various TQM enablers and also does not evaluate performance of the various HCEs based on the weights of the enablers.

Practical implications

The priority of the TQM enablers determined in this paper enables decision makers to understand their influence on successful implementation of the TQM principles and policies in HCEs leading to an overall improvement in the system’s performance.

Originality/value

This study identifies the various TQM enablers in HCEs and categorizes them into five main categories and ranks them using the BWM. The findings of this research are quite useful for management of the HCEs to properly understand the relative importance of these enablers so that managers can formulate an effective and efficient strategy for their easy and smooth implementation which is necessary for continuous improvement.

Synergetic success factors of total quality management (TQM) and supply chain management (SCM)

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to present a set of critical factors for total quality management (TQM) and supply chain management (SCM) practices through an extensive literature review; and, second, to identify the relationships among them by comparing the identified TQM and SCM practices in order to explore the concept of supply chain quality management (SCQM).

Design/methodology/approach

To meet the goals of this work, a review of published quality research papers was carried out. For this, the authors identified papers on TQM and SCM practices and observed how these practices improve the business performance of organizations. Further, on the basis of identified practices, a conceptual model of SCQM was developed.

Findings

The results presented a set of six critical factors each for TQM and SCM practices. Further, it was found that management support and commitment, customer focus, information and supplier partnership are the most common practices found in both TQM and SCM practices. The integration of TQM and SCM (SCQM) throughout the supply chain has the strongest impact on the organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study used data from various research papers of reputed journals which considered the study of India’s manufacturing industry as well as other countries, which may not provide a clear picture. However, this can be overcome by applying the findings of this paper to collect data from Indian manufacturing industry in future studies.

Practical implications

Indian manufacturing industry can improve its competitive image through the synergy of TQM and SCM. The result of this paper will help in providing a greater understanding of identified TQM and SCM practices that will lead to the successful implementation of TQM and SCM strategies to enhance business performance in terms of the improved levels of customer service.

Originality/value

Much of the attention is given on TQM and SCM practices, and very few studies have been undertaken to integrate TQM and SCM practices. But as far as the authors know, there is no study undertaken to integrate TQM and SCM practices in India for the manufacturing class. Therefore, this study compares TQM and SCM practices and considers their integration and can be thus treated as filling a gap in the extant literature. Therefore, the findings of this review paper will contribute in future research.

Assessing the individual and synergistic effects of quality management practices on operations performance

Purpose

Quality management (QM) practices have long been suggested as a package to improve the quality performance of a company. Yet, empirical studies offered little support of this perspective as only a small set of QM practices were found to be conductive to quality improvement. By taking a new approach, the purpose of this paper is simultaneously evaluate the individual and synergistic effects of several key quality practices on operations performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected and used to test the proposed hypotheses. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to assess the magnitude of synergistic effects and individual effects.

Findings

It is found in this study that the synergistic effects across QM practices are substantial in enhancing all operations performance dimensions whereas individual effect varies for different performance goals.

Originality/value

This study makes theoretical contributes to the field of QM by providing empirical support of the interdependence assumption of QM practices and resolving the inconsistent findings. Practically, the results suggest that in-depth implementation of various QM practices simultaneously can be highly effective to achieve performance improvement on all accounts. In addition, the positive additional individual effects also open up a firm’s strategic choices of where to focus the resource investment in the adoption process as long as the strategic focus can justify its contribution toward the desired performance goals.

Quality management vision of future early career operations managers

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the gap between the current vision and knowledge of future early career operations managers (OM) and a common strategic total quality management (TQM) framework.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire and a non-parametric test for different groups of participants were adopted to identify the gap and analyse the significance of these groups on the factors in the TQM framework.

Findings

A new set of TQM factors with the necessity of more knowledge and understanding of future generation were identified, followed by the identification of clear differences amongst different groups of this generation.

Practical implications

A sustainable OM practice needs managers and leaders with a sustainable knowledge development of quality management (QM); and as the result of this study, the current vision of future young OM would not echo this.

Originality/value

This study has a systematic, non-parametric approach towards currently fragmented QM analysis, and is integrated with human resource and visionary elements of future young OM and universal QM models and theories.

Can continuous improvement lead to satisfied customers? Evidence from the services industry

Purpose

To achieve higher customer satisfaction (CS), companies implement continuous improvement (CI) programs, regardless of the growing evidence of their failure to achieve declared goals. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify whether companies are able to improve CS through the application of CI; and, second, to identify what organizational practices are able to facilitate the impact of CI on CS.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the developed assumptions, the study uses the structural equation modeling technique. The data for analysis were collected from 304 service companies via a custom web-survey.

Findings

The research confirms the direct positive impact of CI on CS. Further, the study demonstrates that management commitment and rewards system that encourages employees to participate in CI play the major facilitating role in improving CS through CI. These practices accompanied by quality-oriented culture and employee training in the improvement tools provide necessary infrastructure to sustain CI in the companies over time. Additionally, regardless of the vital role of goal setting for CI established in previous research, the proposed study finds a limited ability of goal setting, as compared to other organizational practices, to facilitate CI–CS relationship.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the scarce field of research on CI implementation in the services environment. Further, the research assesses CS as a variable of interest, as opposite to the previous studies, considering CS as a part of the composite variable. The research assesses the impact of the training in CI methodology on the CI–CS relationship, while previous research focuses on the general, work-related training. The findings provide an important basis for further academic work in the area of quality management. The identified practices can serve as guidance for managers, implementing CI in their companies due to the high fit of the proposed model.

Healthcare service failure: how dissatisfied patients respond to poor service quality

Purpose

Few scholars have so far explored how healthcare service quality affects patient dissatisfaction, leading to negative behavior responses when a healthcare service fails. The purpose of this paper is to examine how different service quality attributes affect patient dissatisfaction leading to a variety of asymmetric negative behavior responses.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a survey of 453 dissatisfied outpatients in Korea, structural equation modeling with a series of post hoc analyses is used to test the research model. It consists of five hypotheses.

Findings

Outcome quality is found to be the most significant variable affecting patient dissatisfaction, followed by administrative quality, interactive quality, and environmental quality. Dissatisfied patients tend to engage more in active behaviors (e.g. negative word-of-mouth, switching, and complaining) than in remaining passive in a non-linear way. Also, the mediating role of dissatisfaction is found to be significant.

Research limitations/implications

This paper has empirically identified the most significant service quality attributes that lead to dissatisfied patients and negative behaviors on their part. These findings indicate that different quality attributes of service failure lead to different actions. However, this study has suffered from a few limitations as a result of its research context and scope.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the very few empirical studies examining the relationships among the output and process quality attributes, patient dissatisfaction, and actual behaviors in a healthcare service failure context.

Economic crisis and business excellence: a comparative multi case study assessment

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact that crisis had on quality management and basic business processes using INSEAD’s industrial excellence framework (IEF) towards large Greek industrial units. This study proposes a modified version of the IEF which can help firms to operate through a turbulent environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Data that were collected during the current financial crisis were compared with a matched sample of business units surveyed a decade earlier. The variables that were used to measure performance were grouped into two categories, quality management and process improvement.

Findings

Through the examination of these cases, the authors identify the characteristics that empowered those BUs so as to remain alive during the turbulence. According to the results, the survivors train their staff systematically, have closer relationships with their suppliers, assess their processes and follow up with action plans. Findings also suggest cultural differences between survivors vs non-survivors. Survivors display a cultural profile typical to adhocracy since they describe themselves as more flexible and externally focused instead of being stable and internally focused. These findings are discussed and avenues for future research are presented.

Practical implications

The results of the study can be applied by quality managers of industrial organizations to achieve higher performance and overcome a turbulence of the external environment.

Originality/value

Previous research on the business excellence frameworks neglects the essential issue of sustainability and how an organization can survive a crisis. The study provides new insights into the long-term benefits of applying an excellence framework.

Exploring differences between private and public organizations in business excellence models

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences between public and private organizations in the paths of business excellence models and to identify the key drivers for creating business results and customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The partial least squares structural equation modeling technique is used to compare the path coefficients and to identify the key driver constructs for creating business results.

Findings

The variation in endogenous constructs is found to be more difficult to explain or predict for private organizations than for public organizations, despite the fact that the performance of private organizations is almost always higher than or equal to the performance of public ones in all criteria. The effect of “leadership” on “management of processes” is significantly higher in public organizations than in private ones. However, “management of processes” in public organizations does not seem to translate into “results.” The effect of “strategic planning” on creating business “results” is negative for public organizations and remains inconclusive, due to insufficient evidence, for private organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The results may not be generally applicable to other countries. However, they do support the move toward more tailor-made models for specific sectors.

Practical implications

It is necessary to review the national business excellence model in order to fit specific sectors.

Originality/value

This is the first study to investigate the differences between private and public organizations in the Swedish business excellence model.

A quality system’s impact on the service experience

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between technical and social systems within an organization that potentially affect the service experience, as perceived by end customers.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores the potential impact of an integrated service quality system on the service experience. A conceptual model is presented, accompanied by a detailed development of the hypotheses. Two samples (Study 1: n=474, Study 2: n=225) of consumers are used to empirically test the proposed model.

Findings

The analysis reveals the impact a technical system has on employees’ inherent abilities (i.e. the social system), which, in turn, affect the overall assessment by customers. Additionally, the situation in which an employee works (i.e. operating environmental conditions) results in differences in the model.

Research limitations/implications

This paper’s main implication is this paper employs established theory to develop a model that is empirically tested to show that implementing and maintaining a quality-oriented service system can positively influence the overall customer experience. The limitations are based primarily on the methodology in which individual employees assessed all aspects of both the social and technical systems.

Practical implications

Managers should be diligent in their design and implementation of the quality components as these affect the work setting in which employees operate.

Originality/value

Prior research has neither explored an integrated service quality system’s impact on the service experience nor employed an established theoretical framework. This work accomplishes both with the results providing contributions to both theory and practice.

Quality ambidexterity, competitive strategies, and financial performance

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between quality ambidexterity (QAMB), competitive strategies (cost leadership, differentiation, and focus), and firm performance in Palestinian industry, and to analyze the combination of quality exploitation (QEI) and quality exploration (QER) (QAMB) associated with the different levels of each competitive strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected through a survey of 205 Palestinian industrial firms, the study conducted structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships. Additional statistical analyses were applied to the combinations of QEI and QER for each competitive strategy.

Findings

The results show a positive and significant relationship between QAMB and three competitive strategies, and between competitive strategies and financial performance, focus strategy excepted. Balanced combination with similar levels of QEI and QER is found to be more suitable for higher levels of competitive strategies implementation, whereas an excess of QER over QEI is associated with lower levels of strategies implementation.

Research limitations/implications

Although Palestine has two regions, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, all survey respondents were from the West Bank. The data used in this study come from the industrial sector only.

Originality/value

This study is the first empirical test to examine the impact of QAMB on financial performance through competitive strategies. The study results may help managers to implement QEI and QER practices in order to allocate resources effectively and ultimately improve financial performance.

Quality management practices and their effects on the performance of public hospitals

Purpose

To face profound changes from decreasing funding, growing patient expectations and increasing competition in the health-care market, public hospitals began to implement effective quality management (QM) practices following manufacturing and other service industries. However, there was little knowledge relevant to the impact of QM practices on the performance of public hospitals. The study aims to shed some further light on this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper extends the previous empirical research to the health-care sectors and suggests the research framework of QM practice-performance relationships in public hospitals. For validation purposes, a cross-sectional survey involving 204 quality managers and directors of large public hospitals was carried out between April and October 2013 in Zhejiang Province, China. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationship between QM practices and hospital performance.

Findings

Empirical results support that the implementation of QM practices can bring many benefits to sample hospitals. The dimensions of employee relations and process management are directly related to the health-care and non-health-care performance of public hospitals.

Originality/value

It explores the relationship between QM practices and hospital performance based on empirical results from Chinese public hospitals, whereas few studies have been conducted within the context of public health-care sectors in developing countries. The empirical results could enhance hospital managers’ understanding of the nature of QM practice-performance relationship and help mangers re-allocate more resources to those elements of the QM systems that have the most significant impact on hospital performance.

Ambidexterity, performance and environmental dynamism

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between organizational ambidexterity, the ability of companies to explore new and to exploit existing processes simultaneously, and manufacturing performance as represented by the sand cone model. Moreover, the paper analyses the impact of stable and dynamic environments on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A set of research questions are tested using structural equation modeling on a sample of 231 Spanish manufacturing companies.

Findings

Results illustrate a significant relationship between ambidexterity as the basis and enabler for manufacturing performance improvements, building on the sand cone model and its dimensions of quality, delivery, cost, and flexibility. This relationship is further emphasized when companies work in a dynamic environment.

Practical implications

The study contributes to practice by investigating the important and yet under-explored relationships of ambidexterity, the sand cone model, performance, and a company’s wider market environment. Findings suggest a positive relationship between the sand cone model and ambidexterity capability.

Originality/value

This study adds to the limited theoretical and empirical understanding of the relationships between ambidexterity, the sand cone model, environmental dynamism, and performance. It also contributes through a set of empirical data derived from Spanish manufacturing companies.

Exploring quality challenges and the validity of excellence models

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and explore important quality-related challenges facing organizations, and investigate how current excellence models incorporate these challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a Delphi study of Swedish organizations. Forty-nine challenges were generated and ranked according to importance and the ten top-ranked challenges were compared to the principles of four excellence models.

Findings

The excellence models still seem to be relevant since their content matches many of the identified challenges. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the Swedish Institute for Quality models were found to have the most comprehensive coverage, while the International Organization for Standardization model had limited coverage.

Research limitations/implications

Three areas for further research were identified: first, how quality management (QM) can evolve in different contexts that have varying needs in terms of adaptive and explorative capabilities; second, the interfaces of QM and sustainability, and ways to understand how customers and stakeholders can be active contributors to improvements; and third, the roles of the owners and board of directors regarding QM, and how to organize and distribute responsibilities of the QM work.

Practical implications

There are three important challenges that future revisions of excellence models could address: first, making QM a strategic issue for company owners; second, involving customers in the improvement activities; and third, developing processes that are robust yet still easily adaptable.

Originality/value

The Delphi study identified upcoming challenges in the QM area based on input from 188 quality professionals.

A multicriteria model on calculating the Sustainable Business Excellence Index of a firm with fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrated methodology for benchmarking the sustainability of organizations. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methods have been used for this purpose. The FAHP is used to determine the weights of the criteria by decision makers, and the rankings of the alternatives are determined by TOPSIS. The proposed instrument is used to calculate the Sustainable Business Excellence Index (SBEI) and its potential impact on the formulation of firm strategy. To demonstrate the applicability of the model, illustrative examples are presented.

Design/methodology/approach

– After a careful literature review, a sustainable business excellence framework is created and a fuzzy system is developed to assess firms’ sustainability. Finally, the SBEI is computed.

Findings

– The results indicate that the suggested fuzzy approach is feasible for benchmarking the sustainability of organizations. It allows the decision makers to express their opinion regarding the importance of criteria and evaluate each alternative and then have this input coordinated in a quantitative fashion.

Research limitations/implications

– Practitioners and consultants can use the instrument for conducting quality management benchmarking within and across organizations. Researchers can use the instrument in future studies for further theory development in this area.

Originality/value

– As far as the authors are aware, no previous study research has assessed the SBEI of an organization with fuzzy sets. As such, it responds to a number of contemporary challenges in the business excellence theory, most importantly the broad need to identify agile organizations.

Adopting total quality management to enhance service delivery in medical records

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which total quality management (TQM) initiatives can improve the quality of services delivery at the medical records unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) to help meet the expectations and aspirations of patients and customers of the hospital.

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopted the survey strategy as its research design. The total study population consisted of 114 medical records staff of the KBTH. Questionnaires and personal observations were employed as the data collection instruments. The study recorded a response rate of 98 per cent. Data gathered from respondents were analysed in qualitative terms.

Findings

The overall finding of this study was that, although the medical records department of the KBTH had a fair degree of understanding on the benefits of TQM to records management service delivery, the exiting values for TQM did not meet the framework of good TQM practice, principles and standards.

Research limitations/implications

Even though the subjects for the study were from the biggest hospital in Ghana, the findings of this study may not be generalised to the whole country.

Practical implications

The study has demonstrated the need for the medical records department of the KBTH to have and develop good TQM standards to improve the quality of services to patients and varied customers of the hospital.

Originality/value

The literature reviewed indicated that this study is a maiden attempt to examine how TQM initiatives including sensitivity, customer satisfaction, commitment of top management, team work, effective leadership and participatory management, people development and effective and open communication can improve the quality of medical records service delivery at the KBTH in Ghana.

Determinants of quality and efficiency performance in service operations

Purpose

– Using arguments from the knowledge-based view and resource-based view of the firm, the purpose of this paper is to propose that external knowledge (as measured by a firm’s customer orientation) and internal knowledge management (through human capital development techniques of job-related training and enhancing employee capability) together contribute to successful service delivery systems.

Design/methodology/approach

– The hypothesized model is tested on a large sample of 249 Chinese service firms using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analyses.

Findings

– The results indicate that the knowledge management factors of customer orientation, employee capability and job-related training had a varying influence on quality and efficiency dimensions of service system performance. Also, internal knowledge facets of employee capability and job-related training had complementary effects in inducing improved performance on both quality and efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

– The focus on the key enablers of customer orientation, employee capability and job-related training does not represent a comprehensive set of enablers of service system performance outcomes. Also, a longitudinal examination of capabilities that influence service system performance can also be explored.

Originality/value

– The context of service firms in multiple sectors serves as an important contribution to the emerging literature that bridges human resource management and customer orientation in service settings. Implications of the results for practice and theory development are discussed.

Benchmarking of TQM practices in INGOs: a literature review

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to aggregate significant part of debates in the field of International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) toward performance improvement by benchmarking of the Total Quality Management (TQM) practices, and to propose TQM-Benchmarking model as a seed for future research in the context of INGOs.

Design/methodology/approach

– TQM practices for INGOs were first identified based on critical synthesis of the literature for both, existing for-profit TQM literature and the INGOs field-specific quality and accountability frameworks, initiatives, and practices (Jordan introduced as an example) followed by solicitation of the opinions of experts and colleagues through personal interviews and focus group discussions to define the proposed TQM-Benchmarking model.

Findings

– TQM-Benchmarking model of six practices vital to INGOs performance are proposed by this review including leadership and management commitment, beneficiaries focus and participation, partnership management for sustainability, human resource (HR) focus, process management and learning and continuous improvement, and use of quality information.

Originality/value

– While TQM practices succeed in improving performance of for-profit organizations, this review proposed TQM-Benchmarking model with field-specific practical pillars of performance improvement in the INGOs.

Decision-making towards achieving world-class total productive maintenance

Purpose

– World-class total productive maintenance (TPM) status depends on critical success factors (CSF) to be properly implemented. The relevant literature has identified several CSF; however, researchers have not investigated the degree of importance of each phase of the process. The purpose of this paper is to prioritize the CSFs that influence TPM implementation during each phase of the process in order to aid decision making in companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The main CSF are identified from a literature review. This paper focusses on the judgments of managers who are experts in TPM implementation in companies which have received TPM awards for excellence. The judgments are processed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. Three aggregation methods (geometric mean, Copeland and fuzzy) are employed for comparative analysis.

Findings

– Although the literature highlights some important CSF, the relevance of these factors is not the same in each phase of TPM implementation. Analysis shows that ranking using the Copeland method is most coherent.

Research limitations/implications

– This research was carried out in some Brazilian companies.

Practical implications

– If managers are aware of the CSF to be prioritized in each phase, this facilitates decision making, resulting in a more effective implementation of TPM.

Social implications

– If TPM implementation is effective, this stimulates the personnel involved and avoids the possibility of the program being abandoned.

Originality/value

– The originality of this paper consists in the proposed model to prioritize CSF during each phase of the implementation of TPM.