An in-depth investigation on quality management practices in China

The moderating role of Lean Six Sigma practices on quality management practices and quality performance in medical device manufacturing industry

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating role of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) practices in explaining the relationship between quality management practices (QMPs) and quality performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Partial least square-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to empirically examine the moderating effect of LSS practices on QMPs and quality performance in Malaysian medical device manufacturing companies.

Findings

Findings revealed that both QMPs and LSS practices have a significant and positive effect on quality performance. Furthermore, LSS practices served as a substitute for moderating the positive relationship between QMPs and quality performance in such a way that the relationship becomes weaker as LSS practices increase.

Originality/value

LSS is acknowledged as the most well-known hybrid methodology; however, due to its relative newness, it has not been studied in great detail. Unlike previous studies, this paper argued that Lean and Six Sigma practices are distinct from its predecessor TQM practices; moreover, both Lean and Six Sigma practices do not need to substitute QM/TQM practices instead of complimenting the QMPs. In addition, this study adds to the growing body of QM literature by empirically examine the effect of LSS practices in moderating the relationship between QMPs and quality performance.

The Relationships between the Pillars of TPM and TQM and Manufacturing Performance Using Structural Equation Modeling

This paper examines the direct and indirect relationships between the pillars of total quality management (TQM) and total productive maintenance (TPM) and investigates their effects on manufacturing performance (MPR) using structural equation modeling. Three structural models were developed with their corresponding hypotheses. Data were then collected from thirty industrial firms in Jordan. A descriptive statistical analysis was followed by an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The structural models were analyzed to draw conclusions about the model hypotheses and identify the most influential TPM and TQM pillars on MPR. Significant variations were noticed among firms in the implementation levels of the TPM, TQM, and MPR pillars. Further, it was found that TPM directly and indirectly influences MPR. Furthermore, TPM pillars have a larger impact on MPR than TQM. Research hypotheses are suggested to be tested individually on small-, middle-, and large-sized firms. This research provides valuable information on top management in the industrial sector, on the significant relationships between the pillars of TPM, TQM, and MPR and supports them in identifying important TQM/TPM pillars which they should focus on in order to enhance MPR.

A systematic literature review on total quality management critical success factors and the identification of new avenues of research

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic literature review to identify new avenues of research in line with the ongoing changes in quality and management required to firms, especially regarding customers.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a systematic review of the literature contained in the three databases Ebsco, JSTOR, and Springerlink and on the search engine Google Scholar.

Findings

An analysis of the literature identifies three different clusters of papers: “identification” papers, which show that customer focus has gained importance in recent times; “implementation” papers, which highlight that a general or shared model or scale to successfully implement total quality management (TQM) does not yet exist; and “impact-on-performance” papers, which show that few studies have considered the relationship between TQM and the issues of both marketing and performance, underlining the most significant gap in the TQM literature.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by the small number of databases and search engines used and by the restricted number of keywords used in searching these sources.

Practical implications

This work highlights a gap in the existing research and thus an incomplete consideration of the interplay between management, marketing, and quality issues, all centered on customers and other stakeholders. Researchers and firms are thus advised to adopt a wider view that considers the role of the quality process to support the firm’s engagement of customers in activities that enhance both the customer role and customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study uses a systematic literature review to review all critical factors of TQM and identifies new research avenues and different approaches to implementing TQM, focusing on the central role that customers play in achieving firm success.