Effects of a production improvement programme on global quality performance

Association of performance with quality initiatives and quality awards: quality initiatives' effect

Purpose

The purpose of this empirical study intends to explore the contingency effect of the adoption of some specific quality initiatives (QI), on the correlation of some performance measures (PMs) with the “interacting” QI and quality award (QA) models through the continuous improvement (CI) journey of Indian QA winners.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire was administered to the Indian Quality Award winners. Data collected from a survey were followed by validity and reliability analyses of the instrument. Hypotheses were tested using Spearman's correlation test and Fisher's Z-test.

Findings

Some specific QI that affected the correlation between PMs and research questions representing the interaction among QI and QA models during different stages of the CI journey of organizations were identified. PMs that correlated with interacting QI and QA models through the above stages of CI journey were also identified.

Practical implications

A preliminary inference on QI to be adopted and the PMs to be focused upon during the different periods of CI journey of Indian organizations was arrived at. This could help practitioners in proper choice of QI and to focus upon “realistic” PM through different stages of the CI journey of organizations.

Originality/value

This study attempts to fill the gap of scarce holistic studies on the long-term performance implications of interacting QI and QA through the CI journey of organizations.

Could the balanced scorecard enhance pharmaceutical organisations’ quality performance?

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between balanced scorecard (BSC) attributes and quality performance and the possible moderating effect of quality performance on the relationship between BSC and business performance. The positive findings from the multinational pharmaceutical organisations in Egypt may help the national pharmaceutical companies to improve their performance when incorporating the same tool (BSC) in their quality management system.

Design/methodology/approach

This research employs a quantitative approach to conduct a survey, and empirical data were drawn from 28 multinational pharmaceutical organisations in Egypt, 125 correct questionnaires were used for further analysis, and the research model was tested using the structural equation modelling technique by analysis of moment structures software.

Findings

The findings of the empirical research reveal that the BSC attributes significantly and positively relate to quality performance where strategy translated to operations has the strongest relationship, providing feedback/learning and communication have a moderate relationship, whereas alignment relation is negligible in the presence of other attributes. Additionally, BSC attributes have a significant positive relationship with business performance directly and indirectly and quality performance is the moderator. Also, the research suggests that the quality performance has a significant and positive relationship with business performance.

Research limitations/implications

The overall research implication is that the BSC certainly acts as a ground foundation for consolidating the quality management system. The BSC practices presented in this research emphasise that this tool is not just an integration of financial and non-financial metrics that measure performance; rather, it is a performance management system that reinforces the quality system and helps to harmonise the strategy and goals that leads to improvement in the performance levels.

Practical implications

The study shows that BSC practices support the organisational quality/business performances. Therefore, managers must develop and continuously refine their strategies, allocate sufficient resources for achieving targets of strategic measures, in order to achieve superior business performance.

Originality/value

Several studies approached the effect of some of BSC attributes on quality performance; yet, this research considers the association between the four attributes collectively with quality/business performance. Additionally, no previous research has comprehensively studied the moderating effects of quality performance on the relation between BSC and business performance, especially in pharmaceutical companies in Egypt.

Exploring a holistic perspective on production system improvement

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how holistic improvement work can be organized and what challenges can be observed in the process of adopting a holistic perspective on production system improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative case study and a questionnaire have been carried out. Data for the case study has been collected through semi-structured interviews, archived documents and participatory observations. The questionnaire was done in order to increase the generalizability of the findings from the case study and further validate the conclusions.

Findings

– The improvement work at the case company is organized as a continuous improvement approach in a Lean Production system in the form of a company-specific production system (XPS), in which two other improvement approaches are incorporated. Some of the identified challenges are: the establishment of a holistic perspective on improvement opportunities; the development of a process to update the production strategy; the continuous update of the Operational Management System during the XPS implementation; aggregating measures for the improvement work and measuring the effect of improvement work.

Research limitations/implications

– As the current case study is limited to one case company, future research is interested in expanding to other production systems contexts for further validation.

Originality/value

– The present study offers an increased understanding of the integration difficulties of improvement work that many production companies face regarding operational effectiveness, and based on the findings, some implications for management are presented.