Does transformational leadership influence TQM practices? A comparison analysis between manufacturing and service firms

Enhancing Occupational Health and Safety Through Strategic Leadership: The Mediating Role of Total Quality Management in Hodeida Hospitals, Yemen

Background

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is a critical concern in healthcare settings, particularly in resource-constrained environments where safety challenges often compromise staff well-being and patient care. Effective leadership and quality management are increasingly recognized as essential for addressing these challenges.

Objective

This study investigates the impact of Strategic Leadership (SL) on the Occupational Health and Safety System (OHS) in hospitals, with Total Quality Management (TQM) serving as a mediating factor. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey design.

Methodology

Data were collected from 323 healthcare professionals across six hospitals in Hodeida, Yemen, covering both medical and administrative roles. Partial Least-Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the data, examining both direct and indirect relationships among the study variables.

Results

The findings reveal that SL positively influences OHS directly and indirectly through TQM. Specifically, leadership practices that emphasize strategic direction, ethical conduct, and organizational control contribute to fostering a safer work environment. TQM enhances this effect by strengthening operational efficiencies and standardizing safety protocols. These results underscore the critical role of integrated leadership and quality management in advancing OHS practices in resource-constrained healthcare settings.

Conclusion

The study offers practical implications for hospital administrators seeking to improve safety and performance through a combined focus on leadership and quality management. Future research should explore these dynamics in different sectors and geographical contexts to validate and extend these findings.

An integrated learning framework of corporate training system: a grounded theory approach

Purpose

Rooting in the literature on training and laying on Kirkpatrick model, this paper aims to explore key drivers of corporate training to identify how they can be combined into an integrated framework of learning for human capital development.

Design/methodology/approach

By adopting the constructivist grounded theory, this contribution analyzes the experience carried out in the last ten years by Virvelle, an Italian corporate training firm.

Findings

Results show the rise of five core categories, g1iving rise to an integrated model of Kirkpatrick. Their dynamic interplay led to a new orientation of Kirkpatrick model giving rise to a metalearning ecosystem.

Research limitations/implications

Managerial implications have identified key factors on which building and implementing appropriate corporate training programmes capable of triggering co-generative processes of value creation. Particularly, the essential role of learning quality culture, digital technology and personalization are detected in integrating not only hard but furthermore soft shades of learning. Concerning theoretical implications, the emergence of key structural and systems enabling dimensions for learning, and contextual mechanisms involved in reshaping training effectiveness and achieving integrated learning outcomes are detected. The main limitation of this study lies in the need to generalize results: the conceptualized framework needs to be empirically tested.

Originality/value

The value of this research is built along three main points. The first is the integration among the core categories that an integrated learning system can be built on, promoting learning quality culture through positive feedback loops. The second is represented by the chance to enhance an integrated mutual knowledge development among engaged actors, thereby shaping a more holistic and multidimensional learning model. The third is related to the transversal role that digital technology plays in all phases of the training process as it integrates and enriches them.

Adoption of modern technologies for implementing industry 4.0: an integrated MCDM approach

Purpose

Modern technologies are seen as an essential component of the fourth industrial revolution (industry 4.0) and their adoption is vital to transform the existing manufacturing system into industry 4.0-based manufacturing system. Therefore, the primary objective of this research explores the barriers of modern technology adoption and their mitigating solutions in order to align with Industry 4.0 objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Barriers to adopting modern technologies and respective mitigating solutions are identified from the available literature. Further, these barriers are ranked with the help of expert opinions by using the BWM method appropriately. The identified solutions are ranked using the combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) method.

Findings

Several modern technologies and their capabilities are recognised to support the industry 4.0-based manufacturing systems. This study identifies 22 barriers to the effective adoption of modern technologies in manufacturing and 14 solutions to overcome these barriers. Change management, the high initial cost of technology and appropriate support infrastructure are the most significant barriers. The most prominent solutions to overcome the most considerable barriers are ‘supportive research, development and commercialisation environment’, ‘updated policy and effective implementation’ and ‘capacity building through training’ that are the top three solutions that need to be addressed.

Research limitations/implications

The barriers and solutions of modern technology adoption are obtained through a comprehensive literature review, so there is a chance to ignore some significant barriers and their solutions. Furthermore, ranking barriers and solutions is done with expert opinion, which is not free from biases.

Practical implications

This identification and prioritisation of barriers will help managers to understand the barriers so they can better prepare themselves. Furthermore, the suggested solutions to overcome these barriers are helpful for the managers and could be strategically adopted through optimal resource utilisation.

Originality/value

This study proposes a framework to identify and analyse the significant barriers and solutions to adopting modern technologies in the manufacturing system. It might be helpful for manufacturing organisations that are willing to transform their manufacturing system into industry 4.0.

Green creativity, TQM and business sustainability of large manufacturing firms in Malaysia

Purpose

This paper examines the effect of green creativity (GC) on the business sustainability (BS) of large manufacturing firms (LMFs) in Malaysia and investigates the mediating effect of total quality management (TQM) on this relationship.

Design/Methodology/Approach

A quantitative approach was adopted, using a sample of 206 LMFs; the formulated hypotheses were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings revealed a significant positive effect of GC on the TQM and BS of LMFs and a significant positive effect of TQM on their BS. TQM also has a full mediating effect on the relationship between GC and BS.

Research Limitations/Implications

One of the limitations of this study is its focus on Malaysian LMFs. It nevertheless contributes to the literature by extending knowledge concerning their TQM, GC and multi-faceted perspectives. This is largely ignored in literature and, as such, the study paves the way for additional research.

Practical Implications

The findings of this study may be used as guidelines for CEOs, particularly on the way TQM and GC can be developed for enhanced BS, in the context of South Asian countries.

Originality/Value

This study is the first to test the influence of GC on Malaysian LMFs’ BS and the first worldwide to investigate the mediating effect of TQM on their GC-BS relationship.