How do Knowledge Management Practices Affect Sustainable Balanced Performance? Mediating Role of Innovation Practices

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating role of innovation practices (IP) amidst relations of knowledge management practices (KMP) and sustainable balanced performance (SBP). Furthermore, this research illustrates a comprehensive empirical study in the Iranian knowledge-based industrial companies that are the manufacturers of advanced machineries and equipment. First- and second-order exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was done to confirm constructs validity. Then, relations among variables were studied by applying the partial least squares (PLS) technique to collected data from 104 industrial knowledge-based companies. The results obtained from the analysis supported all the research hypotheses. KPM significantly and strongly affects IP and SBP. Also, IP mediates the relations between KPM and SBP in industrial knowledge-based firms.

The key factors of total quality management in the service sector: a cross-cultural study

Purpose

Literature refers to the key factors of total quality management (TQM) based on studies carried out in individual countries. However, few studies focus on studying the TQM factors in service companies based on multinational data. The purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the key TQM factors and their impact on internal and external customer performance measures across different countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The research questions regarding the TQM factors and their effects were examined using a sample of service organisations from three countries (131 from Greece, 70 from Mexico and 151 from Spain). TQM factors and their impact on employee and customer satisfaction were analysed separately for each country. Exploratory factor analyses, coupled with multiple linear regression analyses, were conducted.

Findings

The key TQM factors identified are common among the three participating countries and can be summarised as follows: quality practices of top management, process management, employee quality management, customer focus, and employee knowledge and education. The adoption level of these five key factors of TQM varies across service organisations in different countries. The results also confirmed that some of the TQM elements are antecedents of customer- and employee-focused performance.

Practical implications

Multinational service organisations may use such an instrument to evaluate TQM implementation among worldwide operations and then benchmark their performance. In addition, an understanding of similarities and differences among countries would help managers around the world to address difficulties of TQM implementation related to the country culture.

Originality/value

Previous studies have compared key TQM factors across different countries in manufacturing, but overall, there has been a little attempt in the literature to analyse the adoption of TQM factors among service firms, as well the relationships between quality improvement and performance across different geographical regions.

Productivity, quality and business performance: an empirical study

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate linkage among productivity, quality, and business performance in home-based brassware units in India.

Design/methodology/approach

This study involved action research of home-based brassware units applying procedures for three-stage least-squares (3SLS) regression analysis, with data obtained through questionnaire survey based on convenience sampling.

Findings

This study has supported the established belief that quality leads to productivity, and subsequently productivity leads to better business performance for home-based brassware units in India. The consistent and logical result of this study using 3SLS regression analysis has provided empirical understanding of the appropriate linkage among productivity, quality, and business performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study has limitations of findings, as it studied the home-based brassware units in the Indian context only.

Practical implications

This study implies that marketable home-based brassware products are to be produced by taking into account boundaries of production within the framework of goals and value created by motivation and dependability for monitoring the business performance. Identifying an appropriate linkage among productivity, quality, and business performance may project a holistic evaluation of the policy development related to home-based brassware units.

Originality/value

This is an original study to test empirical linkages among productivity, quality, and business performance using 3SLS regression analysis particularly for home-based brassware units in India.

Examining the perception of Iranian organizations on Internet of Things solutions and applications

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the perception of Iranian experts and executive managers of sample organizations on the benefits and barriers of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions implementation. Based on the context of Iran using descriptive analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the review of the related literature and websites, benefits and barriers of successful implementation to IoTs solutions were identified. Through a self-administered questionnaire which was collected from 67 Iranian organizations the ranking and importance of benefits and barriers of IoTs solutions implementation were determined based on the perception of the experts of the surveyed organizations.

Findings

– Analysis of data and the obtained results reveals that “improved customer experience” and “Supply chain optimization and responsiveness” are the most important benefits that the survey organizations expect to reap as a result of IoTs solutions implementation. Also “Integration challenges” and “cannot find right suppliers” were ranked as the most challenging barriers to IoTs solutions implementation.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings and conclusions drawn from this research are representative of the Iranian context only. So, caution needs to be exercised in generalizing the results.

Practical implications

– The top management of Iranian organizations and also, policy makers of the country should be aware that IoTs solutions are being deployed rapidly throughout the globe. Therefore, it is necessary to increase investment in IT infrastructure and also by holding various training for employees and experts of Iranian organizations, and setting various IoT majors in the country’s universities and vocational schools, efforts should be made to accelerate the deployment of IoTs solutions to keep pace with leading companies in the world.

Originality/value

– As IoTs is rather a new phenomenon in the Iranian industries this study has the potential to enhance the understanding of IoTs solutions and applications, benefits and barriers amongst researches and practitioners in the context of Iran. Also policymakers of the country could take advantage of the findings of this study toward a successful implementation of IoTs solutions and applications.