Taking an innovative approach to quality practices: exploring the importance of a company’s innovativeness on the success of TQM practices

Quality management practices such as total quality management (TQM) are continuously applied to improve firm performance. However, recent quality researchers have found contradictory performance evidence highlighting that the success of TQM might depend on various contextual factors. Specifically, researchers and practitioners have recognised similarities and considerable overlap between TQM and innovative practices, which suggests that innovativeness plays a contextual role. However, this putative relationship remains unexplored. The purpose of this study is to assess the importance of innovativeness to the success of TQM practices through applying contingency theory. Using data collected through a large-scale survey, we carry out an empirical study and produce robust results that strongly confirm such a contextual role of innovativeness. Specifically, we identify that the seven practices closely related to TQM, namely visionary leadership, internal and external cooperation, learning, process management, continuous improvement, employee fulfilment, and customer satisfaction, have a significantly stronger impact on operational performance in companies characterised by a high level of innovativeness.     

Contextual and mediation analysis between TQM critical factors and organisational results in the EFQM Excellence Model framework

Following a total quality management (TQM) approach and the EFQM Model framework, this contribution aims to study the influence of TQM social factors on organisational results, by considering the TQM technical factors as a mediating variable in this relationship. Moreover, the effect of size and type of business on the implementation of TQM and results is analysed, as well as determining which TQM practices have a more important effect on the operational results. The research questions and hypotheses proposed in this research model are tested on a sample of 116 Spanish firms. The results support the reliability, validity and the high-predictive power of the EFQM Excellence Model as a framework for the implementation of TQM. Moreover, our findings indicate that TQM social factors provide a cornerstone for the success of the quality system. Similarly, TQM technical factors partially mediate the relationship between TQM social factors and results. It was also found that TQM social factors and processes management are the main predictors of operational performance. Finally, significant differences were found in TQM implementation, and in the key results of companies, based on their size; however, these differences are not significant based on the sector activity.     

Measuring critical success factors of TQM implementation successfully – a systematic literature review

In times of globalisation and international trade, the concept of total quality management (TQM) as a strategy to enhance organisational performance is growing in importance. To exploit the benefits provided by TQM, organisations must manage the complex implementation process successfully. Therefore, organisations need to measure critical success factors (CSFs) when introducing TQM. However, previous research has developed a plethora of measurement instruments and researchers do not agree on certain factors or on one single measurement instrument. A systematic literature review is conducted to structure and clarify the scattered research field. The analysis of 145 studies reveals that CSFs can be classified into 11 distinct dimensions. The article proposes a three-level framework and a holistic set of measurement instruments to help researchers and managers measure each critical dimension in a timely and comprehensive manner. A focus group consisting of six quality managers validated these results. The study concludes with further findings and future research. Deficiencies of current measurements are presented and the article discusses the finding that human related factors are regarded as highly relevant but have remained low on many researchers’ and practitioners’ agendas. Hence, this article is a major contribution to structure the complex research field of measuring CSFs of TQM implementation.     

Integrated analysis of the performance of TQM tools and techniques: a case study in the Taiwanese motor industry

Most studies of total quality management (TQM) have focused on the managerial aspects and associated success factors of TQM programmes, whereas relatively few studies have examined the appropriateness and performance of the large number of available tools and techniques that actually implement TQM practices. To assist in determining the best strategy for improving the performance of TQM tools and techniques, the present study integrates a modified importance–performance matrix with elements of failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to provide a comprehensive methodology for assessing and improving the performance of TQM tools and techniques in the Taiwanese motor industry. The methodology presented here can be applied in a variety of industries, including the Taiwanese motor industry, to enable efficient utilisation of TQM tools and techniques and thus improve quality, reduce costs and shorten cycle times.     

The individual effects of total quality management on customers,people and society results and quality performance in SMEs

The aim of this paper is to test the individual effects of total quality management (TQM) on customer results, people results, society results and quality performance in a small‐ and medium‐sized enterprise (SME) context. The research is based on information from 85 ISO 9000 certified SMEs in Spain. A number of regression analyses are applied in order to examine the impact of TQM on these four results and identify which factors of TQM have the greatest effect. After analysing the survey data, 10 SMEs were randomly selected for individual visits, in order to check the results. The results show that TQM may improve customer results, people results, society results and quality performance. TQM factors related to training and specialist training are showed to be the most significant predictors of quality outcomes. The contribution of this paper is to study this association in SMEs in Spain. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Organizational factors and total quality management an empirical study

The level of awareness of Total Quality Management (TQM) has increased considerably over the last few years. Different sets of organizational requirements are prescribed by quality management gurus and practitioners for the effective practice of TQM. These requirements do not seem to have been formulated on the basis of systematic empirical research. Many researchers point out that tacit factors, e.g. employee empowerment, open culture and executive commitment, and not TQM tools and techniques alone, could drive TQM success, and that organizations would need to acquire these factors to stay successful. Many TQM advocates have also suggested that a conducive organizational environment would be essential for an effective practice of TQM. However, they did not offer any empirical evidence. There appears to be no empirical study reported in the literature that could establish a relation between TQM and organizational factors. The objective of this paper is to describe an empirical research on TQM conducted in Indian business units carried out recently by considering some organizational factors, e.g. quality of work life, organizational climate and communication. The methodology and findings are discussed in detail.     

A synergistic analysis of joint JIT-TQM implementation

Both JIT and TQM have provided significant paradigm shifts in management philosophy to improve organizational effectiveness in today's competitive and ever-changing world market. Yet empirical studies correlating JIT, TQM and operational performance are still underdeveloped. Using a sample of 379 US computer and electronics companies, this study attempts to analyse the workforce practices and synergistic benefits of joint JIT-TQM implementation by comparing four groups of companies based on their implementation status of JIT and TQM.     

The intervening effect of business innovation capability on the relationship between Total Quality Management and technological innovation

The growing diffusion and acceptance in the business world of Total Quality Management (TQM) has attracted greater interest on the part of academia. Although fundamental questions focus on how the different dimensions of TQM can bring about better business performance, a more recent recurring issue pertains to the relationship between TQM and technological innovation and whether technological innovation might provide a source of competitive advantage. Unfortunately, from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, the relationship between TQM and technological innovation appears contradictory and complex. This paper argues that the relationship might be better understood from the contingent perspective of strategic management and thus proposes a multidimensional intervening variable in the relationship, called Business Innovation Capability (BIC). An empirical study of 105 Spanish industrial firms reveals that the effect of some business practices suggested by TQM on technological innovation can be better understood when BIC dimensions are taken into account.     

The mediator role of learning capability and business innovativeness between total quality management and financial performance

The concept of total quality management (TQM) has attracted many researchers from a variety of disciplines. In particular, the literature has addressed the impact of TQM on a firm’s operations and performance. However, disparate perspectives on the relationship between TQM and a firm’s financial performance have emerged. In this paper, we suggest an interconnected relationship among TQM, organisational learning capability (OLC), business innovativeness, and a firm’s financial performance and propose that OLC and business innovativeness mediate the relationship between TQM and a firm’s financial performance. By studying 193 firms in Turkey, we found that: (1) TQM affects OLC and a firm’s business innovativeness, (2) OLC influences a firm’s business innovativeness and (3) a firm’s business innovativeness affects its financial performance. Also, we found that OLC and business innovativeness in a firm mediate the relationship between TQM and the firm’s financial performance.     

Senior management perspectives and ISO 9000 effectiveness: An empirical research

While ISO 9000 certification is increasingly becoming 'a passport for business' in the marketplace, its effectiveness in enhancing an organization's performance is highly controversial. In recent years, some researchers have argued that the effectiveness of ISO 9000 is highly dependent on management's attitudes to and understanding of the standard. Specifically, we conducted empirical research in the electronics industry to study how the 'objectives of gaining ISO certification', the 'attitudes to implementation' and 'confidence of understanding the standard' among senior management affect the development of a quality management system (QMS) and subsequently organizational performance. We found that although senior management's confidence in their understanding of the standard and quality management is the most influential factor for the development of their QMS and to the induction of changes in systems, it does not improve organizational performance. On the other hand, organizations that believe the ISO 9000 should be adopted for operational objectives and serve as a system foundation for operations achieve the best organizational performance. Our research suggests that ineffectiveness of the ISO 9000 is largely due to incorrect management objectives and expectations from the standard.     

The Ideal Culture Profile for Total Quality Management: A Competing Values Perspective

ABSTRACT

Many researchers view organizational culture as a potentially powerful explanatory variable in total quality management (TQM) implementation. Despite the high level of interest in the subject, there is no effective means of assessing an organization in terms of its cultural characteristics. In this article, a promising technique, the competing value framework of culture, is introduced. This framework is used to conduct an exploratory study of cultural characteristics that support the TQM philosophy. Research questions are posed through a review of the related literature, and the research method is described. It is shown that the perceived cultural characteristics in the context of TQM can be profiled as a combination of a set of unique values. Recommendation for further research is also proposed.     

Supply chain management practices as a mediator of the relationship between operations capability and firm performance

The current study uses mediated regression analysis and structural equation modelling to test the proposition that supply chain management practices mediate the relationship between operations capability and firm performance. Operations capability is defined in terms of a firm's new product design and development, total quality management and just-in-time capabilities. Results support the research model and also suggest the existence of a direct relationship between operations capability and performance.     

A New Playing Field for TQM

ABSTRACT

Total quality management (TQM) will not be the means by which American manufacturing competitiveness is restored because the technique is culturally bound to Japanese core values and is not amenable to cultural adaptation. However, the service sector, which lacks manufacturing's traditions and has a preconditioning of customer satisfaction, offers a new playing field.     

Management Theory DéJà Vu? Scientific and Total Quality Management

ABSTRACT

This article compares W. Edwards Deming's total quality management (TQM) theory with Frederick Winslow Taylor's scientific management theory. Although these two theories have in the past been misrepresented as philosophical opposites, the authors have researched and highlighted the extensive degree of similarity between the two. The recent rise in TQM's popularity prompts an examination of similarities between Deming's and Taylor's views on general management, operations management, and people management. Also presented are the new aspects of productivity addressed by TQM. Some time-tested productivity improvement primitives are described.     

Total Quality Management Applied in Engineering and Construction

ABSTRACT

This article details the concepts of total quality management (TQM) in engineering and construction (E&C), lists the elements of effective TQM, and describes how TQM can be applied. Included is a discussion of the importance of customers within or external to an organization. The key practices of continual improvement and defect prevention are described. Also, specific activities for implementing the TQM process in an E&C organization are suggested.     

Applying total quality management techniques to improve software development.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a new management philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the basis of a continuously improving organization. This paper sheds light on the application of TQM concepts for software development. A fieldwork study was conducted on a Lebanese software development firm and its customers to determine the major problems affecting the organization's operation and to assess the level of adoption of TQM concepts. Detailed questionnaires were prepared and handed out to the firm's managers, programmers, and customers. The results of the study indicate many deficiencies in applying TQM concepts, especially in the areas of planning, defining customer requirements, teamwork, relationship with suppliers, and adopting standards and performance measures. One of the major consequences of these deficiencies is considerably increased programming errors and delays in delivery. Recommendations on achieving quality are discussed.     

Relating TQM,marketing and business performance: An exploratory study

Total Quality Management (TQM) is perhaps the leading management approach that companies employ to improve their product and service quality with the aim of improving typical measures of business performance (e.g. increased profits, increased market share, reduced costs). However, consumer perception of quality not only results from an evaluation of the intrinsic quality attributes of the product (e.g. performance, reliability, durability) but is also affected by the marketing mix (e.g. price, advertising, warranties) adopted by the company selling the product. This paper offers a first attempt at cross-functional fertilization by examining the relationships between TQM, some marketing mix variables and measures of company performance by exploring the diverse multidisciplinary literature and developing an explanatory framework, which is tested using non-parametric correlation and refined through an empirical study of Spanish manufacturing companies. The results show that the most important TQM dimensions are the system of employee relations and the use of quality management-related design tools. The results also indicate the existence of a relationship amongst price, advertising and warranties, but that these marketing variables were not related to TQM and that further research is required to include a wider definition of marketing strategy.     

An Inno-Qual performance system for higher education

Due to the overall decrease in quality of Taiwanese universities in recent years and the resulting drastic loss of competitive advantage against foreign countries, improving the Taiwanese university system has become an urgent issue requiring immediate attention. Evidence suggests focusing on total quality management (TQM) and that innovation is the key way to effectively upgrade the operation performance and is thus highly advised. Although there are a number of measurement models for TQM and innovation, early models evaluate the performance of each element separately, making evaluation inefficient and inappropriate for practice. There is a new measurement system, the network hierarchical feedback system (NHFS), which integrates the concept and characteristics of both elements; however, the major concern is that the NHFS does not take external organization-oriented improvement into account, such as service quality in higher education, especially in innovation orientation. Additionally, due to the above dilemmas faced by Taiwanese universities, attracting more students has now been a major priority. Thus, we argue that in order to successfully attract potential students, improving TQM and innovation cannot just focus on internal organization-oriented improvement, and we further extend the effectiveness and suitability of the NHFS to a novel and more utilizable performance measurement system, the solid Inno-Qual performance system (IQPS). A hybrid model based on a decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory, a fuzzy analytic network process (FANP), an importance–performance analysis along with in-depth interviews; a fuzzy analytic hierarchical process, and a technique for order preference according to similarity to an ideal solution were adopted to complete the construction. The IQPS is the first measurement system with the most effective characteristics of TQM and innovation embedded for both new and traditional universities of different types. It is intended to enhance and evaluate performance on both external and internal organization-oriented levels, generating synergy and performance improvement.     

Applying quality improvement principles to achieve healthy work organizations

BACKGROUND: Health care has used total quality management (TQM)/quality improvement (QI) methods to improve quality of care and patient safety. Research on healthy work organizations (HWOs) shows that some of the same work organization factors that affect employee outcomes such as quality of life and safety can also affect organizational outcomes such as profits and performance. An HWO is an organization that has both financial success and a healthy workforce. For a health care organization to have financial success it must provide high-quality care with efficient use of scarce resources. To have a healthy workforce, the workplace must be safe, provide good ergonomic design, and provide working conditions that help to mitigate the stress of health care work. INTEGRATING TQM/QI INTO THE HWO PARADIGM: If properly implemented and institutionalized, TQM/QI can serve as the mechanism by which to transform a health care organization into an HWO. To guide future research, a framework is proposed that links research on QI with research on HWOs in the belief that QI methods and interventions might be an effective means by which to create an HWO. Specific areas of research should focus on identifying the work organization, cultural, technological, and environmental factors that affect care processes; affect patient health, safety, and satisfaction; and indirectly affect patient health, safety, and satisfaction through their effects on staff and care process variables. SUMMARY: Integrating QI techniques within the paradigm of the HWO paradigm will make it possible to achieve greater improvements in the health of health care organizations and the populations they serve.