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Improving performance through better processes should be the focus of quality professionals. Based on the IPO (Input-Process-Output) model, this study considers total quality management (TQM) as an input of the internal and external of an organisation and transformational leadership (TL) and executive ability (EA) as the mechanism (Process) to promote and coordinate internal–external elements for the organisation obtaining its sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) (Output). Taking samples in the southern Taiwan Science Park in Tainan city for the questionnaire survey in this study, a total of 252 valid responses are collected and analysed to discuss the relationships among TQM, TL, EA and SCA. Reliability analysis, validity analysis, CFA and SEM are utilised for the analyses. The research findings are summarised as follows: (1) TQM significantly affects TL, EA and SCA. (2) TL and EA significantly affect a firm's SCA and each of them has the mediating effect between TQM and SCA. (3) Both of them have a serial mediating effect on the relationship between TQM and SCA. Implications, limitations and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on existing research addressing political skill and social networks, this study explores the congruence effects of the political skills of leaders and followers on workers' job satisfaction, and the resulting effect on followers' life satisfaction and affective commitment. Using cross-level polynomial regressions and 3 D response surface analysis on 305 leader and follower dyads, the results supported the congruence and effect hypothesis. Furthermore, this study has also discovered incongruence effects: when leaders' political skills are higher than those of their followers, the degree of decline in job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and affective commitment is greater than the size of difference between the political skills of leaders and followers. This study also reveals the importance of leaders and followers possessing political skills, especially considering its important effect on work attitude and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the art and visual culture of the High Qing Dynasty in China between 1680 and 1795 and how this art was perceived by Europeans. The author discusses the relationship between globalization and art history, examines Sino-European artistic interactions during the 18th century, and explores how Qing painting interpreted European style. High Qing emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong are also mentioned.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "The Mediating Work of Art," by Jonathan Hay in the September 2007 issue.