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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the Russian Federation Government Quality Award (RFGQA) over its 25-year existence. Design/methodology/approach This paper looks into the evolution, model and key provisions of RFGQA, based on the authors’ long-time experience as an Award assessor. Apart from that, methodologically, this study uses the desktop research method, comparative literature review. Findings The research results show that RFGQA over its 25 years has become the most popular approach to the development of organizational excellence for Russian enterprises and organizations, regardless of the sphere of activity. Research limitations/implications This paper presents the core results of RFGQA’s 25-year existence. The comparison of the current Russian Quality Award model with the new European Foundation for Quality Management model is not analyzed. Originality/value This research paper extends current knowledge of national quality awards and presents an original set of information about RFGQA, its methodology and results.

Purpose This study aims to demonstrate the suitability of text-mining toolset for the discovery of trends in quality management (QM) literature in 2000-2019. The hypothesis was formulated that as the field of study is mature, the most important trends are related to deepening and broadening of the knowledge. Design/methodology/approach A novel approach to trend discovery was proposed. The computer-aided analysis of full-texts of papers led to increased reliability and level of detail of the achieved results and helped significantly reduce researchers’ bias. Overall, 4,833 papers from 8 journal dedicated to QM were analysed. Findings Trends discovery led to the identification of 45 trends: 17 long-lasting trends, 4 declining trends, 11 emerging trends and 13 ephemeris trends. They were compared to the results of earlier studies. New trends and potential gaps were discussed. Practical implications The results highlight the trends that gain or lose popularity, thus they can be used to focus studies, as well as find new subjects, which are not so popular yet. The knowledge about emerging trends is also important for those quality managers who strive for improvement of their efficiency. Originality/value The research was designed to bypass the limitations of previous studies. The use of text mining methods and analysis of full texts of papers delivered more detailed and reliable data. Resignation from predefinition of classification criteria significantly reduced researchers’ bias and allowed the discovery of new trends, not identified in previous studies.

Customer engagement is one of the hottest topics in the customer management area. Most of the customer engagement research focus on the customer with strong psychological connection with the focal ...

The competitive position achieved by the Japanese and Western industries during the 1970s to mid-1990s, and 1980s to mid-1990s, respectively, derived from understanding, implementing, and developing Total Quality Management (TQM) as a comprehensive management philosophy. Several research and/or company studies provided evidence of this development and its impact on leading companies efficiency and effectiveness. Despite that, research on TQM seemed on the surface, after a boom from about 1990-1995, to have declined. However, one recent detailed study from 2013 concluded that TQM is now at a more mature stage where focuses have shifted from being initially on TQM to the methods, tools, techniques and core values which are needed to implement TQM and to build a quality and BE (Business Excellence) culture. This study is an extension of the 2013 study, where we extend the previous study on TQM publications to 2017, and further analyse more detailed not only which methods, tools and techniques are used, but also at what organisational level they are used - strategical, tactical or the operational level. We collect data on research about TQM and its methods, tools and techniques, and we analyse further the shift of focus from TQM as a comprehensive management theory/ philosophy to a focus on the TQM methods, tools and techniques to be used at various management levels of a company. We use two of managements basic functions - management control (MC) and organisational learning (OL) - to unveil the challenges faced by TQM and to help converting these challenges into new research opportunities to be jointly addressed by companies and research communities such as the Quality Management and Organisational Development (QMOD) Research Community. In light of the findings in this research, it became clear that MC and OL are two sides of the same coin. MC can never be effectively implemented without OL, and OL needs to be supported by a comprehensive MC system.

This study compares the historical evolution of Total Quality Management (TQM) to eight well-known management theories to investigate whether there are affinities between TQM and the selected manag...

Many firms have carried out organisational change, such as mergers and acquisitions, to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment. During such changes, it is crucial for firms to provide a...

Purpose Muda is a Japanese term literally meaning futility, uselessness, idleness, superfluity, waste, wastage or wastefulness. The term was introduced by the Japanese engineer Taiichi Ohno of Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1960s. Therefore, reducing and minimizing Muda is an effective way to increase the operational efficiency and productivity of an organization’s processes. In turn, the technique known as the affinity or TKJ diagram represents a practical way of sorting data or ideas into groups classified by common patterns; it can be regarded as one of the new seven tools of quality. The purpose of this paper is to discover Muda by applying the affinity or TKJ diagram in Mexican organizations. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative study was conducted. Using theoretical sampling, the authors identified and analyzed data from a kaizen training course. Each course workshop was organized by the Universidad de las Americas Puebla and consulting firm “Mi Empresa”, and given to employees of various organizations in various sectors over three years from January 2012 to January 2015. Findings The research provided the first evidence of Muda in Mexican organizations. The Muda of Ohno’s classification was confirmed, but new common patterns of Muda in twenty-first-century organizations also arose. Furthermore, the TKJ diagram proved to be an effective tool of quality to detect it. Research limitations/implications This paper has the same limitations as all other qualitative research, including analysis subjectivity and questionable generalization of findings. It is also important to highlight the seven KJ diagrams, a seemingly abundant figure. However, it is a small sample for the number of companies and processes to be found in Mexico. Practical implications This paper may prove to be valuable for practitioners and managers involved in the operations and continuous improvement fields. Getting to know Muda in organizations is of great importance for continuously improving organizational processes. This classification will allow greater insight and easier detection. Originality/value The study contributes to the limited existing literature on total quality management, lean thinking and kaizen, and subsequently disseminates this information to provide impetus, guidance and support toward improving the quality of organizational processes.

A Quality Scorecard (QSC) performance measurement model is proposed to evaluate the quality aspects of an organization in Industry 4.0. To design a QSC for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we examined existing measures regarding costs of quality items. The measurement system was refined by simplifying duplicate measures and incorporating quality elements considered in recent international standard revisions. This paper explains the QSC system and its practical use. Two key results were obtained. First, the QSC measures were reduced from a total of 139 potential measures to 15, 30, and 60 for simple, general, and detailed models, respectively. Second, a so-called QSC wheel, a virtual tool to assess weaknesses in existing performance measurement systems, was developed. The QSC wheel may effectively be used in analysing existing performance measurement systems, and may also be applied to evaluate qualitative performance levels in Industry 4.0. Funding Agencies|National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) - Korea government (MSIT) [2017R1A2B4012882]

One major means to address corporate sustainability practices in organisations are sustainability-oriented innovation practices, which tend to result in significantly improved products, services, processes or even management systems. Prior research has widely discussed the relevant issues about integrating sustainability aspects into innovation process; however, little empirical research has been conducted to analyse the link between sustainability-oriented innovation practices and the overall organisational performance. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the underlying structure of sustainability-oriented innovation practices as well as their effects on the particular performance dimensions (i.e. economic performance, quality performance, innovation performance, environmental performance and social performance). The large-scale web-based survey yielded 266 usable responses encompassing both the manufacturing and service industries across 5 countries: Germany, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain. The results of the regression analysis demonstrate that sustainability-oriented innovation practices are positively related with the overall organisational performance. The empirical evidence suggests that when organisations strongly emphasise sustainability practices, they can improve both economic and non-financial performance. From a practical perspective, the findings of the study may provide a clue regarding how organisations can embed sustainability aspects in their innovation processes with the aim of improving their performance.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to clarify the relation between sustainability practices and financial and market performance, and also, the role of non-financial performance outputs in this relation. Corporate sustainability is a growing area of importance for organizational development. Managing sustainability practices successfully is an imperative in achieving competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach – Using empirical data based on a large-scale survey among organizations in five countries (i.e. Germany, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain), this paper utilized mediation analysis to estimate and test the mediated effects in a multiple mediator model. As such, the sizes of indirect effects of sustainability practices on financial and market performance through potential mediators were estimated. Findings – The results showed that innovation performance exerts a mediation effect in the relation between sustainability practices and financial and market performance. The main conclusion is that a greater engagement in sustainability practices leads to an increased innovation performance, which in turn leads to financial and market performance. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first attempts to empirically validate sustainability exploitation and sustainability exploration practices. Besides, the analysis of the direct and indirect effects of sustainability exploration and sustainability exploitation practices on financial and market performance has not been yet addressed to a great extent.

Scholars have long been concerned about investigating the various characteristics that affect organisational performance. The related research has used a range of approaches, including both the industrial organisation view and the resource-based view of the firm. Although continuous investment in financial and social capital is necessary, it has become increasingly clear that it is not by itself sufficient. As Dahlgaard-Park [(2012). Core values – The entrance to human satisfaction and commitment. Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 23(2), 125–140. doi:10.1080/14783363.2012.655067] has suggested, the superficial knowledge and insufficient understanding of human beings cause the failure of a company to mobilise its human recourses. The vicissitudes of today's global economy call for different positive psychological capital within each employee. Initial studies indicate that the investment in psychological capital may yield substantial returns. Research has shown that psychological capital can...

This paper proposes an alternative perspective on service quality management (SQM) based on the ecosystem of complex and dynamic service environments. First, the ways in which systems thinking and core principles of Quality Management evolved are analysed in order to understand the past, present and the future. Then, by analysing the theories, models and applications of SQM systems and business ecosystems, the paper proposes a framework model for a service ecosystem. The proposed service ecosystem is based on value co-creation that can be utilised to manage service quality and to increase innovability. Through two case studies, the differences between the traditional approach to SQM and the application of ecosystem theory to SQM are compared and reflected. The case studies indicate that ecosystem theory can be used to manage service quality and to achieve success in value co-creation through new innovative practices.

In the hospital, intensive care unit (ICU) is an isolated space where patients with acute symptoms are treated. When the patients are in ICU, their families are usually in psychological crisis and under great pressure. The value of ICU is thus to provide a complete ICU service by which not only the patients receive good treatment, but the feelings of family members are also considered and managed. In the study, we explored ICU value through finding the factors for the satisfaction of patients and their families. We first studied current ICU operations, identified its corresponding processes and built their process profiles. Then we used de facto ICU satisfaction survey questions and linked them to these process profiles. This linkage offered insights on how ICU processes influenced the satisfaction of the patient and the family. In order to improve the satisfaction with the ICU, we created a simulation model which was statistically tested as valid; then different scenarios of medical staff assignments wer...

PurposeImai defined Kaizen as: “a means of continuing improvement in personal life, home life, social life, and working life. At the workplace, Kaizen means continuing improvement involving everyone – managers and workers alike”. According to Imai, Kaizen can take at least three forms: Kaizen management; Group Kaizen; Individual Kaizen. In this last form, the strength of the continuous improvement of this Japanese management approach is focused on the work of each person as an individual. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore how some people have applied Personal Kaizen to their personal lives in order to improve their quality of life. The research question that drives the study is: How do some people apply Personal Kaizen in order to improve their quality of life?Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory qualitative study was conducted. Using theoretical sampling, three persons who have implemented Personal Kaizen in their daily lives in order to change their quality of life were identified and interviewed. Similarly, documentary references of the three cases cited were used to generate a cross‐case analysis of the methodological techniques used.FindingsThis paper analyses the cases of three persons who have implemented Personal Kaizen in their lives in order to change their quality of life. The authors cross the empirical data with the theoretical framework of Kaizen and quality of life and try to corroborate three hypotheses.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper has the same limitations as all other qualitative research, including subjectivity of analysis and questionable generalisation of findings. Furthermore, there may well be a theoretical gap with respect to the geographic region, given that the paper only considers three individuals living in Mexico.Practical implicationsThe description of how three persons apply an individual Kaizen approach in order to change their quality of life may prove to be of value to other persons who wish to change their health‐related behaviour.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the limited existing literature on the Personal Kaizen approach and subsequently disseminates this information in order to provide impetus, guidance and support for improving individual quality of life.

The purpose of this article is to create a snapshot of 25 years quality movement. The creation process of the snapshot, as well as the result of the study, aims to help in diagnosing the current status of quality management (QM) and further contribute in understanding and shaping its future direction. For this purpose, all published articles during the last 25 years period (1987-2011) under the subject of Total Quality Management (TQM), Business Excellence (BE), quality tools, techniques as well as core values/principles have been collected through the ABI/INFORM complete periodical database. The collected data were analysed and reflected in order to show the current status, evolution trends of the past, and the predicted future directions. The results show that the total number of articles under the subject of TQM has been decreasing after having reached its peak in 1995. However, papers focusing on techniques and tools within the QM framework in terms of Lean, Just-in-Time/Toyota Production System, Benchmarking, and Six-Sigma Quality have been increasing. In addition, papers focusing on core values/key principles needed to build a quality culture in terms of leadership, people-based management, continuous improvements, management based on facts, and focus on the customer have been slightly increasing during the last decade. The findings indicate that QM is now at a more mature stage where focuses have shifted from being initially on TQM to tools, techniques, and core values which are needed for building a quality and BE culture. Based on its evolution, it is concluded that TQM can be understood as a management innovation, if not a management revolution.

The aim of this article is to explore and discuss the role of trust and closely interrelated ethical core values such as respect, fairness, and honesty in a managerial and organisational context and to link these factors further to employee motivation, commitment and loyalty. From an identified shortage and limitation of existing frameworks of human needs and motivation, the author suggests an alternative conceptual framework where trust and other core values are incorporated along with physiological and psychological needs. Empirical research and several findings regarding relationships with the new conceptual framework are presented, discussed and reflected upon.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of how patients experience their health problems and how they can generate innovative ideas about health care services. The research questions that guide the present study are: how can solicited diaries be used for capturing patient ideas? What type of data is generated from solicited diaries used for generating patient ideas? And what are the potential benefits and shortcomings of using patient diaries in generating ideas for improvement of health care services?Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on an exploratory case study using patient diaries to solicit ideas about how health care services in Sweden can be improved. From the methodological viewpoint, the diaries are used as a tool for patient co‐creation of health care services.FindingsWhen analyzing dairies written by patients four different types of diaries emerged from the study: brief, reporting, descriptive and reflective diaries. Furthermore, 102 ideas for improvements within nine areas were identified from the contents of dairies.Research limitations/implicationsAdopting patients' diaries as a way to activate and promote co‐creation of values is at an embryo stage, and hence more research is needed.Originality/valueOne of the strengths of the paper includes its potential for practical implications, either clinical or methodological, by using patients' dairies. It focuses both on the content generated from the diaries for improving health services, as well as the use of the diaries for practicing the idea of patients as co‐creators in health care service.

The aim of this article is to reflect on the evolution of total quality management (TQM) as the most widespread quality management approach during the last 25 years. However, during the first 10 years of the new millennium, the term TQM seems to have lost its attractiveness in Western parts of the world and instead new terms such as Business Excellence, Organisational Excellence, Six Sigma, and Lean seem to have overtaken the position even though the contents of these new terms can be understood within the framework of TQM. Through a literature survey the author reflects on the current status of the quality movement. Furthermore, the role of Japan is analysed under the term of ‘Japanese morphogenesis’ with an attached meaning of learning, renewing and improving ability. When the Japanese morphogenesis has been identified, the identified pattern is adopted as a framework for identifying and analysing the Western morphogenesis. By searching the underlying cognitive structures, and with an application of the...

In this special double issue, we have selected articles related to the understanding of the complex relationships between enhancing quality and employee well-being. The selected articles are, in di...

PurposeAn overall aim with a new human‐oriented TQM metrology is to help managers in giving answers to the questions of what to measure, how to measure and why? It is the purpose of this paper to give input to answering these questions. In doing so the measurement problems are to be discussed in relation to the context in which the measurements are applied. Some common risks or failures are also to be discussed when more complex or advanced measurements are used such as LISREL or PLS measurements.Design/methodology/approachThe main methodology is to re‐interpret measurements from three company cases by having a special focus on understanding the importance of the human‐oriented dimension of TQM and Change Management. The European Excellence Model (EFQM) is used as the reference framework for understanding what to measure, how to measure and why?FindingsThe measurements support the view that establishing measurements related to the human dimension of TQM and Change gives new opportunities for understanding the results achieved or not achieved.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the research is based on a combination of theory and case studies it is believed that the findings can be generalized to most companies working under the laws of free competition. The specific measurement examples should not be copied but should be adapted carefully to other contexts and cultures.Practical implicationsThe case companies analysed are two relatively big global industrial companies and a big national and government‐owned service company (Post Denmark). Case studies from small‐ and medium companies have not been analysed here but several materials from these kinds of companies support the conclusions in the paper.Originality/valueThis is the first paper towards a human‐oriented metrology for improvement and change. The main value of establishing performance measurement systems with a balanced focus on tangibles and intangibles (the human dimension) is that this kind of measurement is a necessity for understanding the root causes of the results achieved or not achieved.

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to elaborate, interpret, discuss and decode excellence in a new way by focusing on some of the critical success factors for attaining and sustaining excellence.Design/methodology/approachThe framework used for analysis is an old text which explains how to attain excellence. Literature references from 2,500 years back and to excellence literature from the last 25 years, together with a few case studies, are used to “de‐code” the meaning and the complexity of the old text.FindingsAfter final reflections it is concluded that the old text contains deep meanings and cover the complex nature of attaining and sustaining excellence. The few sentences are a kind of code, a crystallized form explaining how excellence can be attained.Originality/valueThis kind of analysis has not been done before. It is believed that the findings will have a great value both for researchers and for practitioners as well as organizations which are trying to attain excellence.

PurposeRecently, the operations management academic literature has seen articles focusing on the transfer of “lean” thinking or kaizen concept from the private to the public sector. In Spain, during the last 15 years, some local councils have also followed similar improvement initiatives sometimes under the umbrella of “global quality programmes” trying to support continuous process and service improvement. The research question for this article is: How is lean‐kaizen applied in local councils in Spain? The aim is to shed light on how lean thinking is applied in order to improve those services provided to the public by local councils by describing empirical studies in specific Spanish contexts.Design/methodology/approachThe case study approach was adopted in this research. The research design conducted was of the longitudinal and retrospective type.FindingsThe results of the empirical evidence show that three techniques related to lean‐kaizen have a direct effect on the processes and management systems in local councils. The three techniques are: 5S, gemba kaizen workshops and process mapping. These techniques improved the processes and quality of public services provided by the councils. These results suggest the first indications of documented lean‐kaizen public service.Originality/valueA review of the academic literature of lean thinking and kaizen concept indicates that the managerial application of the techniques in the public sector are few and far between and have been barely explored at the empirical level. The paper makes a contribution to the deeper understanding of the usefulness of applying lean‐kaizen in local government in order to improve the processes and services provided to the public – the emergence of lean‐kaizen public service.

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to present and discuss the Kansei engineering (KE) methodology, and to reflect on the future development of KE. The paper presents a model of the KE methodology and illustrates how this model was applied on a simple example which all may understand – design of a new chocolate bar.Design/methodology/approachThe research methodology is a combination of desk research (literature analysis), data collection, data analysis, reflections and model building.FindingsThe paper suggests a structural model as a possible expanded framework for future Kansei/affective engineering research studies. According to the model profound affection is a result of the following six enabler factors: sensing experience; emotional experiences (Kansei); behavioural experiences/action; social experiences/interactions and relations; spiritual experiences/moral, ethics; intellectual experiences/cognition.Originality/valueThe paper defines “Profound affection” as a very comprehensive state, which is a result of a combination of sensing, intellectual/cognitive, emotional, social, behavioural and spiritual experiences. “Profound affection” is not only a result of sensing or emotional experiences.

PurposeThe authors analyze the principles and results of lean production and compare the lean production philosophy with the six sigma quality process and the principles of total quality management (TQM). At the end of the paper, it is discussed how to build the necessary company culture for having success with these principles/management philosophies.Design/methodology/approachLiterature search and comparative analysis complemented with a Danish case on wastage in a core process.FindingsIt is shown that the lean production philosophy and the six sigma steps are essentially the same and both have developed from the same root – the Japanese TQM practices. The improvement process from six sigma, the DMAIC process, can be regarded as a short version of the Quality Story, which was developed in Japan in the 1960s as a standard for QC‐circle presentations. We conclude that the roadmaps of lean production and six sigma quality are examples of new alternative TQM roadmaps. We also conclude that especially with lean production and six sigma quality there seems to be too much focus on training people intools and techniques and at the same time too little focus on understanding the human factor, i.e. how to build the right company culture.Originality/valueThe detailed and historical analysis of six sigma quality, lean production and TQM combined with a focus on the human factor and the needed corporate culture.

In this paper some of the main management control theories are reviewed and six dominating paradigms are identified. The identified management control paradigms are compared and analysed in relationship with the European Excellence Model (EEM) in order to investigate whether the EEM can be adopted as a management control model. Based on the analysis, advantages as well as disadvantages of the EEM as control model are discussed.

Based on a combination of theories, experiences and cases a sustainable change strategy and self‐assessment method with a focus on the human dimension in TQM are suggested and discussed. The Post Denmark TIQ (Total Involvement in Quality) case will be used to illustrate how breakthrough in people attitudes and organisational culture happened and became the foundation for a new culture focusing on change, continuous improvements and everybody’s participation.

Theoretical and empirical research often points to a positive relation between corporate sustainability and organisational performance; however, attempts to conceptualise the multi-dimensional nature of sustainability practices are rare in the current literature. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework to aid in understanding and explaining the relationship between sustainability practices and organisational performance. The concepts of exploitation and exploration are adopted to distinguish between different types of sustainability practices. The research model is then analysed in terms of different outcomes related to sustainability performance, quality performance and business performance. Based on an interdisciplinary perspective, this paper suggests a new approach for the discussion of corporate sustainability and its implications for the organisational context. The results of the research suggest that the organisation may place a stronger focus on developing new sustainability-centred competencies when it is faced with an uncertain and rapidly changing environment. In contrast, efficiency and responsiveness to various stakeholders' expectations and demands might dominate in highly competitive environments. The primary conclusion of this paper is that the alternative relationships between sustainability practices (exploitation and exploration) and organisational performance depend on different factors, including environmental uncertainty, competitiveness, long-term orientation and institutional approaches. These arguments indicate that managers in resource-constrained contexts may benefit from focusing on the management of trade-offs between sustainability exploration and sustainability exploitation demands; however, for long-term success, the simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation is both desirable and necessary. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)

(1998). Core values: The precondition for business excellence. Total Quality Management: Vol. 9, No. 4-5, pp. 51-55.

We are happy to have this opportunity to edit this special issue of the TQM and Business Excellence (TQM&BE) journal titled Quality Excellence in Taiwan: Theories and Practices for many reasons.Fir...

During the last 17 years the QMOD conference has become one of the largest scientific conferences in the world within the research fields of Quality and Service Sciences. The 16th QMOD conference t...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the development of a system for assessing and improving technology development and innovations. The system components comprise: a framework or model for assessing, measuring, diagnosing and improving innovation enablers and results; a simple methodology for data collection, data analysis and prioritizing improvement areas; and an index for measuring the performance level of innovation, learning and lean (ILL) and the potentials to increase that level. To improve innovation, which is the most complex challenge for today's organizations, there is a need for such a system. Design/methodology/approach – The first two system components have been developed and tested during a period of ten to 15 years in several industrial companies as well as service organizations. The last component has recently been developed to satisfy a need of all types of organizations. Findings – With the last development, the ILL index, the three components comprise a system for assessing and improving innovations. As with any other system, the system components are interrelated. Originality/value – This paper presents a system for assessing and improving innovations. As with any other system the system-components are interrelated. To improve innovation, which is the most complex challenge for today's organizations, there is a need for such a system. It is hoped that the suggested system will be used within all types of organizations and all types of innovations – products, processes and services. Original Publication:SuMi Dahlgaard Park and Jens Jörn Dahlgaard, Organizational learnability and Innovability: A system for assessing, diagnosing and Improving Innovations, 2010, International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, (2), ISSUE 2, 153-174.http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17566691011057339Copyright: Emerald Publishing Grouphttp://www.emeraldinsight.com/

Sustainability has become a topic of global relevance: Corporations and other economically acting organizations increasingly need to realize economic, environmental and social objectives in order t ...