An empirical framework for soft CSFs of TQM in Chinese manufacturing companies

Does the ferry sector need soft total quality management practices? Evidence from an Italian ferry company

Purpose

The study aims to deepen existing knowledge on the specific role of soft total quality management (TQM) practices in the ferry sector. Over the last decade, TQM practices have been thoroughly restructured, allowing us to develop an appropriate framework through which the relevance of each practice to this particular sector can be explained.

Design/methodology/approach

A narrative case study has been conducted to enhance the quality orientation and soft TQM practices adopted by a medium-sized company in the ferry sector.

Findings

The study identifies five soft TQM practices that offer valuable contributions in terms of quality orientation. These are organised into a configurational and systemic approach according to a three-level framework. At the macro level, a customer-orientated approach is paramount, as this orientation clearly points out the fundamental values of TQM. Coherently, at the micro-level, employees should be trained, involved, and empowered to truly internalise and behave according to a quality orientation. At the meso-level, dedicated leadership should support these practices and foster their effectiveness across the organisational structure.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study is related to its narrative analysis. More empirically-grounded research should be used in the future to test the validity of the model.

Practical implications

TQM practices can leverage soft aspects, finding mutual integrations and offering reciprocal support if a bundle of practices is enforced and co-present across several layers of an organisational structure.

Originality/value

The model offers a configurational approach to help the ferry sector in leveraging soft TQM practices to implement TQM initiatives successfully. This is subject to external contingencies and thus requires adaptability and flexibility.

Direct and indirect impact of quality management on the integrated performance of medium-scale manufacturers

Purpose

Most studies on small and medium scale enterprises lump both small-scale and medium-scale businesses together as entirely similar phenomenon, thus creating an oversight of the degree of performance recorded by medium-scale businesses. In line with investigating medium-scale firms' performance, this study examines the role of quality management in the performance of medium-scale firms to evolve research-based recommendation for better performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Cross-sectional survey design and random sampling were employed. Analysis was based on 915 responses obtained via questionnaire copy distribution from employees within the supply chain, production, operations, and marketing/sales department of selected firms. Hypotheses testing was done using the structural equation model.

Findings

A positive significant relationship between quality management and operational performance, employee performance, and quality performance dimensions was identified. An insignificant relationship between quality management and financial and innovation performance dimensions was discovered. However, when mediated by employee focus and process management, significant relationships were observed among all performance dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

The study reveals that employee focus and process management have the greatest mediating impact on the relationship between quality management and the organisational performance of medium-scale manufacturing firms. This study charts the course for other studies to investigate the mediating role of quality management practices on the relationship between quality management and the organisational performance of medium-scale firms in other developing nations. The manufacturing sector has thirteen industries, but only six were captured in this study. This poses a limitation to the generalisation of the findings of this study. Further studies could strive for a representation of every manufacturing industry to aid generalisation purposes.

Practical implications

Managers of medium-scale manufacturing firms must understand that it might be impossible to get a one size fits all approach to improving performance dimensions. Managers are advised to choose one or two performance dimensions as the goal, then focus on achieving them. This will help clarify which path is best to get the desired results and maximise their quality management system.

Originality/value

This study examines the impact of quality management practices on an integrated performance model of medium-scale firms. The study also uniquely examines the mediating impact of exclusive quality management practices on the relationship between quality management and an integrated performance model.

Delving into the soft side of TQM: an analysis of the implications of employee involvement on management practices

Purpose

Soft total quality management (STQM) is a requisite for the successful implementation of hard total quality management interventions. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the implications of adopting soft total quality management practices. Inter alia, little is known about the consequences of employee involvement in addressing organizational and management challenges. To fill this gap, the article investigates the effects of employees' involvement on their commitment to organizational excellence.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data were collected from the European Company Survey (ECS). A large sample of 15,958 European companies was involved in the analysis. A parallel mediation model was devised to investigate the effects of employee involvement on commitment to organizational excellence. Training and motivation were contemplated as mediating variables to investigate the indirect implications of employee involvement on commitment to organizational excellence.

Findings

Employee involvement contributed marginally towards establishing an increased individual commitment to organizational excellence. Training and motivation played a relevant and statistically significant mediating role, boosting the implications of involvement on commitment to organizational excellence.

Practical implications

Employee involvement is critical for establishing an organizational climate conducive to organizational excellence. However, its implications should be contextualized in light of the mediating role of training and motivation. On the one hand, training is expected to increase employees' participation in the enhancement of organizational excellence. On the other hand, motivation fosters employee engagement in the improvement of organizational dynamics.

Originality/value

The article investigates the implications of employee involvement on commitment to organizational excellence in a large sample of European companies, emphasizing that soft TQM interventions should be implemented according to a systemic perspective in order to pave the way for a viable commitment to organizational excellence.