Abstract
Do quality management (QM) practices foster or hinder innovation? Attempts have been made to investigate this relationship, but the research has shown inconsistent results. Drawing on a review of related literature, this study proposes a theoretical model and a hypothesis in the Chinese con-text, with the aim of investigating the impact of QM practices on innovation performance. The investigation was made up of 383 questionnaires from nine Chinese provinces and cities. From here, this study further analyses the moderating effects of market turbulence on the relationship be-tween QM practices and innovation performance. The results show that both QM infrastructure practices and core QM practices have a positive effect on innovation performance. Additionally, it is found that market turbulence positively moderates the relationship between the QM infrastructure practices and product innovation performance, but negatively moderates the relationship between core QM practices and process innovation performance. However, market turbulence does not moderate the relationship between infrastructure practices and process innovation performance; also, the moderating effects of core practices and product innovation performance are not significant.
Highlights
In recent years, with the emergence of globalization, market competition, and the improvement in communication flows, quality management (QM) has become a crucial strategy for companies to maintain their market position [1]
The results suggest that the market turbulence factor positively moderates the impact of QM infrastructure practices on product innovation, but its moderating effect on the relationship between core QM
The results show that the moderating effect of market turbulence on the relationship between infrastructure practices and process innovation performance is not significant, but that market turbulence could moderate the relationship between core practice and process innovation performance in a negative way
Summary
With the emergence of globalization, market competition, and the improvement in communication flows, quality management (QM) has become a crucial strategy for companies to maintain their market position [1]. Slater and Narver (1994), among others, argue that QM practices hinder creativity [3], as they involve the enforcement of standards or formalization, which can grow into a “stickiness” regarding repeated or established procedures or processes; it is supposed that employees will be less likely to explore new way of changing. This is labeled as the “Nor Invented Here”, or NIH syndrome [4]. This study aims to investigate the relationship between quality management and innovation in the Chinese context, with the objective of bridging the gap and clearing up confusions
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