Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria Research Articles

Proposed Relationship of TQM System Practices and Joint Commission International Accreditation Using Structural Equation Modeling

This study aims to explore the relationship between total quality management (TQM) system practices and JCI Accreditation Standards. A conceptual framework developed after reviewing related literature of TQM practices regarding the six Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria and JCI Accreditation Standards. An empirical analysis was conducted to carry out the proposed framework validation using the PLS method. Data were gathered from 80 employees working in Yanbu general hospital through an online survey questionnaire. The findings revealed a high relationship between TQM system practices and JCI organisational management standards. Moreover, the positive relationship between process management practice and JCI Accreditation empirically demonstrated as the most significant practice. This helps decision-makers, and practitioners of TQM well considerate MBNQA criteria as a key practice - especially process management - for getting JCI Accreditation.

Lean-excellence business management for manufacturing SMEs focusing on KRI

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an effective framework for implementing Lean strategies in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).Design/methodology/approachBased on the integration of LM tools and techniques with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria a systematic Lean implementation framework for manufacturing SMEs has been proposed. The core values, drivers and tools of the proposed framework were further developed based on case studies in three SMEs in the KRI.FindingsProposed framework is able to provide a simple pathway for SMEs to systematically implement Lean techniques in seven functional areas in order to create Lean culture in the organisation. Business performance measurement in terms of profitability, customer satisfaction, employee’s satisfaction, competitiveness growth and ergonomic improvement is presented in favour of evaluating Lean outcomes appropriately. It also presents the experience of small firms in implementing Lean programmes to show that Lean is valid in SMEs.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework concentrates only on the internal issues of the organisation, while external variables such as national culture and external support are excluded.Practical implicationsThe framework assists improvements in SMEs that either initially attempt to start Lean journey or those that are at more advanced levels towards excellent-Lean manufacturing. The framework can also be used as a self-assessment model to determine the degree of Lean readiness.Originality/valueTo the best knowledge of the author, it is the first framework that integrates Lean techniques with MBNQA criteria to support Lean implementation in SMEs. It is also the first study regarding Lean-excellence in the KRI.

English

The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand how operating models and organizational structure impact the effectiveness of higher education institutions for students, faculty, administrators and the broader community. In this case study, the researcher uses the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria (MBNQAC) to understand core values and the concepts of those seven criteria which are: 1) leadership 2) strategic planning 3) student, stakeholder and market focus 4) measurement, analysis, and knowledge management 5) faculty and staff focus 6) process management and 7) organizational performance results. These criteria are analyzed with visionary leadership and a comparison of the strategic plans of Alvernia University and Kutztown University. The changes imperatives for higher education institutions include the redesign of education, more flexible faculty, increased efficiency, removal of boundaries, and entry into new markets. In addition, challenges and conflicts facing the change process are also discussed in the context of Kotter’s Change Theory. This paper advocates a pragmatic approach to analyze what works and also what are the viable solutions to known problems.   Key words: Leadership, educational leadership, higher education, business models, academic excellence, strategic plan.&nbsp

Evaluation of firms applying to Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award: a modified fuzzy AHP method

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) is a broadly used performance excellence framework to recognize organizations that have outstanding customer-focused processes. MBNQA system is based on an assessment system using a 0–1000 points scale. However, experts prefer making linguistic assessments rather than exact numerical assignments. Fuzzy set theory presents excellent tools and techniques to capture the vagueness and impreciseness in these assessments. This paper develops a new analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-based fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach to measure the performance excellence of firms applying for MBNQA. The proposed approach enables experts to use seven different fuzzy scales to evaluate firms using the MBNQA criteria. These fuzzy scales involve both positive fuzzy numbers and negative fuzzy numbers, and present an easier and efficient alternative to the calculations made in pairwise comparison matrices. In this way, the experts filling in a questionnaire can easily understand the reciprocal scale and establish comparison matrices. Using negative fuzzy numbers in AHP scale is the crucial point of this paper. To show the applicability of the method, a numerical example composed of a four-level hierarchy including seven main criteria, 18 sub-criteria, and three alternatives is also given. We use Buckley’s Fuzzy AHP approach for comparative analysis. Our application reveals that the proposed fuzzy AHP approach efficiently measures the quality performance of the firms applying to MBNQA.

Assessment of TQM implementation level in Palestinian healthcare organizations

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the level of total quality management (TQM) implementation in Palestinian governmental and non-governmental hospitals using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) framework.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on collecting data using a survey questionnaire that was designed according to the MBNQA criteria. In total, 363 questionnaires from governmental and non-governmental hospitals operating in Gaza Strip were analyzed to assess the level of TQM implementation level in all hospitals (governmental and non-governmental).FindingsThe main results of this study indicate that Palestinian hospitals operating in Gaza Strip perform at a relatively acceptable level. Comparing results shows that the performance of non-governmental hospitals is better with higher degree of TQM implementation than the governmental hospitals. Detailed analysis identifies improvement opportunities-related specific aspects of the human resources focus and the performance results.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this study has collected data from one Palestinian Territory, the Gaza Strip, it still identifies the critical factors and practices for TQM implementation within the Palestinian healthcare organizations to improve performance.Practical implicationsThis paper suggests that business excellence models such as the MBNQA criteria can be used to assess the level of implementation of quality practices and identify the strengths and weaknesses to improve the quality of service delivery, processes, and performance of hospitals.Originality/valueDespite the widespread use of TQM in the developed countries, little attention has been placed to implement and assess the quality initiatives by organizations in the developing countries and even fewer in low-income Arab countries (Aamer et al., 2017; Øvretveit and Al Serouri, 2006). In addition, a very few number of studies in reference to the assessment of TQM implementation in the Palestinian context, in general, and in healthcare organizations, in particular, highlight the need for this study. To move the field in that direction, the goal of this research was to assess the level of TQM implementation in the healthcare organizations (mainly hospitals) in Gaza Strip (one of the least fortunate areas of the Palestinian-occupied territories) where no prior similar research studies could be found. Therefore, this study contributes to filling this gap in the literature by providing empirical assessment of TQM level of implementation in Gaza Strip hospitals.

Corporate Governance, Board Composition, Director Expertise, and Value: The Case of Quality Excellence

In this paper, we highlight the strategic role of the board of directors (BOD) in business excellence and its link with firm value. We empirically investigate the relationship between the composition of the BOD and the winning of a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) or a local award explicitly based on the MBNQA criteria, a proxy for business excellence. Using a contingency approach, we examine several characteristics of the BOD, such as the number of inside directors, the number of directors who can be considered industry experts, and the number of directors with management expertise. We show that the likelihood of winning a quality award is positively associated with the number of outside directors with Ph.D. in the main object of business operations, and the number of outside directors with recent industry expertise. Subsequent residual analysis reveals that firm value is positively associated with the degree of the fit between board composition and quality management strategy. Specifically, operating income before depreciation, operating margin, Tobin’s Q, and ten-day raw and market adjusted returns, are positively related to the degree of fit, while cost per dollar of sales, negatively. Thus, we, conclude that an appropriate board structure that fits the QM strategy exists, and this fit is positively associated with firm value.

Assessing quality of management practices in Palestinian hospitals

Purpose – This paper aims to provide an assessment of the quality of management practices and implementation in hospitals operating in the West Bank of Palestine using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) Criteria. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the MBNQA Criteria, a survey of 51 hospitals was conducted using questionnaires, interviews and focus groups to gather data. Data were analyzed and compared across all administrative types of hospitals using the MBNQA points system. Findings – The results show that the performance of non-governmental organizations and private hospitals was superior with respect to all other administrative types. A closer look at the results show that all hospitals exhibit areas of concern such as human resource focus, information and analysis, as well as performance results. Research limitations/implications – Despite the exclusion of hospitals operating in the Gaza Strip, this research promotes critical management practices aimed at improving quality of management practices and their subsequent implementation in the surveyed hospitals. Practical implications – The MBNQA Criteria, as well as other quality assessment tools, can be used to measure the various activities of hospitals and identify competencies and weaknesses in a tangible manner to improve hospital performance. Originality/value – This paper presents a fresh perspective on the quality management issues in Palestinian hospitals to practitioners, administrators and academics using the MBNQA Criteria. Also, it serves as a foundation for future initiatives and programs aimed at improving quality in hospitals.

Applying the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria: an approach to strengthen organisational memory and process innovation

The paper aims to establish a theoretical framework to investigate the relationships between total quality management (TQM) practices, organisational memory (OM) and process innovation (PI). To construct the model, the theory of TQM and of both OM and PI are established as starting points. Through the extensive review of past literature, the integrated conceptual model linking TQM with both OM and PI was constructed. Six TQM practices based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria formed the independent construct for this study. The model based on the MBNQA criteria with respect to OM and PI provides a basis for assessing the effectiveness of such a framework on both OM and PI. Given that OM and PI are essential for a firm's survival, it is essential for managers to devote their time and effort to identifying the most effective TQM framework, so that both OM and PI can be enhanced. As such, this model proved to be both beneficial and valuable. The proposed theoretical model provides greater insights into analysing the tridimensional relationships between TQM, OM and PI, in which TQM acts as an independent variable on both OM and PI. The design stands in contrast to other research as OM is investigated as the mediating factor between TQM and PI.

Identifying Critical Factors That Predict Quality Management Program Success: Data Mining Analysis of Baldrige Award Data

This study identifies the critical factors that predict quality management program success using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) Criteria for Performance Excellence framework as a measurement proxy. Success is measured based on MBNQA applicant scores that qualify for award recipient consideration. Use of the MBNQA system as a proxy for success is supported by prior research. This study performs longitudinal and cross-sectional data mining analyses using ANOVA, multiple regression analysis, discriminant analysis, and decision tree analysis to compare 1,098 independent review process cases and 486 consensus review process cases drawn from the MBNQA item-level applicant scoring data from 1991 to 2006. The data are drawn from the MBNQA item-level blinded applicant scoring data released in 2011 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The analyses use an MBNQA “award” threshold score of 608 points that is stable for the 1991 through 2006 reporting period. This score is the approximate lowest winning score of the 66 award recipients for the reporting period, and is a function of the component scores that are being modeled. This study contributes to the quality management literature by empirically identifying the factors that matter the most when predicting quality management program success as measured by qualifying for an MBNQA award. The author found that MBNQA Category 4 (Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management) and Category 1 (Leadership) MBNQA criteria (factors) are the only contributing factors—none of the other MBNQA factors matter. This finding suggests that quality management practitioners should consider focusing on leadership development and informatics-related interventions as a strategy for improving organizational performance and achieving MBNQA award status as measured by MBNQA criteria and financial outcomes.

Incongruent quality management perceptions between Malaysian hotel managers and employees

PurposeUsing the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria, the purpose of this study is to compare perceptions of Malaysian hotel quality managers (HQMs) and employees on leadership and workforce practices.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods approach was used. Questionnaires were distributed to 35 HQMs and 576 employees of three‐, four‐, and five‐star hotels. Interviews were conducted with HQMs. Descriptive statistics, t‐test, and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. All interviews were transcribed, hand coded, and analyzed for themes.FindingsCompared to hotel employees, HQMs had higher scores for all leadership and workforce items. Comparing managers’ perceptions revealed a statistically significant difference between three‐ and four‐star with five‐star hotels on developing explicit quality policies and measurable objectives. For employees, there were statistically significant differences for most of the questionnaire items between three‐ and four‐star with five‐star hotels. HQMs identified inefficient communication systems and failure to develop explicit quality policies and objectives as main reasons for perception incongruences between employees and managers.Research limitations/implicationsTwo of the seven MBNQA criteria were used in this study; future research utilizing the other five criteria may be beneficial.Practical implicationsThis study provides hoteliers with quality practice perception differences between HQMs and employees in different star‐rated hotels. Knowing these differences should compel hoteliers to review their leadership and workforce practices, identify reasons for discrepancies, and attempt to minimize the gap.Originality/valueNo known studies in Malaysia, investigating this issue, have been conducted using a mixed methods approach. Additionally, this study provides empirical findings on quality practices from manager and employee perspectives.

MBNQA criteria used in the GCC countries

PurposeQuality criteria of The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) have been used as a standard for organisational self‐assessment and benchmarking. The threefold purpose of this paper is: to analyse the individual weights of the MBNQA criteria for organisations of the construction and the manufacturing industry within the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries in order to create a basis for self‐assessment and benchmarking; to identify differences of criteria importance between the construction and the manufacturing industry (external alignment) in order to identify challenging areas on TQM when two organisations from the respective industries collaborate; and to compare the perspectives of project managers with those of quality management representatives (internal alignment) in order to identify challenging areas on an organisation's TQM caused by not aligned or contradicting perspectives.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire based in‐depth interviews of GCC project managers and quality management representatives were analysed using a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to calculate the weights and subsequent ranking of seven quality criteria.FindingsWhen compared to the original weights of the MBNQA criteria, the “results” criterion was found to be ranked the same. However, clear differences were identified regarding the criteria “leadership” and “measurement/analysis”. The differences between the two analysed industries were not significant, whereas project managers and quality management representatives have clearly differing views on all seven criteria.Originality/valueFirst, the analysed ranking of MBNQA quality criteria in the GCC countries gives organisations of the construction and the manufacturing industry a benchmark for comparison with their ranking of the MBNQA criteria. Second, clients may assume a common and hence strong basis for TQM when organisations belonging to the construction industry collaborate with organisations belonging to the manufacturing industry. Third, the organisations’ internal communication between project managers and quality management representatives needs to be improved in order to pursue common TQM goals effectively.

A Critical Analysis of Service Quality and Performance Through Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Healthcare Criteria: Benefits and Research Directions

Quality is one of the important competitive strategies for survival of an organization in the globalized economy. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) was established in 1987 to encourage organizations to deploy quality as a competitive strategy. The research review identifies that the MBNQA has taken a paradigm shift from quality to organizational excellence. This paper focuses on the changing role of quality in the MBNQA criteria from 1988 to 2009 in approximately 5-year intervals that is 1988, 1992, 1997, 2003 and 2009. In the recent years there is an increasing emphasis on corporate culture and globalization and therefore it is necessary for healthcare organizations to improve their organizational effectiveness, especially in the area of service quality. The concept of service quality in healthcare organizations is critically discussed in the context of changing environmental factors. An attempt is made in this paper to identify the scope of service quality research and it emphasizes the need for a holistic framework for measuring performance in healthcare organizations. This issue is significant because of concurrent view amongst various researchers in service management that there are both hard and soft issues reflecting, the lack of strategic thinking and goal clarity, necessitating a measurement system that focuses on application of a comprehensive measurement system in service organizations especially in healthcare. The paper concludes by highlighting the dearth in services marketing research regarding focus on service quality and performance through an integrated perspective.

Application of Malcolm Baldrige Quality Framework to Enhance Performance in Healthcare Organization

The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between service quality management dimensions (quality management and patient service quality) and their impact on performance of the healthcare organizations. The organizations that deliver service must broaden their examination of quality from the conventional organization-oriented perspective to a dual organization – customer perspective. The quantitative methodology was employed to test model of service quality management and performance through an integrated perspective. The MBNQA (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award) criteria and grounded theory for patient service quality was adopted to measure the internal and external service quality of healthcare organizations. Further, the study aligned the internal and external service quality to obtain the holistic view of service quality management and performance in healthcare organizations from the perspective of internal and external customers. The outcome of the study indicated that the healthcare organizations had a silver line performance based on MBNQA criteria. Overall, the study reinforced service quality management and performance with the application of MBNQA criteria in healthcare organizations.

Information Systems and Quality Management in Healthcare Organization: An Empirical Study

The paper explores current status of information systems, identifies gaps in the current information systems and assessment in healthcare organization. This paper is based on Critical Analysis of literature and a questionnaire is administered on administrative level employees of South Indian healthcare organizations. It has been identified that healthcare organization should have specific strategy and must implement measures derived from strategy. Data and information systems should be seen as business resources. The knowledge base of medical field is large and it is growing rapidly. Hence information system must be integrated across the enterprise. The results of the study determined the relationship between measurement, analysis and knowledge Management on performance. The Information system is the newest dimension among the MBNQA (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award) criteria. The Information system performance was assessed in terms of management relevant data and information. The outcomes suggest that there is a growing recognition of the administrators about the importance and use of information systems as a critical resource in healthcare organizations. From the study it is inferred that information system analysis continues to be a challenge. The higher utilization of technology, computerization and the Internet has resulted in dramatic change in the quality performance of the Healthcare Organizations. The paper provides an empirical evidence that information system has an impact on performance in the context of healthcare organizations. The information system is a key performance area of Quality management and it has received limited attention in improving quality performance including MBNQA. Finally, the study concludes that there is an immense scope for altering current information systems and it should be aligned with the quality management environment.

MBNQA criteria in education: assigning weights from a Malaysian perspective and proposition for an alternative evaluation scheme

AbstractIn order to improve quality and productivity among American companies, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) was launched by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) under the US Department of Commerce in 1987. Over the years, the award has proved to be effective in improving companies' market share, customer satisfaction, employee morale, and also profitability. MBNQA has been a ‘role model’ in developing a national quality award for many other countries in the world. Furthermore, for organizational self‐assessment, the criteria framework of MBNQA has been in use throughout the world. Presently, the award is offered in three categories: Business, Education, and Health care. The present paper is concerned with MBNQA in Education. NIST has developed a comprehensive set of criteria to be fulfilled in order to be eligible to win the award. However, in the existing literature, it is not clear how the weights are assigned to the criteria and subcriteria. The present paper uses the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to reassign criteria weights from a Malaysian perspective. Furthermore, the paper points out the fallacy of the present evaluation scheme and proposes an alternative one based upon the absolute measurement procedure of AHP. The modified scheme is expected to enhance the fairness of the evaluation of the award aspirants. The paper also shares the experiences gathered in data collection using AHP.

Quality management in a healthcare organisation: a case of South Indian hospital

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to provide an analysis of quality management using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria (MBNQA) criteria in a 300‐bed hospital in South India.Design/methodology/approachBased on Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria in‐depth interviews are conducted with the heads of the departments in the case hospital. Data is analysed and compared with the MBNQA points to evaluate the performance of the hospital in all the seven criteria's of MBNQA.FindingsThe paper presents the strengths and opportunities for improvement through MBNQA criteria. The total points scored are 753 out of 1,000 points. This reveals that quality performance of case hospital is of higher level. However among all the seven criteria, the hospital has still more opportunity to improve the quality in MBNQA criteria no. 4, i.e. measure, analysis and knowledge management.Research limitations/implicationsThis study brings out a potential area of research about how the ratings and activities in the case hospital compares with other health care organisations.Practical implicationsThe outcome of this paper clearly indicates that MBNQA criteria act as a powerful tool to analyse the quality performance of the hospital. The health care organisations can use MBNQA as self‐assessment tool to evaluate and to improve the health of the hospitals. MBNQA as self‐assessment tool help the hospitals to lay the road map for world‐class performance.Originality/valueThe paper illustrates the measurement of quality performance through MBNQA to the healthcare administrators that is the first step for managing and improving quality in health care organisations. It provides lessons for those hospitals that have already started quality initiatives.

Structural equation model for the evaluation of national funding on R&D project of SMEs in consideration with MBNQA criteria

Financial support on the R&D in Science & Technology for SMEs at the governmental level plays a crucial role on the improvement of the national competitiveness. Korea Science & Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) has supported the R&D projects of SMEs with the competitive technology ability by way of the Science and Technology Promotion Fund. In this paper, we propose a structural equation model (SEM) to evaluate the performance of such a funding program in terms of three aspects: output, outcome and impact under given funding inputs, R&D environment of a recipient company, and external evaluation programs of funding organization. We adopt Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria to assess the R&D environmental factors of recipient companies. In addition, we test the effect of interim evaluation of the funded project. The proposed model is applied to the real case and is used to identify the best practices as well as to provide feedback information for the improvement of the government funding programs of the R&D projects of SMEs.

Modernization of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

Quality has been an important competitive strategy of organizations, especially since the 1980s when globalization became reality. In the USA, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) was established in 1987 to encourage organizations to deploy quality as a competitive strategy. It has recently been suggested that the MBNQA has lost sight of quality. This paper discusses the changing role of quality in the MBNQA criteria from 1988 to 2003 in approximately 5-year intervals in 1988, 1992, 1997 and 2003. The concept of quality is discussed in view of the changing global economy and technology. The evolving role of quality from order winner to order qualifier in the e-global economy is also discussed.

Comparative Analysis of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria: An Empirical Study of India, Mexico, and the United States

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria are used by many organizations throughout the world as a guide to enhancing the quality of manufactured goods and services. This study seeks to determine if these criteria are perceived to be of equal value to quality control managers in the countries of India, Mexico, and the United States. An empirical study of more than 500 firms was used to sample quality manager perceptions on quality management practices, based on the MBNQA criteria. The results of this comparative study reveal a number of similarities and differences in the perceptions of the value of nine different quality criteria constructs.

The comparative analysis of TQM practices and quality performance between manufacturing and service firms

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the difference between manufacturing and service firms with respect to the implementation of total quality management (TQM) practices, and the relationship of these practices to quality performance.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data were collected from 194 managers of Australian firms with an approximately equal proportion of manufacturing and service firms.FindingsThe finding indicates no significant difference in the level of most of TQM practices and quality performance between the two sectors. This supports the positive argument concerning the applicability of TQM practices in the service firms despite several differences in the nature of their operations compared to their manufacturing counterparts. Furthermore, using structural equation modelling (SEM) technique, this study has shown that TQM construct based on the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria is valid across both industry sectors, and its relationship with quality performance also indicates insignificant difference between the two sectors.Practical implicationsFrom a managerial point of view, the results confirm the applicability of TQM principles in both manufacturing and service sectors and the validity of the MBNQA criteria in operationalising TQM principles into a set of organizational practices.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the knowledge in terms of cross‐validating the TQM construct in the manufacturing and service sectors. It also differentiates from the earlier studies in the area by simultaneously testing the TQM construct and its relationship with quality performance in both sectors.