Quality-related Performance Research Articles

People-centered knowledge management systems and supply chain performance in SMEs

PurposeThe study explores the impact of people-centered Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) on Supply Chain Performance (SCP). It also aims to reinforce the importance of people in an organization’s survival, particularly from a knowledge-based perspective, by empirically assessing the mediating effect of knowledge sharing on people-centered KMS and SCP. The model being assessed incorporates people-centered KMS that promote knowledge sharing and therefore improve SCP within Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME) in developing countries, leading to their extended life span.Design/methodology/approachThe study developed a knowledge-based SCP model using people-centered KMS as a predictor variable and knowledge sharing as a mediating variable, with SCP as the outcome variable. The data were collected from a sample of 580 SME owners from across Zimbabwe via a questionnaire developed based on validated constructs available in literature that was vetted through a pilot survey before distribution. The dataset was subsequently tested for validity of constructs and scales and analyzed using multiple regression.FindingsThe results of the study showed significant influence of three people-centered KMS, namely, Communities of Practice (CoP), Innovation Management (IM) and Organizational Culture (OC), on knowledge sharing but not from Social Capital. Thereafter, significant influence was also found of knowledge sharing on three process-based measures of SCP, namely, Time-Related Performance (TRP), Cost-Related Performance (CRP) and Responsiveness-Related Performance (RRP), but not on Operational Quality-Related Performance (OQRP). Thus overall, it was confirmed that people-centered KMS has a salutary impact on process-based SCP, with knowledge sharing serving as a significant mediator.Research limitations/implicationsThe study makes a novel contribution to the extant literature by providing insight into how people-centered KMS impacts SCP through knowledge sharing. Additionally, the geographical scope of the study also makes it among the few that have studied supply chain management within the context of developing economies, especially those that face significant economic pressures, such as Zimbabwe. Finally, given the criticality of SMEs to the economic growth in developing economies juxtaposed with the low survival rates of SMEs therein, the study reveals a relatively low-cost strategy of knowledge sharing among supply chain partners as a valid strategy to improve the SCP of these SMEs in an effort to enhance their survival rates. The primary limitation of the study relates to potential difficulty in the generalizability of findings because data were collected from a single country.Originality/valueThe original contributions of the study include: utilizing a people-centered knowledge management perspective, an establishment of the relationship between KMS on SCP and demonstrating the salience of knowledge sharing as a mediator; addressing the dearth of literature on supply chain management in developing economies, especially those with stressed economies; demonstrating the usefulness of knowledge sharing as a relatively low-cost but effective strategy to improve the performance of SMEs in a developing economy and thus lead to higher survival rates, thus providing a tool that can be used by the public and the private sector in developing countries to build structures for successful economic development.

Becoming a learning organization while enhancing performance: the case of LEGO

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to empirically test how problem-solving lean practices, along with leaders as learning facilitators in an action learning approach, can be transferred from a production context to a knowledge work context for the purpose of becoming a learning organization while enhancing performance. This is important to study because many organizations struggle to enhance efficiency in the short term while still trying to be long-term learning oriented (i.e. learning organization development).Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw on theory on learning interventions to show how lean practices for problem-solving can foster learning and help an organization to become adaptive. This study’s subject is a non-production department of 100 employees at the LEGO corporation. The authors applied survey results from a natural experiment lasting 18 months between a pre-measurement survey and a post-measurement survey. The results were compared to a control department of 50 employees who were not exposed to the lean practices intervention. The authors’ focus was on the individual level as individuals have different perceptions of lean practices, performance, and learning.FindingsUsing repeated-measures tests, difference-in-difference regressions analyses, and structural equation models, the authors find that a package of contemporary lean practices for problem-solving, along with leaders who function as learning facilitators, significantly improved learning organization dimensions while also enhancing efficiency and quality and that learning organizations positively mediate the relationship between the lean intervention and quality-related performance, while efficiency is directly affected by the lean interventions. Data from LEGO's key performance indicators (KPIs), benefit trackers, on-site observations and more than 40 interviews with managers provided results that were consistent with the survey data. A detailed description of the lean practices implemented is provided to inspire future implementations in non-operations environments and to assist educators.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors contribute to the learning literature by showing that a learning-to-learn approach to lean management can serve as an active and deliberate intervention in helping an organization becoming a learning organization as perceived by the individual organizational members. The authors also add to the lean literature by showing how a learning approach to lean, as used by LEGO, can positively affect short-term efficiency and quality and create a foundation for a longer-term competitive advantage (i.e. a learning organization) in a non-production context. By contrast, most of the lean literature streams treat efficiency separately from a learning organization and mainly examine lean in a production context.Originality/valueThe extant literature shows three research streams on lean, learning, and performance. The authors built on these streams by trying to emphasize both learning and efficiency. Prior research has not empirically tested whether and how the application of problem-solving lean practices combined with leaders as learning facilitators helps to create a comprehensive learning organization while enhancing performance in a non-production context.

A family of experiments on test-driven development

Context:Test-driven development (TDD) is an agile software development approach that has been widely claimed to improve software quality. However, the extent to which TDD improves quality appears to be largely dependent upon the characteristics of the study in which it is evaluated (e.g., the research method, participant type, programming environment, etc.). The particularities of each study make the aggregation of results untenable.Objectives:The goal of this paper is to: increase the accuracy and generalizability of the results achieved in isolated experiments on TDD, provide joint conclusions on the performance of TDD across different industrial and academic settings, and assess the extent to which the characteristics of the experiments affect the quality-related performance of TDD.Method:We conduct a family of 12 experiments on TDD in academia and industry. We aggregate their results by means of meta-analysis. We perform exploratory analyses to identify variables impacting the quality-related performance of TDD.Results:TDD novices achieve a slightly higher code quality with iterative test-last development (i.e., ITL, the reverse approach of TDD) than with TDD. The task being developed largely determines quality. The programming environment, the order in which TDD and ITL are applied, or the learning effects from one development approach to another do not appear to affect quality. The quality-related performance of professionals using TDD drops more than for students. We hypothesize that this may be due to their being more resistant to change and potentially less motivated than students.Conclusion:Previous studies seem to provide conflicting results on TDD performance (i.e., positive vs. negative, respectively). We hypothesize that these conflicting results may be due to different study durations, experiment participants being unfamiliar with the TDD process, or case studies comparing the performance achieved by TDD vs. the control approach (e.g., the waterfall model), each applied to develop a different system. Further experiments with TDD experts are needed to validate these hypotheses.

U.S. hospital culture profiles for better performance in patient safety, patient satisfaction, Six Sigma, and lean implementation

This study identifies prevalent organizational culture profiles in U.S. hospitals based on the Competing Value Framework and examines the relationship between these cultures and quality-related performance. Cross-sectional survey data from 215 U.S. hospitals were merged with secondary data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Hospital Compare website. Cluster analysis identified two different culture profiles: Strong Multidimensional Culture (SMC) and Weak Multidimensional Culture (WMC). T-tests were then employed to find significant differences between the groups. The SMC group outperformed the WMC group across a variety of quality-related performance measures, such as patient safety outcomes, patient satisfaction scores, Six Sigma, and Lean implementation. This study contributes to previous literature by being the first to propose an empirical taxonomy of hospital culture, based on the Competing Values Framework. This study also reveals that hospitals should employ a more comprehensive approach to organizational culture in order to enhance overall hospital quality performance, rather than focusing on one dominant culture type.

Establishing link between quality management and supply chain risk management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive framework for quality-related performance measures linked to supply chain risk (SCR) by analyzing and framing them into a hierarchical structure.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, quality-related performance measures (QM) are identified on the basis of literature survey and expert opinion. The quality measures are formulated as hierarchy structure and fuzzy AHP as a multi attribute decision-making tool is applied to judge the viable candidates.FindingsBased on a fuzzy AHP approach, a revised risk matrix with a continuous scale was proposed to assess the QMs’ classes. The result classifies the QMs in different categories (extreme, high, medium and low). Based on this result, some management implications and suggestions are proposed.Originality/valueThe present work proposes an assessment methodology for quality-related performance measures linked to SCR. The revised risk matrix with continuous scale for risk assessment in this field is a novel approach. This study contributes to the supply chain management and quality management literature, and provides suggestions for managers to adopt different strategies for different risk classes.

Supply chain quality integration: A taxonomy perspective

Quality management has received increasing attention in supply chain management. The concept of supply chain quality integration (SCQI) is used to explain how a focal manufacturer integrates with its upstream suppliers and downstream customers for quality improvement. Although the contingent effects of SCQI on quality-related performance have been studied, SCQI patterns and their relationships with performance remain unknown. Using data collected from 317 manufacturers across 10 countries, this study adopts a configuration approach to identify SCQI patterns and their relationships with quality-related performance. Five SCQI patterns composed of different levels of supplier, internal, and customer quality integration are identified. We describe these SCQI patterns in terms of the strength and balance of manufacturers’ quality integration. The ANOVA results show that quality-related performance varies according to different SCQI patterns. Interestingly, product quality is not distinguishable across SCQI patterns. Delivery performance is improved in patterns with a high level of balance of quality integration. The cost of quality is lower in patterns with a high level of customer quality integration. Flexibility is achieved in patterns with high balance and strength of quality integration. This study contributes to the supply chain management and quality management literature, and provides suggestions for managers to adopt different SCQI configurations to improve different types of quality-related performance.

A dispatching algorithm considering process quality and due dates: an application for re-entrant production lines

This paper presents a parallel machine scheduling problem with process quality, due dates, and sequence-dependent setup times. The process capability indices are utilized to measure the process quality level between job and machine. The dispatching algorithm named quality and rework with due dates (QRD) is proposed in this paper focusing on the rework processes due to quality issue. The performance of QRD is measured by two ways: one is quality-related performance indicator—process capability index—and the other is due date related ones: maximum lateness, mean flow time, and the number of reworks. A large number of test problems are randomly generated to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Computational results show that the proposed algorithm is significantly superior to existing dispatching algorithms for the test problems.

The effective performance measures for store managers on restaurant chain growth

Chain organization has become the most prevalent form of the restaurant industry. Facing asymmetric information, however, many chains encounter difficulties in monitoring chain store managers who serve different markets. A proper incentive scheme for store managers must be designed to solve the agency problem. However, measuring performance is a critical element of any incentive system. Thus, this study examined the appropriate performance measures of assessing the performance of a store manager. Results revealed that emphasizing quality-related performance measures of assessing store managers produces significant effects on chain growth. Furthermore, placing greater emphasis on quality-related performance measures produces a greater effect on chain growth if the operation can be easily standardized. Contrary to the negative effect of stock-based compensation, bonus-based compensation could strengthen the positive relationship between quality-related performance measures and chain growth. The alignment among quality-related performance measures, operation standardization, and reward modes was considered crucial for managing restaurant chains.

Supply Chain Quality Integration: Antecedents and Consequences

This study extends quality management from an individual company perspective to a supply chain perspective. We propose a concept of supply chain quality integration (SCQI) that consists of internal, supplier, and customer integration for quality improvement, and develop a model that specifies the relationships among competitive hostility, the organization-wide approach to quality, three types of SCQI, and quality-related performance. We test the model using data collected from 291 high-performance manufacturing plants from ten countries. The results indicate that competitive hostility has a positive effect on the organization-wide approach to quality, and that both have positive effects on SCQI. In addition, internal quality integration significantly enhances external quality integration with both suppliers and customers. Further, internal quality integration significantly improves all quality-related performance (i.e., product quality, cost, delivery, and flexibility), and both supplier and customer quality integration significantly improve cost performance. Whereas customer quality integration significantly improves delivery performance and supplier quality integration significantly improves quality performance, only internal quality integration can improve flexibility performance. The findings reveal how different types of SCQI are related to quality-related performance and highlight internal quality integration as a core strategic resource for quality improvement. As such, they provide important managerial insights for supply chain quality managers to improve quality-related performance.

Analysis of Residual Stresses in Sustainable Cryogenic Machining of Nickel Based Alloy—Inconel 718

In machining processes, surface integrity is a major quality-related performance output. In the case of difficult-to-cut materials, this frequently relates to residual stresses induced in the machined surface and subsurface. As cryogenic machining presents a sustainable alternative to conventional machining processes, in this work, cryogenic machining and the influence of cooling/lubrication conditions on the surface integrity generated during turning of Inconel 718 are presented. The results show that the cryogenic machining process generates larger compressive residual stresses, and prevail at deeper levels beneath the machined surface, thus resulting in improved product quality and performance characteristics in terms of fatigue life and wear resistance.

Validity of the Human System Audit Transformational Leadership Short Scale (HSA-TFL) in four european countries

This study aimed to clarify the validity of the short scale of Transformational Leadership used by the Human System Audit (short HSA-TFL). The need of today’s enterprises for combined assessment of transformational leadership and quality-related performance in wider contexts requires short instruments based on scientific research. Convergent, construct and criterion validity of the short HSA-TFL were analyzed. Comparison of the short HSA-TFL with the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X) showed high convergent validity. Exploratory factor analysis with hospital workers in Spain (N=625) showed the single factor structure of the Spanish version of the HSA-TFL. Confirmatory factor analysis using three further samples of hospital workers (N= 776) from different european countries confirmed a single factor. As regards criterion validity, the results indicated that the short HSA-TFL is positively related in all four countries to subjective performance. In sum, the results provide empirical evidence for the validity of the short HSA-TFL scale.

The determinants of professional incompetence: an analysis of medical errors from the intellectual capital perspective

According to an estimation from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) (1999), 44,000 to 98,000 people died from medical errors in the USA. Medical errors are considered as the most important quality-related performance indicator for both healthcare organisations and professionals. This study applied the analytical framework of intellectual capital by Edvinsson and Malone (1997) to explore the factors associated with professional incompetence with a sample of 407 Taiwanese surgeons. Intellectual capital has been proposed to capture the intangible aspect of organisational process. We proposed that doctors' professional incompetence cannot be considered as individual-level attributes, but should be examined as the results determined by multiple interactions among human, social and organisational capital. The results of the study revealed that among all the types of medical errors reported by surgeons, the types that occur most often are misdiagnosis and delay diagnosis. Higher professional training is more likely to reduce the incidence of adverse surgical errors. Organisational capital, including establishing a formal reporting procedure, feedback mechanisms and the reduction of interruptions during surgery, can all reduce the reported surgical errors. Surgeons who frequently change their practicing organisations are less likely to accumulate hospital-specific experiences, which are needed for effective surgical teamwork, and are consequently more likely to have surgical errors. Professional incompetence, measured by medical errors, can reflect the multiple interactions between different components of intellectual capital in healthcare organisations.

Reverse logistics: superior performance through focused resource commitments to information technology

A survey of businesses in the automobile aftermarket industry provided insights into how reverse logistics performance can be influenced by a few key strategic decisions. Resource commitment is critical to program performance. However, it is important that the resources be focused on developing information technology capabilities. This, no doubt, is reflective of the nature of reverse logistics. Information support––for authorizing, tracking, and handling returns––can positively impact both economic and service quality-related performance.

Critical factors in quality management and guidelines for self-assessment: The case of Singapore

Total quality management has evolved beyond its roots in statistics and the quality control function. Today, it is believed to be a framework for 'competitive' management. The quality measurement instruments for service organizations developed by Parasuraman et al . have been successfully applied in many such organizations. Saraph et al . developed an instrument to measure the overall organizational quality management practices for both manufacturing and service firms. This instrument was tested for consistency and validity using data from US firms, United Arab Emirates firms and Indian firms. The present study attempts to corroborate the results of the studies just mentioned. Using data from 33 manufacturing and service firms in Singapore, internal consistency, criterion-related validity and construct validity are tested. Additionally, the study shows how this instrument could be used as a self-assessment tool by quality managers for continuous monitoring of quality-related performance. In conclusion, the instrument developed by Saraph et al . appears to be reliable and valid for the measurement of the quality management practices of an organization. A framework for self-assessment is also discussed.