Soft Total Quality Management Research Articles

Impact of hard and soft TQM on supply chain performance: empirical investigation of pharmaceutical industry

This study identified the two forms of total quality management (TQM) practices 'soft' and 'hard'. The study further investigated the impact of soft TQM practices on hard TQM practices and their impact on plant level supply chain in pharmaceutical setup. The present study provides some meaningful implications to practicing managers, which are critical from pharmaceutical manufacturing point of view. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, employees may require more training and development as market is regulated by major drug administrations from abroad as well as domestic and top management support may help to achieve it. Research and development and to maintain the sustainable quality of products along with productive maintenance over a period of time results in supply chain performance. Soft TQM practices directly impact the supply chain performance, but hard TQM practices impact greatly supply chain performance as comparison to soft TQM. Soft TQM practices impact supply chain performance via hard TQM practices significantly.

Impact of hard and soft TQM on supply chain performance: empirical investigation of pharmaceutical industry

This study identified the two forms of total quality management (TQM) practices 'soft' and 'hard'. The study further investigated the impact of soft TQM practices on hard TQM practices and their impact on plant level supply chain in pharmaceutical setup. The present study provides some meaningful implications to practicing managers, which are critical from pharmaceutical manufacturing point of view. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, employees may require more training and development as market is regulated by major drug administrations from abroad as well as domestic and top management support may help to achieve it. Research and development and to maintain the sustainable quality of products along with productive maintenance over a period of time results in supply chain performance. Soft TQM practices directly impact the supply chain performance, but hard TQM practices impact greatly supply chain performance as comparison to soft TQM. Soft TQM practices impact supply chain performance via hard TQM practices significantly.

The impact of soft TQM and hard TQM on innovation performance: the moderating effect of organisational culture

Literature increasingly recognises the importance of organisational culture when implementing operations management practices. This paper examines the relationships among quality, innovation, and organisational culture under a moderation model. The research model is constructed based on well-established theories of competing values framework (CVF) and total quality management (TQM). A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 106 ISO 9000-certified manufacturers where data were collected from senior managers with sufficient knowledge. Partial least square analysis indicates that: 1) innovation is influenced mainly by adopting soft (organisational) TQM elements and secondarily hard (process) TQM elements; 2) innovation organisational culture has a stronger moderating influence on process-related TQM than on organisational TQM, although its interactions are mostly insignificant. Therefore, practitioners are advised to emphasise the organisational aspect of TQM rather than process-related practices when assessing the innovation performance of an organisation. The findings recommend firms to have a balanced view on cultures in organisations.

The relationships between soft/hard total quality management practices and operational performance in Jordanian manufacturing organisations

Previous studies in the field of total quality management (TQM) reported mixed results regarding their relationships with performance. This study, therefore, seeks to investigate the relationships between soft/hard TQM practices and operational performance in Jordanian manufacturing organisations. A questionnaire survey was distributed among the population of the study which consisted of (170) Jordanian manufacturing organisations, certified by ISO 9001 certification. Data obtained from the respondents were then statistically analysed using simple and multiple linear regression analysis to test the study hypotheses. The results of this study confirmed the importance of soft and hard TQM practices to operational performance, and showed that soft TQM practices were more significant than hard TQM practices in their relationships with operational performance. Based upon these results, Jordanian manufacturing organisations should formulate a strategy that considers the importance of soft TQM practices for improving operational performance, and undertaking an integrative paradigm in implementing TQM.

The relationships between soft/hard total quality management practices and operational performance in Jordanian manufacturing organisations

Previous studies in the field of total quality management (TQM) reported mixed results regarding their relationships with performance. This study, therefore, seeks to investigate the relationships between soft/hard TQM practices and operational performance in Jordanian manufacturing organisations. A questionnaire survey was distributed among the population of the study which consisted of (170) Jordanian manufacturing organisations, certified by ISO 9001 certification. Data obtained from the respondents were then statistically analysed using simple and multiple linear regression analysis to test the study hypotheses. The results of this study confirmed the importance of soft and hard TQM practices to operational performance, and showed that soft TQM practices were more significant than hard TQM practices in their relationships with operational performance. Based upon these results, Jordanian manufacturing organisations should formulate a strategy that considers the importance of soft TQM practices for improving operational performance, and undertaking an integrative paradigm in implementing TQM.

The impact of soft TQM and hard TQM on innovation performance: the moderating effect of organisational culture

The impact of soft TQM and hard TQM on innovation performance: the moderating effect of organisational culture

Business excellence in the United Arab Emirates through soft TQM

Business excellence in the United Arab Emirates through soft TQM

Health-care technology management: developing the innovation skills through implementing soft TQM among Lebanese hospitals

The objective of this research is to determine the influence of implementing soft total quality management (TQM) on the innovation skills (INS) of employees in Lebanese hospitals. A quantitative methodology was applied through conducting a cross-sectional survey among the employees and health-care professionals at 13 accredited hospitals in Lebanon. The respondents agreed that they were implementing the soft TQM principles and practicing the INS. However, the results showed that soft TQM influenced INS through people-based management (p < .05) but not through continuous improvement (p > .05). The major contribution of this research is centred on its empirical part since there is a lack of empirical studies in the field of health care in Lebanon. In addition, the shift from the hard side to the soft side of TQM contributes significantly to the academic literature as well as the methodological part especially in terms of using structural equation modelling analysis. This study was limited because of lack of participation especially from the public health sector in Lebanon. Thus, future studies are recommended to extend the research geographically and include more hospitals from both private and public sectors.

An insight on soft TQM practices and their impact on cement manufacturing firm’s performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study soft total quality management (TQM) practices and their impact on firm performance (FP). Design/methodology/approach – In the present paper, the author has used systematic literature review proposed by Tranfield et al. (2003). After identifying the research gaps, the author has formulated research hypotheses and developed a structured questionnaire to collect data from cement manufacturing firms to test the research hypotheses. In this study the author has used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to explore latent constructs of soft TQM. The EFA output was further used as an input to multiple linear regression analysis to study their relationship with FP. Findings – The regression analysis indicates that relationship with internal and external partners, quality culture, human resource focus, visionary leadership, are positive and statistically significant determinants of FP. Originality/value – In this study the author has selected Indian cement industry which is world’s second largest cement producer and an important sector in terms of its contribution to Indian GDP, and provides direct and indirect employment opportunities to millions of people. However, most of the studies in India were done related to automotive sector and soft TQM was never considered important. The findings of the study contribute to resource-based theory.

A Causal Model of the Quality Activities Process: Exploring the Links between Quality Capabilities, Competitiveness and Organizational Performance

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between Total Quality Management (TQM) practices, quality capabilities, competitiveness and firm performance. In this study, TQM has been conceptualized as soft and hard practices. An empirical analysis based upon an extensive validation process was applied to refine the construct scales, respectively. The sample consists of 423 valid responses for applying Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results derived from this study show that soft TQM practices have a direct, positive and significant relationship between quality capabilities, competitive strategies and Organizational performance. In addition, an indirect, positive and significant relationship on organizational performance through quality capabilities and competitive strategies was observed. The findings of this research show that hypotheses H3b, H4b and H6b do not support, the rest are in line with the model inference. Particularly, from the results indicate that soft TQM are the most important resource, which has strong effects on organizational performance. Results derived from this study might help managers to implement TQM practices in order to effectively allocate resources and improve financial performance. Thus, managers should consider that improvement in soft TQM would support the successful implementation of quality capabilities, competitive advantage and organizational performance. Much efforts relating to social aspects in TQM activities are particularly key issues to improve performance.

Exploring soft TQM dimensions and their impact on firm performance: some exploratory empirical results

The aim of the paper is to study soft total quality management practices and their impacts on firm performance. In the research, the systematic literature review was used. After identifying a research gap, a theoretical framework was developed and research hypotheses were formulated. We have further checked the validity and reliability of measurement items using confirmatory factor analysis. The research framework was tested using multiple linear regressions under the effect of controllable variables (i.e. size of employees, supply uncertainty and demand uncertainty) of firm performance. The research hypotheses are well supported, which is consistent with previous extant literature.

Assessing the Implementation of Total Quality Management in Education Administration Institutions in Central Province, Sri Lanka

The purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of TQM aspects among education administration institutions in the central province, Sri Lanka. This study focused on identifying the level of Hard TQM implementation and Soft TQM implementation among selected education administration institutions. A five point Likert scale questionnaire was used as the key instrument of data collection. The data were obtained from a survey of 41 administrators in education administration institutions in central province. The findings suggest that the level of hard TQM implementation is at a high level and the level of soft TQM implementation is at a moderate level. Further the study reports that the level of hard TQM implementation is higher than the level of soft TQM implementation. Among the studied Hard TQM techniques Quality Circles is reported as the most adopted technique. Customer / Citizen Satisfaction and Top Management Commitment and Support are the top principles adopted among the studied Soft TQM practices. In addition to that, report revealed that there is no significance difference in between districts in central province when implementing hard TQM and soft TQM.

Important TQM Implementation Contributors in Service oriented Organization like Banks in Pakistan

Subsequent to its growth and exceptional achievements, Total Quality Management (TQM) needs to be implemented out of the Manufacturing industry to service organizations, like Private Banks. Study explores prospects of using Soft TQM and Hard TQM in service oriented organizations and investigates how helpful it can be for growth and development of service focused organizations like private banking sector and sees how TQM can help these Banks to excel in their Organizational Performance. These organizations have been employing various methods to develop this sector, increase its capability to get better place in global market and increase investment in this sector. However, till to date far less work is done to control quality to get better results in this sector. Through quantitative research with 5 point Likert’s scale and Baron and Kenny’s model of moderation, this study will try to demonstrate that the Soft TQM along with Hard TQM can give enormous growth to the service sector by increasing the customer orientation and will be helpful to attain competitive edge. The research has examined the moderating effect of Hard TQM on the relationship of Soft TQM and Organization performance; it is notable from this research that the magnitude of this relationship has increased from 0.401 to 0.421. These results indicate that the use of Hard TQM in the Service oriented Organization like banking sector leads to increase the relationship of Soft TQM and Organizational Performance and gives more power to these organizations to control their quality and thrive on international level.

Soft TQM practices, customer orientation and business performance: a proposed structural model

The purpose of this study aims to propose a conceptual model to investigate soft TQM practices and their relationships with customer orientation and business performance. From the literatures, we investigated the TQM practices, customer orientation in organisations and their relationships with business performance. With that, a model with relationships of TQM, customer orientation and business performance is proposed in a triangular relationship. We opine that this paper presents a strong argument for suggesting a model to enhance customer orientation and business performance through TQM practices. This study endeavours to reduce the gap in the existing literatures which may assist firms to evaluate the importance of soft TQM and customer orientation in fostering better business practices and enhancing performance of an organisation.

The interrelationship between ISO 9000 and total quality management: an empirical investigation with a focus on soft and hard TQM dimensions

Little is known about the interrelatedness between the critical factors of ISO 9000 (CFI) and total quality management (TQM) two dimensions, namely, soft (ST) and hard (HT), and little is known about whether they can coexist together in manufacturing companies’ or not. To fill this gap, this paper proposes a theoretical framework, which stipulates that ISO 9000 is an antecedent to TQM. The framework was tested using cross sectional mail survey of 250 ISO 9000 certified Malaysian manufacturing companies. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were utilised from SPSS to test the propositions. The key findings indicated the existence of a significant relationship in both propositions, hence, supported the theoretical framework and both ISO 9000 and TQM could be interrelated together in Malaysian manufacturing industries.

The Influence of “Soft” and “Hard” Total Quality Management (TQM) Practices on Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) in Jordanian Manufacturing Companies

Numerous studies have been separately carried out on total quality management (TQM) and total productivemaintenance (TPM). This paper examines the influence of soft and hard TQM practices on TPM implementationlevel at manufacturing companies in Jordan using survey data and empirical research methodology. The resultsindicate that four soft TQM practices, top management leadership, training, workforce management, andcustomer focus, significantly and positively affect TPM implementation level. The results also show that threehard TQM practices, continuous improvement, information feedback, and process management, significantlyand positively affect TPM implementation level.

TQM, strategy, and performance: a firm‐level analysis

PurposeThe purpose is to examine the role of TQM in a strategy‐TQM‐performance model. More specifically, it seeks to investigate whether TQM has a driving role in the formation of strategy or has a mediating effect in the strategy‐performance relationship.Design/methodology/approachA survey was used to collect data. The instrument was assessed for its validity and reliability. Structural equation modelling was employed.FindingsTQM influences strategy formulation process and it is a dynamic resource that contributes to the achievement of a sustainable competitive advantage. In addition, soft TQM has a higher impact than hard TQM on competitive strategy formulation and on performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe model developed and tested can be enriching to the TQM, strategic management, and quality management fields. Future research is recommended to use methods other than self‐report questionnaires and to account for certain behavioral factors that can influence the relationships investigated in the study.Practical implicationsThe findings provide insights to the need to integrate TQM with the various stages of the strategy formulation process, with an emphasis on the soft elements of TQM, including customer satisfaction, management and leadership, and employee relations.Originality/valueDespite the remarkable contributions of existent research, there is a lack of substantive research that examines the relationship between the hard and soft components of TQM on one hand and the two types of competitive strategy – differentiation and cost leadership – on the other. This gap is filled by this study.

Soft TQM practices in Indian cement industry - an empirical study

Total quality management (TQM) has evolved as a widely acceptable philosophy and practice for achievement of organisational objectives (Singh et al., 2011). It is a business strategy to achieve superior performance by offering quality product or services. The present research proposes a soft TQM framework and empirically tested the impact of soft dimensions of TQM on its performance in context to Indian cement industry. Indian cement industry is now becoming more competitive in order to sustain profitability by reducing cost by minimising wastages and improve market share by improving quality of the product and services offered to the customer. Here researcher(s) aim to propose a soft TQM framework which can help them to improve their ‘return on investment’ (ROI) which has been the subject of debate.

Resource allocation for strategic quality management: a goal programming approach

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assist organizations in understanding the nature of quality management from a resource‐based perspective by investigating the relationship between strategies needed to drive quality enhancement, and resources being allocated to support effective strategy implementation. The resource‐based view of TQM elements led this case study research to deal with quality management from a strategic viewpoint, or what is known as Strategic Quality Management (SQM).Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs the analytic network process (ANP) to model the interactions between eight SQM strategies and the three types of resources (human, organisational and technological) needed for effective strategy implementation. The paper then formulates a goal programming (GP) model in order to identify the extent to which each single strategy is inhibited by a lack of (or overloaded by) resources. Using a case study approach, the hybrid ANP‐GP methodology is employed to illustrate the application in the context of enhancing quality in the food‐processing industry.FindingsThe ANP analysis quantitatively differentiates between the amount of resource support each strategy receives and the support it needs. The GP model offers insight on how to re‐allocate resources to minimize identified discrepancies related to how the company utilizes their resources.Originality/valueThis paper argued that practicing QM with the consideration of the firm's strategic need for resources provides better understanding of why quality gurus still disagree on whether soft or hard TQM is more connected to organizational performance. Therefore, rather than focusing on “generalizing” the TQM model, as has traditionally been done in previous attempts, the main contribution of this paper is to propose a methodology that assesses a firm's utilization of resources considering its strategic need for these resources.

The Impact of Organisational Culture on the Implementation of TQM: Empirical Study in the Iranian Oil Company

Purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between four construct of organizational culture and two type of TQM as soft and hard in the Iranian oil industry. The method of confirmatory factor analysis was applied to refine culture and TQM scales for empirical analysis in Iranian Oil Industry. The structural equation modeling method was applied to test the theoretical models. This study confirms the results of previous studies that considered culture as a set of practices. It confirms that not all types of culture—considered as a set of practices—has a positive impact on the TQM implementation. Only two components of culture—hierarchal and developmental showed a negative impact on the soft and hard TQM. The findings are useful for business managers in developing countries such as Iran, who want to enhance business performance through implementing TQM practices in different culture. The study has contributed to develop a measurement system of TQM practices that facilitates more quality management research in developing countries. It has contributed to clarifying the disputed relationship between different culture and TQM practices, and shows empirical evidence in Iran industry to confirm that the culture set deployed by a firm has an impact on Soft and Hard TQM.