Soft Total Quality Management Research Articles

Re-examining the quality management and firm performance relationships: meta-analytical investigation on moderating effects of national culture differences

PurposeIn the last 3 decades, organization-wide programs and practices based on the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy have become central to continuous improvement (CI) strategy in both public and private enterprises. However, there is paradoxical evidence of TQM-firm performance linkage in non-Japanese contexts. This study presents a meta-analysis of empirical research on TQM-firm performance linkage and investigates the moderating influence of national cultural (NC) values on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachMeta-analytical procedures are adopted to analyse 364 effects accumulated from 135 independent samples across 31 nations, for 30,015 firm observations. Additionally, weighted least square (WLS) meta-regression is used to test the moderation effects of four NC dimensions based on the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) model.FindingsThe meta-analysis results reveal that the strengths of the association varied across five soft and hard TQM dimensions and three firm performance dimensions Meta-regression indicate that the effectiveness of the TQM program is high in cultures which reward collectivist behaviours, equity of power distribution and avoidance of ambiguity in rules/structures.Originality/valueThe study contributes to international operational management theory on cultural influences on the effectiveness of operations strategies and decisions.

Guest editorial: What does combining soft and hard TQM take to achieve organizational excellence?

Guest editorial: What does combining soft and hard TQM take to achieve organizational excellence?

Soft TQM for competitive advantage in the transportation sector: investigating green human resource management and stakeholder integration

PurposeRecent trends in total quality management (TQM) argue in favor of incorporating environmental concerns into TQM and considering external stakeholders. The aim of this study is to bring environmental consciousness in the soft TQM dimension of human resource management (HRM) and assess its interrelationship with stakeholder integration towards achieving a competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study was conducted in the transportation sector, specifically targeting managers in Greek shipping companies involved in global cargo transport and vessel operations. A structured questionnaire was administered, yielding 109 responses. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings reveal the positive effect of both green HRM (GHRM) and stakeholder integration on the innovation differentiation advantage and market differentiation advantage of shipping companies. Results confirm the complementary (partial) mediating effect of GHRM in the relationship between stakeholder integration and both types of competitive advantage.Research limitations/implicationsThe primary limitation resides in data collection exclusively from shipping companies in Greece. A longitudinal approach would be beneficial for examining how the relationship between variables changes over time.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study could assist shipping managers in their decisions to allocate resources for developing GHRM practices and for involving stakeholders in organizational practices to overcome competition.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the discourse on TQM by empirically investigating the combined impact of GHRM and stakeholder integration on competitive advantage – an aspect that has been relatively overlooked in existing literature.

Enhancing organizational citizenship behaviour: role of collectivism in soft total quality management

PurposeSoft total quality management (STQM) practices are essential for promoting value-added organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) among employees in quality-focussed manufacturing firms. This study intends to investigate how STQM practices (empowerment, training, teamwork and involvement) affect OCB under the moderating influence of collectivism among employees for excellence in business performance using social exchange and social cognitive theories (SET-SCT).Design/methodology/approachA total of 245 useable surveys were gathered from manufacturers. Given the importance of the two-staged structural equation modelling–partial least squares–artificial neural networks (SEM-PLS-ANN) technique, this study used a two-staged SEM-PLS-ANN analysis to capture both linear and compensatory PLS models and nonlinear and noncompensatory ANN models.FindingsThe findings confirmed that empowerment, involvement and training had a significant impact on OCB. However, teamwork had no impact on OCB. Interestingly, collectivism was found to have a significant and positive moderating effect on training and OCB.Originality/valueThe study contributes significantly to the literature on TQM and human resource management. First, the study broadens researchers’ understanding of how to apply SET by including a collective value from SCT as positive reciprocity to foster positive workplace behaviour. Second, the authors offer a solid management strategy for organizations to assist them in understanding an STQM model that promotes OCB while including collectivism for superior business performance.

Sustainable development of the company on the basis of soft total quality management

The article is concerned with studying the impact of soft components of total quality management (TQM) on the company’s environmental and social sustainability. The subject of the research is a set of theoretical, methodical and practical recommendations for implementing the concept of total quality management to ensure sustainable development of a company. The purpose of the article is to theoretically substantiate and develop practical recommendations for identifying the impact of soft TQM on the sustainable development of a company. Achievement of this goal is ensured by fulfilling the following interrelated tasks: to summarise the existing soft TQM practices in the research of scientists, to allocate the features of soft TQM functioning in Ukrainian companies and their success in achieving environmental and social sustainability, to develop recommendations for improving the level of environmental and social sustainability of companies through the implementation of soft TQM practices. The research used general scientific and special methods of cognition: structural-logical, systemic and process approaches, the method of generalisation and comparison, questionnaires, methods of correlation and regression analysis, logical method, method of tabular presentation of data, scientific generalisation. The following results have been obtained: having analysed the work of scientists on the research’s subject, the work of the European Foundation for Quality Management, the aspects of TQM that cover the company’s business activities, as well as the problems that are specific to each of them, have been identified. To identify the level of implementation of detailed issues, a questionnaire was developed and completed by the heads of 68 Ukrainian companies between November 2022 and March 2023. It included a Likert scale assessment of each of the soft TQM dimensions (business management system, HR practices, continuously evolving processes, leading procurement procedures, stakeholder identification, and product competitiveness) based on 28 statements. Five hypotheses were proposed based on the literature on the research topic and our own analytical developments. The data obtained in the course of the survey were analysed using correlation and regression analyses. The results show that two practices – business management systems and human resource management practices – are related to environmental sustainability, while only the business management system is related to social sustainability. The article provides recommendations for supporting the sustainable development of the company. Conclusions. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of TQM practices in ensuring the sustainability of a company’s activities. The business management system affects both environmental and social sustainability of the company. Human resource management practices have a positive impact on environmental sustainability, but not on social sustainability, i.e. organisational factors are key to achieving environmental sustainability. Raising awareness of sustainability is the best way to promote the implementation of procedures that contribute to sustainability. Other TQM practices, such as continuously evolving processes, leading procurement procedures, stakeholder identification, and competitive products, do not affect a company’s environmental and social sustainability. The article raises topics for future research: why human resource management practices and continuously evolving processes do not affect sustainability. It is appropriate to deepen the case studies to identify the mechanisms by which TQM practices contribute to both environmental and social sustainability.

Soft TQM Practices with Transformational Leadership in SMEs of Developing Country

Soft TQM Practices with Transformational Leadership in SMEs of Developing Country

Soft TQM Elements for Digital Transformation in the Public Sector

The digital transformation of the public sector requires not only advanced modern technology but also good strategy and effective use of human factors. Additionally, quality management plays a crucial role in improving the performance and service quality of government organisations. This raises the question of how quality management could benefit digitalisation efforts and help the government to adapt in the era of digital technologies. However, the extant literature mostly focuses on the practice of quality management and the antecedents of digital transformation from the context of a private organisation, and only rarely from a public sector perspective. Therefore, this research seeks to understand and identify the soft TQM elements that can be applied in a public organisation to propel its digital transformation. The analysis was conducted based on a review of relevant papers published in this field. Deductive thematic analysis was employed to identify appropriate themes for this study. The findings identify five soft TQM elements: top management commitment and leadership, training and education, employee involvement, citizen focus and continuous improvement, all of which could positively impact a public organisation’s digitalisation initiatives. The study aims to provide novel and relevant insights to assist government organisations in planning and carrying out digital transformations.

Impact of organizational citizenship behavior on corporate sustainability through the mediation of TQM: focus on the textile industry in Bangladesh

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), total quality management (TQM), and corporate sustainability (CS). Specifically, the authors propose that TQM mediates the relationship between OCB and CS. The authors intend to demonstrate that TQM practice may be able to balance the interests of all stakeholders and hence improve the performance of all three CS elements, namely economic, social and environmental.Design/methodology/approachThe authors designed a survey questionnaire. The authors then collected data from managers that were in charge of quality control in 216 companies. Hypotheses were developed and regression and path analyses were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsOCB has a positive effect on both TQM and CS. TQM also is positively related to CS. Further, TQM mediates the relationship between OCB and CS. Further analyses show that the full mediation only applies to economic aspects of CS but not social and environmental.Practical implicationsCompanies that aim to achieve overall CS performance should not only encourage OCB in an organization, but also pay attention to TQM. Moreover, when deciding on hard and soft TQM, the priority should be given to hard TQM.Originality/valueThe authors investigate the relationship between OCB, TQM and CS in detail. The authors treat TQM in two elements of soft TQM and hard TQM while treating CS performance in three elements of economic, social and environmental performances. The authors further examine how both hard and soft TQM impacts CS performance differently.

IMPACT OF “SOFT” TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON HOTEL’S PERFORMANCE: AN EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM VIET NAM

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of soft TQM practices on the business performance of hotels in Vietnam's current business climate. Data was collected from 190 hotels rated three stars or higher in 2022. Using a SEM model, the author found that soft TQM practices such as customer focus, senior leadership commitment, employee engagement, and employee training positively affect hotel business results. Specifically, hotels should prioritize employee engagement and customer focus, as these factors have the greatest impact on business outcomes.
 Keywords: TQM, Soft TQM, Hotel’s Performance, Vietnam.

Managing TQM's soft side: an explorative study of social care multiservice organizations

PurposeThis paper explores total quality management (TQM) soft domain efficacy in social care organizations to determine the extent to which an organization's project success may stem from soft TQM critical success factors (CSFs).Design/methodology/approachNon-structured interviews were conducted with 16 managers overseeing the prosthetic device regeneration project of the Italian local health unit (located in Salerno) to explore which soft factors could contribute to the success of a social care multifunctional organization.FindingsOrganizations' handling of certain projects, such as pivoting on soft TQM issues, may allow them to be configured as multiservice organizations. Therefore, a conceptual model of a multiservice social care organization is proposed.Practical implicationsFrom a managerial perspective, this study presents an interesting success case of a multiservice social care organization with a total annual expenditure of €20 million on prosthetic assistance. Preliminary data show a 13% reduction in public expenditure for Salerno's local health unit via a refurbishment project.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the soft TQM literature debate: although Italian local health professionals appear aware of soft TQM issues' implementation and consciously apply them in their organization and projects, this occurs more with specific CSFs emerging from the literature. Therefore, this article paves the way for further quantitative and theoretical investigations on the adoption of TQM soft issues in social care organizations' performance measurement.

The effects of soft total quality management on the sustainable development of SMEs

AbstractThis study investigates the soft total quality management (soft TQM) dimensions that affect the environmental and social sustainability of Finnish small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), considering the company‘s business, size, and possible certificates as control variables. Sustainable business has been found to be key to the success of companies, so investing in it is essential for companies. With the help of extensive literature research, the TQM dimensions covering the entire business activity were determined, from which detailed issues were identified. To ascertain the level of implementation of detailed issues, the survey was constructed and sent to 6889 randomly selected CEOs in autumn 2020. A total of 271 responses were received. Based on prior literature and studies, 10 hypotheses were proposed. The collected data were analyzed using regression analysis. The results reveal that two practices—business management systems and human resources (HR) practices—were related to environmental sustainability, while only business management system was related to social sustainability. None of the control variables affected environmental sustainability; however, the industrial sector influenced social sustainability. The study presents recommendations for company managers and the government to support sustainable development, especially in Finnish SMEs. As a practical contribution, the study demonstrates the importance of designing and implementing business management systems for enhanced sustainability. Management should also appreciate that sustainability will not automatically be set at a high level upon certification; thus, the performance of operations and processes should be monitored.

The Role of Soft Total Quality Management Towards Operational Performance at PT SIER

Every firm needs to adapt in the global business environment so that can still sustain in the midst of intense competition. One of the tools that can be used is using soft Total Quality Management (TQM). The purpose of this research is to analyse the role of soft TQM implementation towards operational performance at PT Surabaya Industrial Estate Rungkut (SIER). The variables that are used are soft TQM elements, that is, top management commitment, continuous improvement, training and education, customer focus, process management, workforce management, and supplier relationship. This research uses quantitative method through questionnaire. The population in this research are PT SIER employees with the level of position as an officer from logistics, SIER strategic business unit, and supporting service division. The sampling technique that is used is proportional stratified random sampling that then results the total sample of 72 people. Data is analysed using SEM-PLS method with SmartPLS 3 software. Based on the results of the research can be concluded that from all elements of soft TQM only top management commitment, customer focus, and supplier relationship that are found have positive and significant effect towards operational performance at PT SIER. Keywords: total quality management, soft total quality management, quality management, operational performance, industrial estate

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

PurposeThe 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/approachA 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.FindingsThe 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/implicationsThe 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 implicationsTQM 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/valueThe 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.

Elevating the organisational innovation and knowledge sharing capability through soft TQM practices

The development of human capital skills and expertise is needed to transform the nation's manufacturing industry into one that is smart, innovative, and resilient. Developing a human capital strategy (soft TQM practices) that places a premium on knowledge sharing (KS) and organisational innovation (OI) is crucial for the manufacturing sector's digital transformation. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the significance and connections between soft TQM practices, KS, and OI among manufacturers. Two hundred twenty two valid responses from manufacturing firms were analysed, the study discovered a significant and positive relationship between these three-dimensional variables using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Meanwhile, KS acts as a mediator between soft TQM practices and OI. By advancing theories of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities (KBDC), this research demonstrates the great influence of soft TQM practices on both KS and OI, which is important for manufacturing firms redesigned pivotal management strategy.

Elevating the organizational innovation and knowledge sharing capability through soft TQM practices

Elevating the organizational innovation and knowledge sharing capability through soft TQM practices

The impact of Industry 4.0 technologies and the soft side of TQM on organisational performance: a multiple case study analysis on manufacturing organisations

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore how Industry 4.0 (I40) technologies support workers' engagement in soft total quality management (TQM) practices for organisational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a multiple case study of six Italian manufacturing organisations that operate with I40 production and implement TQM practices. The authors concentrated on the relationship between I40 technologies and soft TQM aspects.FindingsI40 technologies provide two forms of engagement with workers. Workers can act as machine supervisors and expert assembly operators. Organisations use five soft TQM practices to involve and develop workers for TQM that vary according to automation levels. The five soft TQM practices are top management design around workers, incremental trials with I40 technologies, worker empowerment, I40 sociotechnical collaboration and individual feedback systems.Originality/valueIn the literature that focusses primarily on how I40 technologies support the hard side of TQM by creating a data-driven and automated quality management system, the authors illustrate how the workforce can be engaged in I40 with five soft TQM practices to improve organisational performance. Thus, the authors complement the theory of hard and soft TQM aspects for I40 production systems.

Mediating effect of organisational learning and moderating role of organisational culture on the relationship between total quality management and innovation among manufacturing companies in Nigeria

The study examines the impact of total quality management (TQM) practices on innovation, with a mediating effect of the moderating role of organisational learning and organisational culture among Nigeria's manufacturing companies. Similarly, the study applied a survey instrument tof 459 manufacturing companies in Lagos, Ogun, and Osun states, Nigeria. The Partial Least Squares (PLS3) path modelling approach was applied to test the conceptual model. The result shows that soft and hard TQM practices are positively and significantly associated with innovation among Nigeria's manufacturing companies. Similarly, organisational learning mediated the relationship between soft and hard TQM practices and organisational innovation. Finally, the results indicate that organisational culture has a negative and insignificant moderating effect on the relationship between soft quality management practices and innovation. However, the findings reported a positive and significant moderating relationship between hard TQM practices and manufacturing companies innovation in Nigeria. The study concludes that soft and hard TQM practices are essential determinants of innovation based on the findings. The study's major contribution is to understand better the mediating effect of organisational learning and the moderating role of organisational culture in the relationship between TQM practices and innovation, which have not been jointly investigated before.

Impact of total quality management on industry 4.0 readiness and practices: does firm size matter?

ABSTRACT Digitalization transforms the business environment, and organizations face challenges to make progress. The initial step to support organizations is to evaluate their readiness, resources, and capabilities for improvement. Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) theory, the purpose of this study is to empirically analyze the effect of digitalization of Total Quality Management (TQM) or Quality 4.0 on industry 4.0 (I4.0) readiness and actual practices of I4.0 with firm size as a moderator. Based on data from 228 respondents, the study model was empirically validated in Malaysian small-medium enterprises. The results revealed that soft TQM (top management commitment (TMC) and human resource management (HR) and hard TQM practices; process management (PM) and quality information & analysis (QIA)) are positively associated with I4.0 readiness that further improves the actual practices of I4.0. Contrary to our expectations, education and training have no significant effect on I4.0 readiness. The results also show the mediating role of I4.0 readiness between TMC and QIA with the actual practice of I4.0. Furthermore, firm size significantly moderated the proposed relationships. The established framework helps managers to anticipate their management decisions’ effects on those results affecting I4.0.

Not just numbers! Improving TTO performance by balancing the soft sides of the TQM

PurposeThis study investigates the role of “soft” factors of total quality management – in terms of empowerment and engagement of employees – in facilitating or hindering organizational performance of the university technology transfer offices.Design/methodology/approachThe authors developed an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), multiple regression model to test if empowerment and engagement affect organizational performance of the university technology transfer offices.FindingsThe authors found that “soft” factors of total quality management – in terms of empowerment and engagement – facilitate the improvement of organizational performance in university technology transfer offices.Practical implicationsThe authors’ analysis shows that soft total quality management practices create the conditions for improving organizational performance. This study provides practical implications by showing that, in the evaluation of the technology transfer office, not only the “hard” variables (e.g. number of employees and employee experience) but also the “soft” one (e.g. empowerment and engagement) matter. Therefore, university technology transfer managers or university technology transfer delegates should take actions to promote not only empowering employees but also create a climate conducive to employees' engagement in the university technology transfer offices.Originality/valueWith regards to the differences in organizational performances of university technology transfer offices, several studies have focused their attention on technology transfer professionals in technology transfer offices, but only a few of them have examined the “soft side” of total quality management. Thus, this study examines the organizational goals of technology transfer offices through “soft” factors of total quality management in terms of empowerment and engagement employees.

Soft and Hard Total Quality Management Practices Promote Industry 4.0 Readiness: A SEM-Neural Network Approach

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is a technological development in the manufacturing industry that has revolutionized Total Quality Management (TQM) practices. There has been scant empirical research on the multidimensional perspective of TQM. Thus, this study aims to empirically examine the effect of the multidimensional view of TQM (soft and hard) on I4.0 readiness in small and medium-sized (SMEs) manufacturing firms. Based on the sociotechnical systems (STS) theory, a framework has been developed and validated empirically through an online survey of 209 Malaysian SMEs manufacturing firms. Unlike the existing TQM studies that used structural equation modeling (SEM), a two-stage analysis was performed in this study. First, the SEM approach was used to determine which variable significantly affects I4.0 readiness. Second, the artificial neural network (ANN) technique was adopted to rank the relative influence of significant predictors obtained from SEM. The results show that the soft and hard TQM practices have supported the I4.0 readiness. Moreover, the results highlight that hard TQM practices have mediating role between soft TQM practices and I4.0 readiness. The ANN results affirmed that customer focus is considered an important TQM factor for I4.0 managerial readiness, advanced manufacturing technology for operational readiness and top management commitment for technology readiness. In a nutshell, the SEM-ANN approach uniquely contributes to the TQM and I4.0 literature. Finally, the findings can help managers to prioritize firms’ soft and hard quality practices that promote I4.0 implementation, especially in emerging economies.