Exploring the relationships between core elements of TQM implementation

The purpose of the study proposed in this paper is to empirically examine the relationships between important sets of variables known to influence the successful implementation of TQM. The study is presently in the design stage. The sets of variables are TQM principles, organizational culture, and remedial strategies to reduce the barriers to successful TQM implementation. To date, each set of variables has been examined in the literature largely separately. Accordingly, the proposed study would be the first holistic approach that attempts to investigate these relationships collectively to develop a comprehensive TQM implementation model. Primary survey data will be collected from service industry companies of Bahrain. The strength and direction of relationships among the variables will be examined using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression

From big data to big performance – exploring the potential of big data for enhancing public organizations’ performance : a systematic literature review

This article examines the possibilities for increasing organizational performance in the public sector using Big Data by conducting a systematic literature review. It includes the results of 36 scientific articles published between January 2012 and July 2019. The results show a tendency to explain the relationship between big data and organizational performance through the Resource-Based View of the Firm or the Dynamic Capabilities View, arguing that perfor-mance improvement in an organization stems from unique capabilities. In addition, the results show that Big Data performance improvement is influenced by better organizational decision making. Finally, it identifies three dimensions that seem to play a role in this process: the human dimension, the organizational dimension, and the data dimension. From these findings, implications for both practice and theory are derived

Exploring employer behaviour in relation to Investors in People

"This report explores employer behaviour in relation to choices they make about Investors in People (IIP) accreditation in order for the future IIP strategy to ensure IIP is relevant, adds value to employers and tackles any barriers to successful delivery. The research focuses on the decision-making processes and experiences of three key groups of employers: employers that have held IIP accreditation for a number of years; employers who previously held IIP accreditation but have let this lapse; and employers who committed to gaining IIP accreditation but subsequently did not to go through the assessment process" - page 1

Lean and green – a systematic review of the state of the art literature

The move towards greener operations and products has forced companies to seek alternatives to balance efficiency gains and environmental friendliness in their operations and products. The exploration of the sequential or simultaneous deployment of lean and green initiatives is the results of this balancing action. However, the lean-green topic is relatively new, and it lacks of a clear and structured research definition. Thus, this paper’s main contribution is the offering of a systematic review of the existing literature on lean and green, aimed at providing guidance on the topic, uncovering gaps and inconsistencies in the literature, and finding new paths for research. The paper identifies and structures, through a concept map, six main research streams that comprise both conceptual and empirical research conducted within the context of various organisational functions and industrial sectors. Important issues for future research are then suggested in the form of research questions. The paper’s aim is to also contribute by stimulating scholars to further study this area in depth, which will lead to a better understanding of the compatibility and impact on organisational performance of lean and green initiatives. It also holds important implications for industrialists, who can develop a deeper and richer knowledge on lean and green to help them formulate more effective strategies for their deployment

The development of service provider's BPO-IT framework

Purpose The decision to operate BPO-IT organisational model by a business process outsourcing (BPO) service provider has far reaching benefits. The purpose of this paper is to develop a service provider’s BPO-IT framework that provides in-house IT function (software) required to process client services. Design/methodology/approach The multi-case study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed method research approach. In the first instance, seven BPO service provider organisations were investigated in the qualitative phase and 156 in the quantitative phase, respectively. Findings The adoption of the developed framework indicates that it could reduce failures in BPO relationships through reduced turnaround time in processing client services, improved quality of service, reduced cost, improved client and provider’s competitiveness, and confidentiality of client operations. Outsourcing clients could lay the foundation for a successful relationship by adopting a selection process that could choose the right provider. Originality/value The paper reveals BPO-IT organisation’s operation towards in-house provision of software required to process client services. A research exploring BPO service providers from a top outsourcing destination like India could provide offshore outsourcing clients the information to move towards onshore outsourcing. </jats:sec

Family management and firm performance in family SMEs: the mediating roles of management control systems and technological innovation

The aim of this research is to analyze the mediating role of the use of management control systems (MCS) and the achievement of technological innovation (TI) in the relationship between family management and firm performance in family small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A questionnaire was conducted by 617 managers of family SMEs in Spain, and our model was tested using partial least squares. Our findings show that both MCS and TI play crucial mediating roles in the understanding of the relationship between family management and firm performance. As a result, family-managed firms that utilize MCS and produce TI are much more likely to generate better performance. These results encourage family managers to use formal MCS because in that way they will contribute to obtaining better firm performance, directly and indirectly through TI. We focus on private family SMEs, because these specific firms contribute significantly to the economies worldwide. This paper contributes to resolve the controversy regarding the relationship between family management and firm performance introducing MCS and TI as mediating factors.Agência financiadora Ministry of Science and Innovation, Spain (MICINN) UID/SOC/04020/2013 Universidad de Malaga Universidad de Cartagenainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Complexity in action: Untangling latent relationships between land quality, economic structures and socio-spatial patterns in Italy

Land quality, a key economic capital supporting local development, is affected by biophysical and anthropogenic factors. Taken as a relevant attribute of economic systems, land quality has shaped the territorial organization of any given region influencing localization of agriculture, industry and settlements. In regions with long-established human-landscape interactions, such as the Mediterranean basin, land quality has determined social disparities and polarization in the use of land, reflecting the action of geographical gradients based on elevation and population density. The present study investigates latent relationships within a large set of indicators profiling local communities and land quality on a fine-grained resolution scale in Italy with the aim to assess the potential impact of land quality on the regional socioeconomic structure. The importance of land quality gradients in the socioeconomic configuration of urban and rural regions was verified analyzing the distribution of 149 socioeconomic and environmental indicators organized in 5 themes and 17 research dimensions. Agriculture, income, education and labour market variables discriminate areas with high land quality from areas with low land quality. While differential land quality in peri-urban areas may reflect conflicts between competing actors, moderate (or low) quality of land in rural districts is associated with depopulation, land abandonment, subsidence agriculture, unemployment and low educational levels. We conclude that the socioeconomic profile of local communities has been influenced by land quality in a different way along urban-rural gradients. Policies integrating environmental and socioeconomic measures are required to consider land quality as a pivotal target for sustainable development. Regional planning will benefit from an in-depth understanding of place-specific relationships between local communities and the environment

Power, Responsibility & Wisdom: Exploring the Issues at the Core of Ethical Decision-Making and Leadership

Decision-making ostensibly requires the exercise of Power. But that use of Power must be counterbalanced with Responsibility in order to make good decisions. Infusing Wisdom into the decision-making process necessarily incorporates an ethical component and involves both the identification and evaluation of relationships. Wise decision-making, therefore, requires the application of Wisdom which transcends simple, short-lived factual proficiency. It is this careful weighing of Wisdom, Power, Knowledge, and Responsibility which must guide our business leaders and be taught to our business students