15,076 research outputs found
The role of leadership and cultural contingencies in total quality management in Central America
The role of leadership and cultural contingencies in total quality management in Central Americ
A process view on managing quality during the creation of technical innovations : lessons from field research.
Quality Management (QM) principles have left their marks on business practice for more than a decade. Amongst the many business functions that have faced the widespread introduction of QM standards and methodologies, the R&D function has been amongst the last to undergo their pervasive influence. The uncertain and ambiguous nature of the technical innovation not to introduce 'traditional' QM approaches in R&D settings. These arguments are often based on a rather rigid and mechanistic view on QM. As recent insights show, this need not to be the case. QM can offer an avenue to fundamentally scrutinise and re-think-functional interaction strategies in innovative contexts. Therefore, the process of introducing QM principles is an R&D environment deserves close attention. This paper offers a field-based insight into these fundamental organisational and managerial issues.Innovations; Knowledge;
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The yellow brick road: total quality management and the restructuring of organizational culture
The paper offers a critique of Total Quality Management . It is essentially in three parts: the first examines the rise of TQM through the western experience of Japanese development, second it examine the nature of TQM's promised cultural change and, finally questioning the very notion of 'quality'. It explores this development as - taking a metaphor from the work of Philip Crosby one of the 'guru's of Total Quality - a journey down the yellow brick road. The development of TQM being rich in icons and symbolism it is argued that it acts both to legitimate current changes in organisation through the penetration of the market and also as a market model of organisation based on customer and supplier links. In contrast to the claim of TQM to challenge bureaucracy it argues that, while it might counter some of its dysfunction's, it can be located within a bureaucratization process
Experimental study and numerical modelling of woven fabric kenaf fiber composites hybrid adhesively bonded-bolted joints
Couple with natural fiber composite parts, hybrid joints provide better joint strength than using separate joints. There are limited studies on structures response and strength prediction work on hybrid joints that limits its applicability. The aim of present study is to conduct experimental datasets on woven fabric kenaf fiber reinforced polymer (KFRP) and carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite hybrid joints under quasi-static testing and to carry out the strength prediction works subsequently by implementing physically-based traction-separation constitutive law. Testing series investigated includes variation of joint types, normalized W/d = 2 to 5, reinforcing fiber composites, lay-up types, plate thickness and bolt loads. Experimental observations and bearing stress at failures were conducted, the datasets were then used as validation works in FEA modelling. All KFRP hybrid joint series demonstrated net-tension failure mode associated to stress concentration at the vicinity of notch tip. Initially, strength prediction works were attempted by implementing various numerical approaches and fully XFEM techniques was adopted to all series as it provides promising results with better physically representation and less computational time. Good agreements between experimental datasets and predicted bearing stress at failure were found in KFRP hybrid joints with average discrepancy of less than 23%. It was found that combinations of thicker and cross-ply lay-up gives the best prediction of less than 2 % (where experimental datasets and FEA output were given as 201 N/mm2 and 198 N/mm2 respectively) due to better repetitive lay-up with implementation of smeared-out properties. Less significant effects from bolt loads and reinforcing fibers were found for both joint types. It can be concluded that fully XFEM technique able to provide as a unified prediction tools in hybrid joints of most composite materials with reasonable agreements
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Customization Or Conformity? An Institutional And Network Perspective On The Content And Consequences Of TQM Adoption
This study develops a theoretical framework that integrates institutional and network perspectives on the form and consequences of administrative innovations. Hypotheses are tested with survey and archival data on the implementation of total quality management (TQM) programs and the consequences for organizational efficiency and legitimacy in a sample of over 2,700 U.S. hospitals. The results show that early adopters customize TOM practices for efficiency gains, while later adopters gain legitimacy from adopting the normative form of TQM programs. The findings suggest that institutional factors moderate the role of network membership in affecting the form of administrative innovations adopted and provide strong evidence for the importance of institutional factors in determining how innovations are defined and implemented. We discuss implications for theory and research on institutional processes and network effects and for the literatures on innovation adoption and total quality management.(.)Business Administratio
Structural performance of precast self-compacting concrete beam consisiting banana skin powder and coir fibre under flexural load
In present, environmental pollution is become serious problem. Agricultural products generate waste in huge amount, which creates the disposal and environmental problems such as leachate and odour smell. An initiative is needed to reduce these wastes and utilize the agricultural waste as a construction material like concrete. The agricultural waste widely used as supplementary cementing material, filler and fibre reinforcement. In this research Banana Skin Powder (BSP) and Coir Fibre (CF) utilized as partially cementing material and filler respectively, to reduce the agricultural waste and save the natural recourses which is used in manufacturing of cement and reduces the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) in atmosphere. This research investigated the physical and chemical properties of BSP. The fresh properties (filling ability, passing ability and segregation resistance) and hardened properties such as compressive, tensile, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio of self-compacting concrete (SCC) consisting BSP and CF were studied experimentally. The ultimate load, crack pattern and load deflection profile of Precast Self-Compacting Concrete containing BSP and CF Beam (PSCC-BSP-CF-B) were analysed under flexural load by experimental work. The results were validated by Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using software package Abaqus. The outcomes from XRF test proved that the BSP is the Class F pozzolan which contributes to enhance the strength of SCC. The fresh properties of SCC like filling ability, passing ability and segregation resistance were satisfied the EFNARC SCC specifications. The mechanical properties and ultimate bearing capacity were improved with the BSP and CF incorporation in SCC. The crack pattern predicts the PSCC-B were fail in flexural. The deflection became lower when CF and BSP were added in PSCC-B. The optimum percentage which was found through experimental tests are 0.4%BSP and 0.5% for CF. The crack pattern, ultimate load and deflection in PSCC-B using FEA through ABAQUS have 2% to 8% difference compare to experimental studies
The Role of Management Practices in Closing the Productivity Gap
There is no doubt that management practices are linked to the productivity
and performance of a company. However, research findings are mixed. This paper
provides a multi-disciplinary review of the current evidence of such a
relationship and offers suggestions for further exploration. We provide an
extensive review of the literature in terms of research findings from studies
that have been trying to measure and understand the impact that individual
management practices and clusters of management practices have on productivity
at different levels of analysis. We focus our review on Operations Management
(om) and Human Resource Management (hrm) practices as well as joint
applications of these practices. In conclusion, we can say that taken as a
whole, the research findings are equivocal. Some studies have found a positive
relationship between the adoption of management practices and productivity,
some negative and some no association whatsoever. We believe that the lack of
universal consensus on the effect of the adoption of complementary management
practices might be driven either by measurement issues or by the level of
analysis. Consequently, there is a need for further research. In particular,
for a multi-level approach from the lowest possible level of aggregation up to
the firm-level of analysis in order to assess the impact of management
practices upon the productivity of firms
An integrated approach for TQM implementation in SMEs
This paper tackles the broad issue of TQM implementation in SMEs. It includes a review of two models aimed at improving organisational performance, the EFQM Excellence Model and the Balanced Scorecard, which have been widely used in large organisations. Both models are examined as to their suitability and applicability to small and medium sized enterprises. The findings indicate that SMEs can benefit from the adoption of an integrated approach that combines both models if some critical factors are considered in the implementation process. A theoretical framework is proposed, which considers such integration and leads to a gradual implementation of TQM principles and methods in SMEs.TQM; quality; SME; organisational performance
How can SMEs benefit from big data? Challenges and a path forward
Big data is big news, and large companies in all sectors are making significant advances in their customer relations, product selection and development and consequent profitability through using this valuable commodity. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have proved themselves to be slow adopters of the new technology of big data analytics and are in danger of being left behind. In Europe, SMEs are a vital part of the economy, and the challenges they encounter need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. This paper identifies barriers to SME uptake of big data analytics and recognises their complex challenge to all stakeholders, including national and international policy makers, IT, business management and data science communities.
The paper proposes a big data maturity model for SMEs as a first step towards an SME roadmap to data analytics. It considers the ‘state-of-the-art’ of IT with respect to usability and usefulness for SMEs and discusses how SMEs can overcome the barriers preventing them from adopting existing solutions. The paper then considers management perspectives and the role of maturity models in enhancing and structuring the adoption of data analytics in an organisation. The history of total quality management is reviewed to inform the core aspects of implanting a new paradigm. The paper concludes with recommendations to help SMEs develop their big data capability and enable them to continue as the engines of European industrial and business success. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
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