Intra-country study of global competitiveness from the double diamond approach for Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Singapore

Muchos investigadores y economistas han argumentado que los estudios de competitividad del WEF e IMD muestran limitaciones en pequeñas economías, más aún cuando estas tienen características distintas. El objetivo de esta investigación es estudiar la competitividad de 3 pequeñas economías: Puerto Rico, Costa Rica y Singapur. El modelo del doble-diamante de competitividad resulta útil a la hora de llevar a cabo esta tarea. La información procede de organismos internacionales. Los resultados muestran que Singapur goza de un mayor nivel de competitividad global comparado con Puerto Rico y Costa Rica. Concluimos que Puerto Rico y Costa Rica lucen equilibrados en competitividad, porque internacionalmente Puerto Rico aventaja a Costa Rica en 3 determinantes: condiciones de factores, condiciones de la demanda e industrias relacionadas y de apoyo; mientras que localmente Costa Rica es más competitivo que Puerto Rico en 3 factores domésticos: condiciones de factores, condiciones de demanda y estrategia de las firmas.Many researchers and economists have argued that competitiveness studies conducted by WEF and IMD, show limitations in small-economies, even more when they have different characteristics. The objective of this research is to study the competitiveness of three small-economies: Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Singapore. The double-diamond model of competitiveness is useful when performing this task. With data obtain from international organizations. The findings suggest that Singapore shows a higher level of global competitiveness compared to Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. We conclude that Puerto Rico and Costa Rica have similar levels of competitiveness, because internationally Puerto Rico leads to Costa Rica on 3 determinants: factor conditions, demand conditions and related industries. On the other hand, Costa Rica is locally more competitive than Puerto Rico in 3 domestic factors: factor conditions, demand conditions and firm’s strategy

Quality Assurance Driving Factors as Antecedents of Knowledge Management: a Stakeholder-Focussed Perspective in Higher Education

Similar to many other types of organisations, the successful development of higher education institutions generally depends on proactive multi-stakeholder management strategy. As a social responsibility of universities, quality assurance (QA) of higher education is already an established research domain. However, the issues that serve as driving factors in higher education’s quality are acknowledged in this vast knowledge stream in a dispersed way. An objective of this paper is to provide a quick snapshot of the major QA driving factors in higher education. Another objective here is to discuss the significance of these existing QA driving factors in higher education as prospective antecedents of knowledge management among the key stakeholders in the higher education sector and beyond. An inductive constructivist approach is followed to review the relevant QA driving factors from the extant scholarly views. A number of relevant factors are précised from the literature that would be instrumental to uphold quality in higher education. The discussion demonstrates that these factors are also significant to transfer and share knowledge between the key stakeholders not only for universities, but also for businesses, governments and other organisational stakeholders. The paper proposes a framework of the QA drivers’ application for meaningful knowledge transfer between diverse stakeholders and clarifies the framework’s managerial implications. This conceptual framework specifies different scenarios and perspectives of QA drivers’ application in the global education sector. The academic novelty is based on the inductive approach applied in the paper. QA practitioners will be able to follow these factors as steering phenomena to effectively assure quality, in relation to their multi-stakeholder relationships in higher education and beyond

Social media and sensemaking patterns in new product development: demystifying the customer sentiment

Artificial intelligence by principle is developed to assist but also support decision making processes. In our study, we explore how information retrieved from social media can assist decision-making processes for new product development (NPD). We focus on consumers’ emotions that are expressed through social media and analyse the variations of their sentiments in all the stages of NPD. We collect data from Twitter that reveal consumers’ appreciation of aspects of the design of a newly launched model of an innovative automotive company. We adopt the sensemaking approach coupled with the use of fuzzy logic for text mining. This combinatory methodological approach enables us to retrieve consensus from the data and to explore the variations of sentiments of the customers about the product and define the polarity of these emotions for each of the NPD stages. The analysis identifies sensemaking patterns in Twitter data and explains the NPD process and the associated steps where the social interactions from customers can have an iterative role. We conclude the paper by outlining an agenda for future research in the NPD process and the role of the customer opinion through sensemaking mechanisms

The effects of quality management - a survey of Swedish quality professionals

In this study, the effects of the different models and tools of quality management are examined. The purpose has been to identify differences in the effects generated by different quality management models and tools.A questionnaire has been mailed to 500 Swedish quality professionals. The questions concerned their companies adoption of the values of TQM, the use of the models and tools of TQM and the effects they notice. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis have been carried out. The findings show that there is statistical correlation between the adoption of the values of TQM and successful quality management. The usefulness of the Swedish Quality Award, the European Quality Award and ISO 9000 as well as several of the quality management tools is also indicated. Regarding ISO 9000 specific effects have been foundA delimitation of the study is that the financial outcomes of the quality management practices are not measured but only the managers perceptions of effects produced. The implication for further research is an increased knowledge of the different effects of the quality management practices and the significance of the values, particularly three values that were included in the multiple regression model.The specific findings on the effects of ISO 9000 are useful for managers when implementing the standard. The results of the study also indicate the importance of emphasising the values for successful quality management.This study has provided more detailed knowledge of the effects of the different quality management practices, particularly of ISO 9000

The effects of quality management - a survey of Swedish quality professionals

In this study, the effects of the different models and tools of quality management are examined. The purpose has been to identify differences in the effects generated by different quality management models and tools.A questionnaire has been mailed to 500 Swedish quality professionals. The questions concerned their companies adoption of the values of TQM, the use of the models and tools of TQM and the effects they notice. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis have been carried out. The findings show that there is statistical correlation between the adoption of the values of TQM and successful quality management. The usefulness of the Swedish Quality Award, the European Quality Award and ISO 9000 as well as several of the quality management tools is also indicated. Regarding ISO 9000 specific effects have been foundA delimitation of the study is that the financial outcomes of the quality management practices are not measured but only the managers perceptions of effects produced. The implication for further research is an increased knowledge of the different effects of the quality management practices and the significance of the values, particularly three values that were included in the multiple regression model.The specific findings on the effects of ISO 9000 are useful for managers when implementing the standard. The results of the study also indicate the importance of emphasising the values for successful quality management.This study has provided more detailed knowledge of the effects of the different quality management practices, particularly of ISO 9000

Quality Management in Health Care or for Health Care - or Both?

Quality management is well established in the industrial manufacturing sector. More recently, interest has started to grow in the service sector and notably in the area health care. Several health care organisations have started to use quality management in order to improve their operations. The experiences vary but several examples of successful practice exist.In a separate development, some researchers have very recently begun to study the effects that quality management has on the health of the employees in all kinds of organisations. It is reasonable to conceive that quality management could have beneficial effects on employee health by bringing in more humane and effective practices and thus improving the working conditions. Some studies indicate that this is the case but the amount of research into this field is still very limited.Bringing these two strands together raises interesting questions regarding the greater role of quality management in society. The societal value of quality management has been proposed by some of the leading authors in the area (e.g. Ishikawa and Deming) but is scarcely conceptualised in research.The empirical basis of the paper consists of three case studies. In the first study the general effects of quality management in a maternity clinic was studies. In the second study the effects of quality management practices on the health of the employees in a manufacturing company was examined. The third study brought the perspectives together in that the effects of quality management on the health of the employees in the casualty department of a major hospital were investigated