The impact of a TQM intervention on work attitudes: a longitudinal case study

Total Quality Management (TQM) has been heralded as a new way of managing organizations. While there are widespread endeavours by organizations to implement TQM, a visible lag exists between the adoption of TQM and a systematic evaluation of this phenomenon. The thesis, therefore, addresses a fundamental question in TQM; what is the impact, if any, of a TQM intervention on employee work attitudes? This 'before and after study' examines the impact of a 'soft' TQM intervention on two key elements of TQM: teamwork and continuous improvement. A questionnaire was completed by respondents six months prior to and nine months after the launch of the intervention. The starting point in the evaluation is the development of theoretical models containing hypothesized antecedents of teamwork and continuous improvement which are empirically tested on the data. The intervention is then evaluated on the basis of its direct and indirect effects on the two key elements of TQM. In addition, the impact of the intervention is assessed both at the individual and the organizational level. At the individual level, the intervention was found to have a significant effect on team orientation as well as on a number of dimensions of continuous improvement, including general orientation to quality, improvement as part of the job and intrinsic motivation. However, a significant overall improvement at the organizational level was not evidenced in any of these variables. This raises the possibility that a longer time lag may be required for the individual level effects to develop into an overall organizational improvement. Additional important findings emerged from this evaluation. First, a consistent finding throughout is the importance of supervisory behaviour in affecting employee attitudes. Second, employee assessment of the intervention is a more significant predictor of subsequent changes than employee participation in the intervention per se. Finally, the prior experience and attitudes of individuals have a significant effect on how the intervention is assessed, which subsequently affects changes in attitudes, highlighting the fact that organizational change interventions do not occur in a vacuum

When organisations break promises to an employee, others may feel it too

Employees pay attention to how their co-workers are treated. Depending on the circumstances, what happens to colleagues can disrupt and undermine the quality of the relationship an employee develops with the organisation. Sandra Costa and Jacqueline Coyle-Shapiro write that organisations and managers must be aware that the social context shapes individual work relationships

The employee–organization relationship and organizational citizenship behavior

Drawing upon social exchange theory and the norm of reciprocity, we review the employee–organization relationship (EOR). A number of EOR frameworks share common theoretical ground yet have developed independently: psychological contracts, perceived organizational support, employment relationship, social and economic exchange, and idiosyncratic deals. We examine the empirical evidence linking each of the frameworks to employees’ organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Relationships based on minimal investment (quasi-spot contracts and transactional psychological contracts) and psychological contract breach are negatively related to OCB. Economic exchange is unrelated to OCB. Relationships that demonstrate investment, support, fulfillment of obligations, and granting of idiosyncratic deals are positively related to OCB because they signal a trusting and benefit conferring relationship. We outline challenges and future research directions that address the “value addedness” of the EOR frameworks

Economics methods in Cochrane systematic reviews of health promotion and public health related interventions.

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Update of the best practice dietetic management of overweight and obese children and adolescents: a systematic review protocol

To update an existing systematic review series of randomized controlled trials (RCT) that include a dietary intervention for the management of overweight or obesity in children or adolescents.Specifically, the review questions are: In randomized controlled trials of interventions which include a dietary intervention for the management of overweight or obesity in children or adolescents

Atomic layer deposition of Cu with a carbene-stabilized Cu (i) silylamide

The metal–organic Cu(I) complex 1,3-diisopropyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene copper hexamethyl disilazide has been tested as a novel oxygen-free precursor for atomic layer deposition of Cu with molecular hydrogen. Being a strong Lewis base, the carbene stabilizes the metal centre to form a monomeric compound that can be vaporised and transported without visible degradation. A significant substrate dependence of the growth process not only with respect to the film material but also to the structure of the films was observed. On Pd surfaces continuous films are grown and no phase boundary can be observed between the Cu film and the Pd, while island growth is observed on Ru substrates, which as a consequence requires thicker films in order to achieve a fully coalesced layer. Island growth is also observed for ultra-thin (<10 nm) Pd layers on Si substrates. Possible explanations for the different growth modes observed are discussed