Stakeholder-oriented service excellence: the case of Ajman Free Zone Authority of United Arab Emirates

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Hajar Saeed Hamad Alhubaishi ◽  
Syed Zamberi Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Service Management ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Excellence ◽  
Free Zone

Subject area Business management, quality management, service quality and customer service in public sectors. Study level/applicability This case is most relevant to upper-level undergraduate business students taking quality management, strategy and service management courses. It is also relevant to practitioners working in similar positions. The case is based on primary and secondary data, and all materials mentioned were taken from real work environments. Case overview In contemporary competitive markets, all entities face a growing challenge to retain customers by satisfying them. In this case study of Ajman Free Zone Authority (AFZA), which is a public entity which was started in 1988 with the aim of boosting industrial development in Ajman, it is seen that the entity (AFZA) recognized a competitive advantage by improving service quality. However, AFZA focused on implementing various service quality improvement initiatives for not only customers, but also for other stakeholders as well (e.g. employees, strategic partners, suppliers and society). AFZA sought to understand stakeholders' needs, which led to service excellence. The purpose of this case is to highlight how AFZA differentiated itself by using initiatives that focused on disparate stakeholders to achieve customer satisfaction. The concepts of service quality (SERVQUAL), total quality management (TQM) and continuous improvement offer insights into how to improve organizational performance. It highlights how AFZA used Stakeholder Theory to identify and then collaborate with stakeholders to attain best service quality outcomes. The case study is developed using both secondary and primary sources. Expected learning outcomes After reading and analysing this case study, the student will be able to identify stakeholders in a service-based entity; apply Deming's Cycle or SERVQUAL to suggest improvement programmes; describe relationships among all stakeholders; and describe initiatives that contribute to service excellence. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

The rise and decline of TQM in the NHS

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 499-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uche Nwabueze
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Sample Size ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to delineate the factors responsible for the decline of total quality management (TQM) in the National Health Service (NHS). It is suggested that if these factors were initially identified and eliminated prior to implementation, the decline of TQM as a strategy for improving the provision and delivery of quality patient care could have been prevented. Design/methodology/approach – The case study approach was chosen because it is the preferred method when “how” or “what” questions are being posed. It is applicable as is evident in this paper where the researcher has little control over events and when the focus is on a contemporary phenomenon within some real-life context. The case study enables the researcher to give an accurate rendition of actual events; it contributes uniquely to the knowledge of individual, organisational, social, and political phenomena. The semi-structured face-to-face interview constituted the main data collection technique of the research. Interviews were held with 23 quality management managers in the British NHS. The central focus of the interview was on “what” factors contributed to the rapid decline of TQM in the NHS. The respondents were chosen because they were directly involved with the implementation of TQM. They were in the vintage position to offer a full insight into the TQM initiative. The analysis of the case is based on Yin's analytic technique of explanation building. Findings – The decline of TQM in the NHS could have been prevented if top executives in hospitals had adopted the sequential steps to quality improvement: In the authors opinion, to land a man on the moon needed a belief in the possibility and breakthrough in the attitudes that viewed space travel as pure science fiction as opposed to a practical reality, and so it should have been with TQM in the NHS. However, the attitude of many NHS managers was that TQM was all right for “other institutions” because “they need it” whereas in the NHS, “we don’t”. This negative attitude should have been overcome if TQM was to be accepted as a corporate, all encompassing philosophy. Research limitations/implications – The limitation of the research may be the sample size of the respondents, which was limited to 23 quality managers that had hands-on experience and the leadership role to lead and implement TQM in the NHS. Future research may consider a broader sample size. It may also be considered for new research to use surveys to identify a broader set of reasons why TQM declined in the NHS. Practical implications – This paper is the first constructive insight to determine reasons for the decline of TQM in the NHS from the individuals who had the sole responsibility for implementation. Any other, group would have amounted to hearsay. Therefore, to constructively delineate the reasons for failure, it was pertinent to learn from the quality managers directly and to ensure that the reasons was representative of their experiences with TQM. The practical implication is to prepare future managers about how to avoid failure. Originality/value – The paper clearly suggests the systematic process required for effective implementation of TQM in a healthcare setting by identifying factors that must be avoided to ensure the successful and sustainable implementation of TQM.

scholarly journals Locally focused and digitally oriented: examining eco-museums' digitization in a service quality management perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rocco Palumbo ◽  
Maria Vincenza Ciasullo ◽  
Massimiliano Matteo Pellegrini ◽  
Andrea Caputo ◽  
Mario Turco
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Service Quality Management

PurposeEco-museums safeguard the cultural authenticity and the historical identity of the place in which they operate. Conventional organizational models and management practices are generally employed to achieve this institutional aim. Conversely, innovative solutions – such as digitization – are overlooked. Adopting a service quality management perspective, the article intends to examine the role of managerialization and professionalization in triggering eco-museums' digitization.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical analysis involving 126 eco-museums operating in Italy as of 2018 was designed to investigate the implications of managerialization and professionalization on the eco-museums' propensity to embark on a digitization process. Two different forms of digitization were examined: (1) the presence of eco-museums in the digital environment; and (2) the exploitation of digital tools for service delivery. The mediating role of two “soft” total quality management (TQM) practices, i.e. people centredness and strategic focus on visitors' experience, was contemplated in the empirical analysis.FindingsThe research findings suggest that managerialization and professionalization have ambiguous effects on eco-museums' digitization. Nevertheless, they indirectly contribute to a greater digital presence of eco-museums and to a larger use of digital tools for service delivery through an increased use of soft TQM practices.Research limitations/implicationsManagerialization and professionalization are likely to foster the digital transition of eco-museums, which advances their ability to protect and promote the local cultural heritage. Soft TQM practices intended to achieve people-centredness and to enhance the visitors' experience should be exploited to stimulate the eco-museums' digitization.Originality/valueThe article examines the triggers of eco-museums' digitization, providing some food for thought to scholars and practitioners.

25 years of quality management research – outlines and trends

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 208-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Carnerud
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reliability Management ◽  
Quality Costs ◽  
Probabilistic Topic Modeling ◽  
And Shifts ◽  
Innovation Practices

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and describe how research on quality management (QM) has evolved historically. The study includes the complete digital archive of three academic journals in the field of QM. Thereby, a unique depiction of how the general outlines of the field as well as trends in research topics have evolved through the years is presented. Design/methodology/approach The study applies cluster and probabilistic topic modeling to unstructured data from The International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, The TQM Journal and Total Quality Management & Business Excellence. In addition, trend analysis using support vector machine is performed. Findings The study identifies six central, perpetual themes of QM research: control, costs, reliability and failure; service quality; TQM – implementation and performance; ISO – certification, standards and systems; Innovation, practices and learning and customers – research and product design. Additionally, historical surges and shifts in research focus are recognized in the study. From these trends, a decrease in interest in TQM and control of quality, costs and processes in favor of service quality, customer satisfaction, Six Sigma, Lean and innovation can be noted during the past decade. The results validate previous findings. Originality/value Of the identified central themes, innovation, practices and learning appears not to have been documented as a fundamental part of QM research in previous studies. Thus, this theme can be regarded as a new perspective on QM research and thereby on QM.

Royal Transportation Management System – journey to success

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Fatima Mohsen Al Faqeeh ◽  
Syed Zamberi Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Small Business ◽  
Total Quality Management ◽  
Business Management ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Transportation Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Small Business Management ◽  
Management Concepts

Subject Area Total quality management, logistic, entrepreneurship, management and small business management. Study level/applicability The case is relevant for undergraduates specializing in business. The case incorporates courses such as entrepreneurship and small business management. Case overview This case study outlines the factors behind the success of the Royal Transportation Management Systems Company. This company was established in 2007 and has become one of the most successful valet parking companies in Abu Dhabi. The case study will also highlight the company's core concept which is quality as baseline towards success of the business and how this has influenced the success of the company. Expected learning outcomes The case can be used to understand management concepts in entrepreneurship, small business management, and total quality management concepts in the provision of high-quality services, and help students to understand marketing strategies for developing a successful small business. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Use of multiple methodologies for developing a customer-oriented model of total quality management in higher education

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeeta Sahney
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Total Quality Management ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Educational System ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Customers ◽  
Design Characteristics

Purpose – Educational institutes must embrace the principles of total quality management (TQM) if they seek to remain competitive, and survive and succeed in the long run. An educational institution must embrace the principles of quality management and incorporate them into all of their activities. Starting with a theoretical background, the paper outlines the results of a study conducted on both internal and external customers of the educational system, with select engineering and management institutes as foci of study. The study is an attempt toward developing an integrated customer-centric model of quality management in education, through the use of multiple methodologies so as to be able to evaluate service quality; prioritize improvement of service; and guide and develop educational services by incorporating the voice of the customer (VOC). The purpose of this paper is to establish the prioritization for improvement of service design of an educational system through incorporation of the VOC, be it internal or external customers, through the use of multiple methodologies, leading to generalization of results. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses multiple methodologies with various techniques for analysis through the application of the SERVQUAL; quality function deployment (QFD); interpretive structural modeling (ISM); and path analysis. The SERVQUAL was applied to identify the gap and determine the level of service quality. Following this, QFD, ISM and path analysis were used to identify the set of minimum design characteristics/quality components that would meet the requirements the various internal and external customers of the educational system. The QFD was used to identify the set of minimum design characteristics/quality components that meet the requirements of the various internal and external customers of the educational system. The ISM and path analysis were used to identify and prioritize the design characteristics/quality components that would meet the requirements the various internal and external customers of the educational system. Findings – The findings from the various techniques were amalgamated, and proposed as an integrated model of TQM in higher education. The study helped identify with a customer perspective, the quality components which would help design TQM for higher education institutions in India. Research limitations/implications – The paper could be useful to government bodies, funding agencies, policy makers and administrators in developing a system that could lead to satisfaction of both internal and external customers of the educational system. Originality/value – The study includes within its scope the varied customers of the educational system, namely, internal and external customers of the educational system; the internal customers being the faculty and the administrative staff, and the external customers being the students and the industry (as the employer). This is yet to be seen in other research studies. Also, the integration of the multiple tools and their application to the field of higher education in India, has not yet been made available in the literature.

scholarly journals Total Quality Management & Service Sector

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 880-884
Author(s):  
Afnan Atiah Alsolamy ◽  
Khulood Salem Albeladi ◽  
Syed Hamid Hasan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Total Quality Management ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Quality Service ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Increasing Demand

The following paper highlights the domination of quality service and adaptation of Total Quality Management in the service Industry. It tries to explain that along with the increasing awareness in the society in respect to culture, education and the living standard, there is an increasing demand for quality service. It is one of the factors that is forcing the service industry to adopt TQM (total quality management) as the measures to improving quality of service. It has been observed that TQM is being accepted increasingly in the last decade by the service sector which clearly signifies that service quality is treated as a crucial factor for survival, Success & growth by the companies. This has led to an increased interest in service quality recently, and TQM concepts increasingly being applied in literature for service sector

Adopting total quality management to enhance service delivery in medical records

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Adjei ◽  
Monica Mensah
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Total Quality Management ◽  
Medical Records ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Quality Of Services ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which total quality management (TQM) initiatives can improve the quality of services delivery at the medical records unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) to help meet the expectations and aspirations of patients and customers of the hospital. Design/methodology/approach This research adopted the survey strategy as its research design. The total study population consisted of 114 medical records staff of the KBTH. Questionnaires and personal observations were employed as the data collection instruments. The study recorded a response rate of 98 per cent. Data gathered from respondents were analysed in qualitative terms. Findings The overall finding of this study was that, although the medical records department of the KBTH had a fair degree of understanding on the benefits of TQM to records management service delivery, the exiting values for TQM did not meet the framework of good TQM practice, principles and standards. Research limitations/implications Even though the subjects for the study were from the biggest hospital in Ghana, the findings of this study may not be generalised to the whole country. Practical implications The study has demonstrated the need for the medical records department of the KBTH to have and develop good TQM standards to improve the quality of services to patients and varied customers of the hospital. Originality/value The literature reviewed indicated that this study is a maiden attempt to examine how TQM initiatives including sensitivity, customer satisfaction, commitment of top management, team work, effective leadership and participatory management, people development and effective and open communication can improve the quality of medical records service delivery at the KBTH in Ghana.

scholarly journals From quality control to TQM, service quality and service sciences: a 30-year review of TQM literature

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Kuang Chen ◽  
Lidia Reyes ◽  
Jens Dahlgaard ◽  
Su Mi Dahlgaard-Park
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Total Quality Management ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Publications ◽  
Business Excellence ◽  
Culture Characteristics ◽  
Key Terms

Purpose This paper aims to review total quality management (TQM) literature in the past three decades to identify the quality related key terms, to analyse their linkage among the identified key terms and their developmental trends. Design/methodology/approach Bibliometric and statistical methods are used to analyse article titles published in the Total Quality and Business Excellence journal during 1990–2019. The current research is based on a search from the ProQuest academic database and the journal’s website, resulting in 2,452 articles collected. The VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel were then used for the analyses. Findings A total of 52 key terms were extracted from the journal’s 2,452 article titles, the top three key terms in terms of occurrences were “quality,” “total quality management” and “service quality.” Five themes were then proposed from clustering the 52 key terms: “frameworks/models,” “essentials/enablers,” “methods/techniques,” “culture/characteristics” and “effects/results.” Trend analyses were also conducted regarding the five themes in an attempt to highlight the patterns of research publications from 1990 to 2019. It is found that the research publications for “essentials/enablers,” “methods and techniques” and “effects/results” have steadily increased during the analysis period, while “frameworks/models” and “culture/characteristic” have slightly decreased. These insights provide implication for the historical evolution of quality from “quality control,” “total quality management” and “service quality,” combining with the development of “service sciences.” Originality/value This paper highlights the concept of quality since its meaning has changed and evolved over time from quality control, TQM to service quality. And it is emerging in the present and future development of service sciences because of both of TQM and service sciences having the same nature of multidisciplinary background and characteristics. Also the authors can conclude that quality and service sciences are in fact two sides of the same coin because both of them having the same duality of “tangible-intangible” and “physical-virtual” faces which are the important topics that TQM should focus on.

The influence of culture on quality management practices and their effects on perceived service quality by secondary school students

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-65
Author(s):  
José Soria-García ◽  
Ángel Rafael Martínez-Lorente
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Quality Culture

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how quality culture influences the relationship between total quality management (TQM) and secondary school students’ perceived service quality (PSQ). Design/methodology/approach The authors underpin research to analyse the effect of quality culture and TQM practices on PSQ. The sample included questionnaires completed by 268 teachers and 559 students from 56 secondary schools in the Murcia Region (Spain). The proposed model comprises an exogenous construct (quality culture) and three endogenous ones (two constructs represent the TQM model’s infrastructure practices and core practices, whereas one represents PSQ), and specifies the relations among them. The authors used the variance-based structural equation modeling technique and the partial least squares estimation method to test the hypotheses. Findings Its empirical analysis reveals that the quality culture influences the effectiveness of QM practices by suggesting a significant strong effect on infrastructure and core quality practices. In turn, the analysis reveals that these two QM aspects differently have an impact on PSQ. Finally, the mediation analysis results reveal the indirect significant impact of the quality culture on PSQ through the mediator effect of QM practices. Originality/value The main contribution of this work is to theoretically explain and empirically prove some mechanisms by which education centers can develop and implement a total quality initiative. The findings provide ideas for management teams about how to personalize TQM practices to achieve optimum performance outcomes.

The Quality Of Service Delivery In Zimbabwean Urban Councils: A Case Study Of Bindura Municipality 2009 To 2011.

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denhere Webster ◽  
Tafirei Felex ◽  
Onias Zivanai ◽  
Muchingami Lovemore
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Service ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Structured Interviews

The study sought to assess the quality of service delivery in Zimbabwean urban councils using Bindura Municipality as a case study. The objectives of the study were to establish the levels of service quality, determine the challenges that hindered quality service delivery, analyse the service quality management strategies and propose suitable strategies Bindura municipality can adopt to enhance service quality delivery.A descriptive survey design was used and questionnaires and structured interviews were used as data collection instruments. A sample of 300 householdswas drawn from the municipality rate payers’ data base. The population was stratified into low, medium and high density residents. Systematic random sampling was used to draw the participants in each stratum. Ten interviews were conducted with senior management using convenience sampling and documentary evidence was generated from menus, minutes and reports. The major findings were that the quality of service delivery was generally poor. This was mainly attributed to inadequate and disintegrated service delivery and management strategies. In addition human resource issues, poor governance structures and political interferences were causes of concern. It was concluded that the quality of service delivery by Bindura Municipality fell far short of residents’ expectations.The study recommended that for effective service delivery the municipality should among other strategies, adopt blue printing and total quality management. 

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