The impact of quality management systems on the performance of manufacturing firms

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios P. Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Evangelos L. Psomas ◽  
Katerina D. Gotzamani
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Iso 9001 ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide additional evidence of the impact of ISO 9001 effectiveness on three dimensions of a firm’s performance, namely product quality, operational performance and business performance. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis includes an initial exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM), in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model. A sample of 287 ISO 9001 certified Greek manufacturing firms is used for this purpose. Findings – According to the study findings, ISO 9001 effectiveness directly contributes to product quality and operational performance. Although it has no direct impact on manufacturing firms’ business performance, it has an indirect impact through the moderator of operational performance. Research limitations/implications – The sample of the responding manufacturing companies is limited to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from one country (Greece). In addition, the effects of the internal business environment and endogenous business factors have not been assessed through the present study. Practical implications – The study offers clear implications for managers who focus on elements that will increase the ISO 9001 effectiveness and desire to choose strategies, allocate resources and improve their firm’s performance. Originality/value – The present study contributes to the literature gap aiming at examining the degree to which ISO 9001 effectiveness influences the performance of certified firms. The concept of “ISO 9001 effectiveness” is introduced as the extent to which its prescribed quality objectives are met.

The impact of innovation capability on the performance of manufacturing companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Evangelos Psomas
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Innovation Capability ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide additional evidence of the impact of innovation on three dimensions of a firm’s performance, namely product quality, operational performance and financial performance. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis includes an initial exploratory factor analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model. A sample of 233 Greek manufacturing firms is used for this purpose. Findings – According to the study findings, “innovation capability” directly contributes to product quality and operational performance. Although it has no direct impact on manufacturing firms’ financial performance, it has an indirect impact through the moderator of operational performance. Thus, innovation is an opportunity for a manufacturing firm to improve its performance. Research limitations/implications – The sample of the responding manufacturing companies is limited to small and medium-sized enterprises from one country (Greece). In addition, manufacturing firms from different sectors have different resources, capabilities and performance. Practical implications – The study offers clear implications for managers who should put additional emphasis on innovation as it is an important element for achieving improved overall firm performance and sustainable competitive power. Originality/value – Based on the multi-dimensional structure of innovation, this empirical study determines the contribution of “innovation capability” to specific performance dimensions of manufacturing companies.

The impact of employees’ attributes on the quality of food products

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 500-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios P. Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Katerina D. Gotzamani ◽  
Evangelos L. Psomas
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the importance of specific, quality-related employees’ attributes to the enhancement of product quality in food companies. The main goal is to examine the synergistic relationships between specific employees’ attributes, which have been related in literature to ISO 9000 successful implementation, to continuous improvement, operational performance and product quality. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis includes an initial exploratory factor analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, in order to investigate the relations between the constructs of the proposed model. Findings – The findings reveal that although the examined quality-related “employees’ attributes” do not directly contribute to “product quality”, they influence both “continuous improvement” and “operational performance” of food firms. The results also confirm the impact of both “continuous improvement” and “operational performance” on “product quality” and also that “continuous improvement” helps explain “operational performance”. Research limitations/implications – The domain in which the model has been validated, the restricted use of moderators in the model and lack of empirical validation of the model in non-food sector companies, based on various respondents from each company, are a number of limitations associated with this study which suggest future research proposals. Practical implications – The findings of this study can motivate managers of food companies to focus on certain quality-related employees’ attributes in order to boost continuous improvement of ISO 9001 systems and operational performance of their companies, leading to product quality enhancement. Originality/value – This study finds particular relevance in emphasizing that although specific quality-related employees’ attributes, as these are detected in literature, have a significant contribution towards continuous improvement and operational performance, they are not the only critical factor leading to product quality. More complex relationships need to be considered by integrating other constructs as major antecedents of food product quality.

Antecedents of women entrepreneurs’ performance: an empirical perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Jha ◽  
Md. Moddassir Alam
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study investigates the antecedents of women entrepreneurs’ performance in an emerging economy. Based on the review of extant literature, six antecedents of women entrepreneurs’ performance, namely, motivation, networking, socio-cultural, business environment, training and development, and financials were proposed and subsequently empirically examined.Design/methodology/approachGaps in the literature were identified, based on which the theoretical background of the study was formulated. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were applied to confirm the factor-item structure. The impact of explanatory variables was investigated using the structural equation modeling (SEM) based path analysis.FindingsThe study concludes that motivation, networking, socio-cultural, business environment, training and development, and financials have a significant positive influence on the performance of the women entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThere is a dearth of quality research that holistically investigates the key antecedents of performance among women entrepreneurs. Most existing studies have not considered the possible antecedents of performance concomitantly. Additionally, the relationships have been measured individually rather than at the construct level. Further, a majority of the existing studies investigating the performance of women entrepreneurs have been confined to settings within developed countries. By providing insight into the antecedents of women entrepreneurs’ performance elsewhere, the present study attempts to bridge these identified gaps. This study is expected to advance the knowledge about the factors influencing the performance of women entrepreneurs in emerging economies such as India. These insights will likely be valuable when creating policies related to this crucial aspect of economic development.

Improving business processes or human resources? The performance implications and contingencies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Li ◽  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Zhiqiang Wang ◽  
Lujie Chen
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Maturity Stage ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine both the separate effects and the interaction effects of business process improvement (BPI) and human resource enhancement (HRE) on operational performance in manufacturing firms and to examine the moderating effect of product life cycle (PLC).Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model was based on the resource-based view, the dynamic capabilities perspective and contingency theory. Using survey data from 215 manufacturing companies and structural equation modeling, the hypothesized relationships were tested.FindingsThe empirical findings suggest that the performance implications of HRE and the interaction of HRE and BPI are contingent on PLC. HRE and its interaction with BPI have stronger effects on operational performance in the maturity stage than in the growth stage. The effect of BPI on operational performance is equally important in both stages of PLC.Practical implicationsThe results of this empirical study can help to guide manufacturing firms to enhance their performance through improvements in their business processes and human resources at the different life cycle stages of their products. First, firms should upgrade both their processes and people to keep pace with the changing business environment and to sustain their competitive advantage. Second, the performance implications of improving processes and people are contingent on PLC, which suggests that managers should emphasize different things according to their roles.Originality/valueA simultaneous examination of the performance implications of HRE and BPI practices and their contingencies reveals the roles that people and processes play in achieving organizational objectives. The results contribute to our understanding of how firms leverage their resource allocation between processes and people at different stages of PLC to effectively improve their performance.

Evolution of top management’s understanding of product quality in Eastern Europe since the end of communism

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-100
Author(s):  
Svetoslav Georgiev ◽  
Emil Georgiev
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Product Quality ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Doing Business ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the evolution of top management’s understanding of product quality in Bulgaria since the end of communism. The study examines three specific areas: top management’s understanding of the term “quality”; top management’s understanding of the relationship between quality and business performance; and top management’s understanding of the impact of job position on quality. Design/methodology/approach The paper relies on a quantitative research approach by using data from a survey of 186 companies in Bulgaria. Findings The paper suggests that senior managers in Bulgaria continue to base their understanding of “quality” on a single approach (*a characteristic of the communist era), with the product-based and the user-based approaches currently being the two most common ones. At the same time, surprisingly enough, this study claims that senior management in Bulgaria is currently well aware of the importance of quality as a dimension of firm’s competitiveness, and is also highly conscious of its roles’ impact on product quality. Research limitations/implications The results of this study are exclusively based on the case of Bulgaria and must be treated with caution in the case of other former communist states from the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region. Practical implications This paper has relevance for both managers and companies doing business in Eastern Europe. Originality/value This is the first paper to provide detailed analysis of the evolution of the understanding of “product quality” in CEE since the end of communism. Moreover, this paper applies, for the first time, Garvin’s five approaches to defining quality within a practical context.

Evaluating the impact of human resource planning programs in addressing the strategic goal of the firm

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 659-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debarun Chakraborty ◽  
Wendrila Biswas
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Analysis And Design ◽  
Succession Plan ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Strategic Goal

Purpose Today, the employees stand firm as an integral part of the organization and are a precious asset. They are willing to learn, accept challenges and strive hard to deliver their level best. The role of the employees has become pronounced and significant, and it is no more conventional. They are now taking up responsibilities in strategic planning and development of the organization. Thus, HR department plays a profuse role in planning for the human resource of the firm to optimize the utilization of their potentials that would help support and meet the business as well as strategic goal of the firm. These HR planning programs ensure managing people within a planned framework and make them develop their performance that becomes a source of sustained competitive advantage for the firm. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive research has been conducted with cross-sectional survey through a formalized questionnaire. Multistage sampling has been used in the study. Primary data have been collected from different manufacturing industries of India. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis have been conducted on the hypothesized research model. Structural equation modeling has been done to specify the relation between the measured and latent variables. Findings The HR planning programs, namely, staffing plan and succession plan, yield a better result in addressing the strategic goal of the company. Succession plan, staffing plan and talent management strategies augment the efficacious performance of the firm. Effectual performance aids in gaining a competitive advantage for the firm in a substantial way. Job analysis and design have no impact in achieving the strategic intent of the organization. Originality/value The study gives a comprehensive scenario of the HR planning programs that can help the organization to meet and uphold their strategic goals. The study provides a model that can solidify and bind the organization toward securing organizational intent and leading a steadfast business process in this dynamic competitive marketplace.

AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING PRACTICES AND INNOVATION PERFORMANCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Hami ◽  
M.R. Muhammad ◽  
Z. Ebrahim
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This study analyzes the causal relationship between sustainable manufacturing practice (SMP) and environmental sustainability as well as determines the mediating effect of innovation performance (IP) on the relationship between SMP and environmental sustainability. Adaptation from the changing business environment, manufacturing firms are facing great challenge on producing more products with less resource consumption, pollution emitted and waste generated. Using structural equation modeling, the survey data collected from 150 Malaysian manufacturing firms has been analyzed in this study. The empirical results show that both types of SMP have a positive and significant impact on environmental sustainability with external SMP is greater than internal SMP. However, there is no significant evidence to prove IP as a mediator for SMP-environmental sustainability linkage. The findings of this paper have important implication in both theoretical and practical perspectives. While provide better understanding of the phenomena by simultaneously analyzing a series of dependence relationships among SMP, IP and environmental sustainability, these results could help managers to understand the types of practices that would improve their environmental performance.  

Analyzing the post-harvest supply chain enablers of vertical integration for rural employability and marketability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahul Priyadarshi ◽  
Srikanta Routroy ◽  
Girish Kant
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Vertical Integration ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Value Addition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze the post-harvest supply chain enablers (PHSCEs) for vertical integration to enhance rural employability, farmer profitability and rural produce marketability (i.e. market prospects) in the post-harvest supply chain (PHSC). The impact of vertical integration is also explored for various commercial produces. Design/methodology/approach A structural equation modeling (SEM) of PHSCEs for vertical integration was developed to enhance market prospects, rural employability and farmer profitability. The impact of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer market prospects are explored in various dimensions for stakeholders such as farmers, manufacturers (processors), distributors and retailers. The fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (F-TOPSIS) was used to prioritize these PHSCEs to improve market prospects and rural employability. Findings The PHSCEs are clustered into three groups, namely, initiatives at the strategic frontier, initiatives at the tactical frontier and concerns for rural employability via vertical integration using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and SEM to prove the null hypothesis. With F-TOPSIS results, the availability of warehousing was found to be the most crucial enabler when observing the PHSCEs from the initiatives’ perspective. The technology adaptability and availability, institute for training and research and information infrastructure and information visibility were found to be the key PHSCEs when observed from PHSC stakeholders’ perspectives. Research limitations/implications The implementation of this study will improve the rural produce marketability, rural employability, B2B marketing (i.e. effective distribution) and subsequent value chains with the practice of vertical integration for fresh produce at the rural level. Practical implications The outcomes of this study have a key role in developing the rural regions and improving rural livelihoods via value addition. The awareness of commercial cultivation and value addition in rural areas needs to be improved. This will help farmers to earn better revenues with improved market prospects in comparison to the revenues obtained from the cultivation of staple/conventional crops. Originality/value In an era of cold chains and food processing, this study aims to disseminate awareness about value addition for commercial and fresh produces at the rural level. The implication of this study will improve rural produce marketability, rural employability and farmer profitability at the rural level with the level of vertical integration.

Chasing productivity demands, worker well-being, and firm performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (9) ◽  
pp. 1823-1843
Author(s):  
Mastura Ab Wahab ◽  
Ekrem Tatoglu
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Flexible Work Arrangements ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of chasing productivity demands on worker well-being and firm performance in manufacturing firms in Malaysia. Flexible work arrangements and human resources support are used as moderators to mitigate the adverse impacts associated with chasing productivity demands.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 213 workers from manufacturing firms through a survey questionnaire utilizing structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings of the study show that flexible work arrangements play a significant role in moderating the relationship between chasing productivity demands and well-being, and between chasing productivity demands and firm performance. The study also shows that flexible work arrangements are important to buffer the adverse effects of chasing productivity demands on worker well-being. In addition, flexible work arrangements strengthen the positive effect of worker well-being on firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study highlights the importance of flexible work arrangements in overcoming the negative impact of the relationship between chasing productivity demands and worker well-being and strengthening the positive impact of the relationship between worker well-being and firm performance.Originality/valueThis study has extended the variable of chasing productivity demands in the existing literature on the job demands–job control model, specifically in manufacturing firms.

scholarly journals Environmental scanning, supply chain integration, responsiveness, and operational performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 787-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wantao Yu ◽  
Roberto Chavez ◽  
Mark Jacobs ◽  
Chee Yew Wong ◽  
Chunlin Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Supply Chain Integration ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Environmental Scanning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Processing Theory ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose It remains unclear how environmental scanning (ES) can generate firm performance through supply chain management (SCM) practices. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of ES on operational performance through supply chain integration (SCI) and supply chain responsiveness (SCR). Design/methodology/approach The scanning–interpretation–action–performance (SIAP) model and organization information processing theory (OIPT) are used to explain the ES–SCI–SCR–performance (S–I–A–P) relationships, which were tested by structural equation modeling of survey data of 329 manufacturing firms in China. Findings The results indicate that ES has a significant positive effect on SCI and SCR. SCI is significantly and positively related to SCR. SCR partially mediates the relationship between ES and operational performance, and fully mediates the relationship between SCI and operational performance. Practical implications Supply chain managers should collaborate with senior executives to obtain signals from ES activities, as input for building SCI and SCR and use SCI as a joint interpretation mechanism of ES signals for developing SCR to reap operational advantages in the rapidly changing business environment. Originality/value Strategic management academics and practitioners have explicitly emphasized the importance of ES in developing strategic plans but are unsure about the role of SCM in creating operational advantages through ES. Using the SIAP model, this study theorizes and demonstrates how SCI and SCR transform signals from ES into operational performance. In doing so, a more precise application of OIPT is explicated in the supply chain context.

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