Investigating the role of EFQM enablers in innovation performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Katerina Gotzamani

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework to investigate how the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model enablers influence the four types (product, process, organizational and marketing) of innovation performance of a manufacturing firm. Design/methodology/approach The study uses survey data from a sample of 580 manufacturing firms in Greece and employs structural equation modeling to test the developed hypotheses. Findings The results reveal that enablers of the EFQM model are either directly or indirectly associated with the four types of innovation. Furthermore, the findings show that it is essential for a firm to manage all the facilitating enablers included in the EFQM model, since they cannot boost innovation when implemented in isolation. Research limitations/implications The sample is limited to one country (Greece). In addition, researchers have to assess the same relationships considering the effect of external factors such as environmental uncertainty. The potential consequences of enablers on innovation performance may be mediated by customer or people results. Practical implications The empirical findings of the present study help managers to develop the appropriate quality strategies and allocate the respective resources according to the desired type of innovation. Originality/value Based on the multi-dimensional structure of quality, this empirical study determines the contribution of EFQM model enablers to specific innovation performance dimensions of manufacturing companies.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mantas Vilkas ◽  
Inga Stankevice ◽  
Rimantas Rauleckas

PurposeCumulative capability models are dominating frameworks explaining how manufacturing organizations gain their performance capabilities, such as quality, delivery, flexibility and cost. When innovation capabilities are excluded from the framework, the models are incapable of explaining how companies sustain substantive capabilities in a changing environment. Responding to this gap, the purpose of this paper is to propose and test a “sand cone” cumulative capability model that includes the innovation competitive performance alongside the competitive performance of quality, delivery flexibility and cost.Design/methodology/approachTwo competing cumulative models were proposed. The extended cumulative capability model hypothesizes the development of innovation in sequence with other competitive performance dimensions. The affected with innovation cumulative model hypothesizes innovation performance as a predecessor of other performance dimensions. The models were tested using a multimethod approach on a representative sample of 500 manufacturing companies. An analysis of correlations among competitive performance, frequencies of plants following prescribed sequences, fit statistics of covariance-based structural equation modeling and analysis of strength and statistical significance of path coefficients enabled us to select a model that best represents the collected data.FindingsThe findings reveal that innovation competitive performance operates as a predecessor of quality, delivery, flexibility and cost and is developed in relation to these performance dimensions. The modified model also provides a theoretical explanation of how innovation performance helps to sustain reliable production systems that can perform consistently over time within a tolerable range of quality, delivery, flexibility and cost performance.Practical implicationsThe results are significant for practitioners, especially for companies that are operating in volatile environments because the results provide insight on how to develop innovation competitive performance in relation to quality, delivery, flexibility and cost performance.Originality/valueThis study extends the cumulative capability models with innovation competitive performance. It advances the contingency approach on cumulative capability models.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-213
Author(s):  
Fahri Özsungur

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between mobbing and service innovation performance. In this context, the mediating role of boreout, a new concept in the literature, was examined. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted with 240 participants recruited in manufacturing companies affiliated with Adana Chamber of Industry in the province of Adana Turkey in November 2019. The research was analyzed by the structural equation modeling method with the social exchange theory basis. Findings Findings revealed that boreout and mobbing were negatively associated with service innovation performance. Mobbing was positively associated with boreout and job boredom. According to the finding of this study, boreout partially mediated the effect of the mobbing on service innovation performance. Originality/value This study reveals the association among mobbing, boreout and service innovation performances of employees of companies operating in manufacturing sector. The findings of this study provide important practical knowledge to businesses and academics regarding the field of management, entrepreneurship and innovation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Bahjat Abdallah ◽  
Samer Eid Dahiyat ◽  
Yoshiki Matsui

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of innovation orientation (IO) on both the implementation levels of soft and hard lean management (LM), as well as innovation performance. It also aims at exploring the effects of soft and hard LM on innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach The study analyzes survey data collected as a part of a high-performance manufacturing (HPM) project from 238 international manufacturing companies in eight countries and three industries. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were applied to assess construct validity. The study hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Findings The results demonstrated that innovation-oriented companies tend to adopt aspects of both soft and hard LM. However, the results revealed an insignificant effect of soft and hard LM on innovation performance. The study also showed that innovation performance is positively influenced by an IO. These results indicate that having an IO is vital for enhancing both LM as well as innovation performance. They also evidently suggest that LM is more related to continuous improvement (incremental innovation) rather than (radical) innovation and, as such, is not important for firm’s intent on enhancing their innovation performance. Practical implications The current study demonstrates that IO and LM are complementary and not contradicting strategies. The two strategies share many cultural aspects, similarities and commonalities. However, LM is not sufficient to predict innovation performance. Managers of the surveyed manufacturing firms are advised to focus on IO, as it has beneficial impacts on both LM (continuous improvement initiatives) as well as innovation performance. This clearly indicates that placing the emphasis upon radical (innovative) improvement rather than incremental improvement (LM practices) is believed to support continuous and innovative improvement alike. Originality/value The relationship between LM and innovation is debated in the existing literature, but the debate is characterized by a lack of empirical evidence. This is one of the first studies that empirically investigates the relationships between IO, LM and innovation performance. It identifies some new insights to direct future research, particularly regarding different innovation types as well as in service organizations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 486-502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joaquín Gómez Gómez ◽  
Micaela Martínez Costa ◽  
Angel R. Martínez Lorente

Purpose – The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model is widely used as a management tool in companies. Consequently, it is of great importance to understand the relationships within it, and inform managers about appropriate ways to manage events in order to get the desired results in general, and for specific interest groups (stakeholders). The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper analyzes the internal relationships of the EFQM model using empirical data from a sample of 199 Spanish companies. Four managers in each company were interviewed, to eliminate single respondent bias. Structural equation modeling is used for the analysis. Findings – The results obtained from the empirical analysis provide evidence of an underlying logic in the EFQM model that does not match the official model. New significant relationships between the enablers and results not considered in the official model have been found. Research limitations/implications – The study focusses on Spanish industrial companies with 50-500 workers and uses a cross-sectional design. Practical implications – Managers should look at the EFQM model as a tool for finding their own way to excellence, but it is not a precise map, because the model may have some problems of definition. Managers should introduce its elements only after deep reflection on its benefit for their company. Originality/value – Despite the previous research on this issue, there is still no clear consensus. Relationships that are not reflected in the theoretical model have been identified.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 856-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitrios Kafetzopoulos ◽  
Evangelos Psomas ◽  
Dimitris Skalkos

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the dimensions of innovation on manufacturing firm performance taking into consideration the moderating role of environmental uncertainty among these relationships. Design/methodology/approach A research study was carried out using a sample of 580 Greek manufacturing firms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied to extract and validate the latent factors. K-means cluster analysis was also applied in order to group the responding firms. Finally, the structural relationships among the latent factors were determined through structural equation modeling. Findings According to the study findings, only three dimensions of innovation performance directly contributes to business performance. Moreover, this paper shows the differential effects of firm innovativeness on business performance under the influence of environmental uncertainty. Research limitations/implications The sample of the responding firms which is limited to the Greek manufacturing sector and the subjective business evidence coming from only one firm representative constitute the main limitations of the present study. Practical implications Firms can properly manage innovation dimensions. In case of high uncertainty, they should focus on product, marketing and process innovation, while in case of low uncertainty the focus should be on process, organization and product innovation. Originality/value Based on the multi-dimensional structure, this empirical study determines the contribution of innovation performance to business performance taking into consideration the role of environmental uncertainty as moderator on this relationship.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 3061-3078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noorlailie Soewarno ◽  
Bambang Tjahjadi ◽  
Febrina Fithrianti

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore whether green innovation strategy has a positive effect on green innovation. Furthermore, this study investigates whether both green organizational identity and environmental organizational legitimacy mediate the relationship between green innovation strategy and green innovation. Design/methodology/approach This study is designed as a quantitative research using questionnaires to collect data and employing a variance-based or partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses. Findings The empirical results show that green innovation strategy positively affects green innovation. This study also demonstrates that green innovation strategy positively affects green innovation indirectly via green organizational identity and environmental organizational legitimacy in manufacturing companies in Indonesia as a developing country. This study suggests that firms should develop green innovation strategy and it must be reflected as green organizational identity to get environmental organizational legitimacy, and then firms will achieve a better green innovation performance. Research limitations/implications This study has the following limitations. First, a structural equation modeling is used as an approach to test the hypotheses and this may raise the issue of causality. Second, although examining the antecedents of green innovation, this study does not investigate its consequences. Third, the sample size used in this study is relatively small and limited to companies in the Surabaya Industrial Estate Rungkut, Indonesia. Finally, this study employs a cross-sectional survey and the data obtained are based on the Likert scales that may raise the issue of perception bias of the sampled managers. Practical implications The results of this study suggest that managers need to verify the roles of green organizational identity and environmental organizational legitimacy in their companies. In the era of environmentally conscious society, managers need to start with developing a green innovation strategy. However, managers also need to understand that having a strategy is not sufficient enough to directly enhance green innovation performance. Managers need to seek approaches on how to cultivate a strong green organizational identity and use the identity to get environmental organizational legitimacy from the stakeholders. Social implications This research model and results provide the empirical evidence of the importance of green innovation and its antecedents, namely, a green innovation strategy, green organizational identity and environmental organizational legitimacy. When manufacturing companies in Indonesia implement this model of managing environmental issues, the society will get more benefits in terms of the reduction of environmental degradation, the availability of more green products and programs, the improvements in resource efficiencies and economic development and the enhancement of the quality of life. Originality/value A research framework exploring the mediating roles of green organizational identity and environmental organizational legitimacy on green innovation strategy–green innovation relationship is developed to provide the empirical evidence for the organizational identity theory and the organizational legitimacy theory. This study also provides practical implications for managers who are facing the environmental awareness business environment. If they want to achieve a better green innovation performance, managers should enhance their awareness in managing the antecedents of green innovation performance, namely, green innovation strategy, green organizational identity and environmental organizational legitimacy.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhavi Kapoor ◽  
Vijita Aggarwal

Purpose This study aims to investigate the relationship among knowledge transfer enablers, knowledge transfer process, absorptive capacity and innovation performance in the context of Indian international joint ventures (IJVs). These elements are woven with the thread of dynamic capabilities theory (DCT) into an integrated framework. Design/methodology/approach Data analysis is conducted on a quantitative survey of 196 IJVs with partial least squares structural equation modeling as the statistical technique. Findings Co-learning strategy, collaborative trust culture, information technology-based resources and systems and organizational structural design are found to be significant knowledge transfer enablers. Absorptive capacity has a complementary partial mediation effect on the positive relationship between knowledge transfer and innovation performance of Indian IJVs. Research limitations/implications The study has pioneered in explicating the criticality of IJV’s internal dynamics to cope with the global market dynamism in a much needed Indian context. Practitioners must focus on building dynamic capabilities in IJVs to make them sustainably competitive, as proposed and evaluated by this study. Further, IJV managers need to strategize their resources, routines and structure dynamically to foster knowledge transfer and innovativeness. Originality/value The comprehensive model on DCT offered by this study is rare to match in literature with a completely new context, which is the need of the hour.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mohammad Ali Fahimi ◽  
Grzegorz Zimon ◽  
Saeid Homayoun

Purpose This study aims to analyze the literature on knowledge management on intellectual capital, social capital and its contribution to Iranian companies’ innovation. Design/methodology/approach To investigate knowledge management’s relationship on intellectual capital, social capital and innovation, using structural equation modeling based on data collected from 205 chief executive officers, production managers and marketing managers of Iranian companies. The research instrument is a standard questionnaire consisting of 109 questions in which 5 of them are demographic questions, 26 questions were asked to reveal the knowledge management process, 40 questions for intellectual capital, 21 for social capital and 17 for innovation. Findings The results show that knowledge management has a positive and significant relationship between intellectual capital and social capital. Knowledge management did not have a significant effect on innovation. However, intellectual capital and social capital have a significant effect on innovation. On the other hand, knowledge management mediated by intellectual capital and social capital has a positive and significant indirect effect on innovation. Originality/value The paper includes the implications for developing knowledge management and intellectual, social capital leading to innovation in manufacturing companies. Knowledge management can improve the innovation performance of a company if it is shared and applied effectively. This study addresses an important subject and the findings may be used by professionals and managers or another person interested in advancing knowledge management that leads to innovation.


2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristóbal Sánchez‐Rodríguez ◽  
David Hemsworth ◽  
Ángel R. Martínez‐Lorente

PurposeSupply chain management is an increasingly important organizational concern, and proper management of supplier relationships constitutes one essential element of supply chain success. However, there is little empirical research that has tested the effect of supplier development on performance. The main objective is to analyze the effect of supplier development practices with different levels of implementation complexity on the firm's purchasing performance.Design/methodology/approachThree supplier development constructs were defined: basic supplier development, moderate supplier development, and advanced supplier development. Three structural models were hypothesized and tested using structural equation modeling through field research on a sample of 306 manufacturing companies in Spain.FindingsIdentified important interrelationships among the various supplier development practices, basic, moderate, and advanced. Also indicated that the implementation of supplier development practices significantly contributes to the prediction of purchasing performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of a single key informant could be seen as a potential limitation of the study. The study was a cross‐sectional and descriptive sample of the manufacturing industry at a given point in time. A more stringent test of the relationships between the different levels of supplier development and performance requires a longitudinal study, or field experiment.Practical implicationsThis study focused on supplier development practices and revealed how involving suppliers in supplier development activities is important and may help buyers to increase their purchasing performance. The findings from the structural analysis should provide practicing managers with insights on how these practices and their benefits are related in terms of purchasing performance, thus affecting their ability to make better sourcing decisions.Originality/valueFills an important gap in the purchasing literature with respect to the area of supplier development. While there is much written about supplier development based on conceptual and case study research, this study is unique in that it is the first attempt to empirically model the relationships between different levels of supplier development and their impact on purchasing performance using a comprehensive set of practices.


2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 334-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisher Tohirovich Dedahanov ◽  
Changjoon Rhee ◽  
Junghyun Yoon

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of innovative behavior on the relationships between organizational structure, such as centralization, formalization, integration, and organizational innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from 140 functional managers of manufacturing organizations in the Republic of Korea. The authors used structural equation modeling procedure to evaluate the validity of proposed hypotheses. Findings The results suggest that innovative behavior mediates the links among centralization, formalization, and organizational innovation performance. However, the findings indicate that innovative behavior does not mediate the relationship between integration and organizational innovation performance. Originality/value This work is the first to examine the mediating role of innovative behavior on the associations among centralization, integration, and organizational innovation performance.


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