Relationship between Continuous Improvement and Internal Process Performance; the Role of Management Support

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze e-procurement in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and its relationship with top management support, IT obstacles and strategic purchasing and the effect of e-procurement on performance (procurement performance and business performance). Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses were tested using a sample of 199 managers from SMEs in manufacturing. Findings The results indicated a significant relationship between e-procurement in SMEs and top management support, IT obstacles and strategic purchasing. Similarly, the authors found a positive relationship between e-procurement and procurement process performance and business performance. Practical implications The findings stress to SME managers, the need to pay attention to top management support, IT obstacles and strategic purchasing when implementing e-procurement. Similarly, it provides evidence of the benefits of e-procurement on procurement process performance and business performance. Originality/value This study fills a gap in the literature regarding e-procurement in SMEs and its impact on performance. SMEs constitute a significant part of today’s economies and e-procurement can significantly impact the performance of these organizations.

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Moscow's China-watchers in the Post-Mao Era: The Response to a Changing China

The China Quarterly ◽

10.1017/s0305741000016489 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 94 ◽

pp. 215-241 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Gilbert Rozman

Keyword(s):

Internal Process ◽

Soviet People ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Way ◽

Mao Era

The year 1982 was marked by repeated signs of Soviet interest in improving relations with China. Negotiations to chart a new course in the relationship between these two countries finally began in October. While the fate of these negotiations remained uncertain at the time this article was being written, the onus was largely on the Soviet leaders to show that they were capable of the sort of flexibility that the Nixon Republicans had demonstrated barely a decade earlier in wooing the Chinese. The Sino-Soviet talks provided a test of Soviet tolerance for diversity in international communism and of willingness to take tangible steps towards demilitarization. They also raised questions about the internal process of evaluating conditions in other countries, reporting on them to the Soviet people, and advising leaders on their significance. After 20 years of negative assessments of communist policies in China, what basis could be found for an optimistic outlook in 1982? In the six years after Mao's death what was the role of Moscow's China-watchers in preparing the way for overtures to China's leaders? This article examines the background behind the Soviet initiative of 1982 and the different outlooks found among China specialists.

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The role of performance measurement in continuous improvement

International Journal of Operations & Production Management ◽

10.1108/01443579910294291 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 19 (12) ◽

pp. 1318-1334 ◽

Cited By ~ 94

Author(s):

T.C. Bond

Keyword(s):

Performance Measurement ◽

Continuous Improvement

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ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF THE ECONOMIST IN PUBLIC HEALTH

Vestnik ◽

10.53065/kaznmu.2021.94.69.065 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 313-316

Author(s):

И.Г. Турсумбай ◽

Л.К. Кошербаева

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Comparative Analysis ◽

Health Economics ◽

Continuous Improvement ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Economic Situation ◽

Care Workers

Одним из последствий осуществления медицинской деятельности в разнообразных хозяйственных формах является изменение экономического положения работников здравоохранения. От количества и качества их труда зависит экономический результат деятельности лечебно-профилактических учреждений (ЛПУ) в целом. В статье приводится сравнительный анализ занимающихся подготовкой экономистов в области здравоохранения по различным критериям. Подчеркивается необходимость непрерывного совершенствования подготовки управленческих кадров в области экономики здравоохранения в современных условиях развития общества. One of the consequences of the implementation of medical activities in various economic forms is a change in the economic situation of health care workers. The number and quality of their work depends on the economic result of the activities of medical and preventive institutions (LPU) as a whole. The article presents a comparative analysis of the health economists who are engaged in training according to various criteria. The necessity of continuous improvement of training of managerial personnel in the field of health economics in the modern conditions of society development is emphasized.

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Workplace fun and informal learning: the mediating role of motivation to learn, learning opportunities and management support

Journal of Workplace Learning ◽

10.1108/jwl-05-2021-0062 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Morteza Taheri ◽

Sharareh Motealleh ◽

Jalil Younesi

Keyword(s):

Informal Learning ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Motivation To Learn ◽

Opportunities To Learn ◽

Management Support ◽

Content Type ◽

Learning Opportunity ◽

Workplace Fun ◽

The Relationship

Purpose Past research shows that workplace fun has a positive effect on informal learning, however, the role of individual and organizational mediating variables in this relation has not been studied much. This study aims to examine the role of management support, motivation to learn and learning opportunity in the relationship between workplace fun and informal learning. Design/methodology/approach In this multivariate correlation study, data were collected through questionnaires. In total, 200 employees of the petrochemical industry participated. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings The main finding suggests that motivation to learn contributes to informal learning. Fun in the workplace has a positive and significant indirect effect on informal learning by providing a variety of opportunities to learn; the management support in the final model also mediates the relationship between workplace fun and opportunities to learn. Practical implications The results indicate the benefits of creating and maintaining fun in the workplace to improve informal learning. The authors will be better able to advise by providing abundant resources for formal training such as time, learning climate and financial resources, workplace fun can be used as a practical strategy to promote informal learning where the workplace is fun, innovation, creativity and performance improvement occur. Managers should make arrangements to spontaneously motivate employees to learn informally and provide fun and varied opportunities for informal learning. Originality/value In this study, the multiple correlations and the effect of motivation variables, learning opportunity and management support in the relationship between workplace fun and informal learning were studied. Examining how these relationships are and identifying the moderator of this relationship because of individual and environmental differences requires further studies.

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Evaluation for management and development

Evaluation Journal of Australasia ◽

10.1177/1035719x0600600104 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 13-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jeff Bost

Keyword(s):

Papua New Guinea ◽

Continuous Improvement ◽

Monitoring And Evaluation ◽

Program Logic ◽

Front End ◽

Management And Development ◽

Donor Agency ◽

Recipient Government ◽

Further Development

This article examines an evaluation currently being undertaken in Papua New Guinea. The evaluation is designed to assist an organisation (comprising a donor agency, a recipient government department and a managing contractor) with the management and further development of an aid program set in the education sector. The challenge facing the organisation has been how to devise and implement a comprehensive managerial approach that will enable improvement of the existing program, the subsequent design of a new program and, at the same time, support a third objective of creating an ongoing culture of evaluation. In responding to that challenge the organisation has committed to the use of structured evaluation processes. Specifi cally, it has decided to implement a range of ‘front end’ evaluative approaches-developmental, evaluability assessment and program logic-drawn from the interactive and clarifi cative forms presented in Owen's (1999) conceptual framework. The article outlines the interventions that have been undertaken and assesses progress to date. Examples of completed activities are outlined and some innovative monitoring evaluative tools are introduced, such as the ‘capacity scale’ and the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) template. The paper concludes with some thoughts on the role of evaluation for management and development for achieving continuous improvement.

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