The Mediating Role of Organizational Excellence Between Total Quality Management Practices and Sustainability: A Preliminary

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to establish the role of total quality management on the performance of fair trade premium projects with particular reference to Flamingo Horticulture Limited (herein referred to as the company or organization). Methodology: The target population for this research comprised of the employees, the management and the fair trade premium committee of the Flamingo Horticulture Limited. The study employed descriptive research design. A census sampling was carried out and the sample size was 46. Survey method was used to solicit the information. The researcher used a questionnaire to collect primary data which was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques then presented in tables. Data collected will be both quantitative and qualitative. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire was enhanced by carrying out a pilot study prior to data collection. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics by aid of Statistical package for social scientists (SPSS). The results were presented in form of Tables. Results: The studies found that quality management planning, customer focus and application of Quality Management planning approaches such as auditing, continuous improvement, monitoring & evaluation have positive effect on performance of fairtrade premium projects. Correlation analysis showed that there were positive and significant correlations between performance of Fairtrade premium projects in Kenya and all independent variables (quality management planning, r=0.537, p<0.05; customer focus, r=0.542, p<0.05; leadership qualities, r=0.476, p<0.05 and, QMS approaches, r=0.452, p<0.05). Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommended that Fairtrade organizations should integrate quality management planning in their overall planning process to ensure identification of risks, to ensure that errors are eliminated throughout the operational process and products and services are produced at an optimal quality that can satisfy all stakeholders. Adoption of quality management will enable the leaders to use their personal values, ethics, and commitment to the organization’s vision and mission, passionate to energize and create a synergy in teams; heading towards accomplishment of organizational goals. With high level of quality improvement quality management practices and leadership will be higher since leadership qualities are associated with successful quality improvement.

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Delving into the soft side of TQM: an analysis of the implications of employee involvement on management practices

The TQM Journal ◽

10.1108/tqm-05-2021-0148 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Mauro Cavallone ◽

Rocco Palumbo

Keyword(s):

Quality Management ◽

Total Quality Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Employee Involvement ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Total Quality ◽

Content Type ◽

Large Sample ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Organizational Excellence

PurposeSoft total quality management (STQM) is a requisite for the successful implementation of hard total quality management interventions. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the implications of adopting soft total quality management practices. Inter alia, little is known about the consequences of employee involvement in addressing organizational and management challenges. To fill this gap, the article investigates the effects of employees' involvement on their commitment to organizational excellence.Design/methodology/approachSecondary data were collected from the European Company Survey (ECS). A large sample of 15,958 European companies was involved in the analysis. A parallel mediation model was devised to investigate the effects of employee involvement on commitment to organizational excellence. Training and motivation were contemplated as mediating variables to investigate the indirect implications of employee involvement on commitment to organizational excellence.FindingsEmployee involvement contributed marginally towards establishing an increased individual commitment to organizational excellence. Training and motivation played a relevant and statistically significant mediating role, boosting the implications of involvement on commitment to organizational excellence.Practical implicationsEmployee involvement is critical for establishing an organizational climate conducive to organizational excellence. However, its implications should be contextualized in light of the mediating role of training and motivation. On the one hand, training is expected to increase employees' participation in the enhancement of organizational excellence. On the other hand, motivation fosters employee engagement in the improvement of organizational dynamics.Originality/valueThe article investigates the implications of employee involvement on commitment to organizational excellence in a large sample of European companies, emphasizing that soft TQM interventions should be implemented according to a systemic perspective in order to pave the way for a viable commitment to organizational excellence.

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