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This paper examines the practice of total quality management (TQM) philosophy within companies operating in Ireland. The main objective of this study is to establish whether, or not, TQM philosophy is suitable for adoption by organisations in Ireland. The study is quantitative in nature and is based on the findings of two research questionnaires. Data from the research indicate that TQM activities are practised throughout Irish industry. Many organisations have adopted a TQM approach in a comprehensive manner and are committed to TQM activities for the long term. The majority of respondents indicated that their TQM programmes were successful. This bodes well for the continuance of TQM activities within these organisations. It is concluded that TQM philosophy is suitable for adoption by organisations operating in Ireland and that a TQM approach offers these organisations a platform for developing strategies that guarantee competitiveness and success.

Purpose Hospital organisations are currently experiencing significant challenges that have encouraged a move towards a value-based approach to health care. However, such a transition requires understanding the underlying competencies required to enable such a focus. This paper aims to undertake a systematic review of the available literature on managerial competencies in hospitals and considers these in a value-based health-care context. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted to identify research studies that describe the characteristics of management competence in hospital environments. Findings Categories and sub-categories of management competence in hospitals were identified and considered in a value-based health-care context. Research limitations/implications The systematic literature review identifies a need for further research regarding managerial competencies of managers of hospitals. Competencies for managing in a value-based health-care model also require deeper investigation. Practical implications The categories of management competence provide guidance to organisations transitioning towards value-based health care in terms of identifying and developing management competencies. Hospitals should consider the development of a competency model that includes broader categories of competencies than purely clinical or professional competencies. Originality/value This study builds upon and advances previous reviews of management competence in hospitals, and the competency categories presented can be used as a basis to identify management competency requirements in hospitals.

PurposeThe paper examines the process by which the strategic direction of an organization is set. The paper asks if strategic direction is defined and set at the top of the organization and then trickled down or is it set by members making their own decisions based on well‐known rules and the organization's strategic direction is the aggregation of these decisions.Design/methodology/approachIndividual in‐depth semi‐structured interviews were carried out with members of a professional services organization.FindingsThe research suggests that an agent‐based approach may more closely represent the process of strategic direction setting for certain kinds of firm than does the traditional text‐book trickle down approach.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was carried out on a legal services firm. Future extensions of the research could be to other kinds of large professional services firms, for example accountancy practices.Practical implicationsWhile this research was carried out on a professional services firm the findings could be appropriate to other kinds of organization in the knowledge economy where individual agents carried out non‐routine tasks or tasks that require substantial individual judgment, for example: universities or research centers.Originality/valueThe usual text book model of strategy formulation and implementation suggests that strategy is defined by top management with objectives cascaded down through the organization. This research suggests an alternative approach where individual agents in the organization make decisions according to given rules and that the strategic direction of the organization is determined by the aggregation of these decisions. This suggests a new role for top managers as rule‐makers rather than objective‐setters.

That governance within the firm is deliberate, conscious and hierarchical, based on authority is considered almost axiomatic. Chester Barnard is cited as an early theorist of this view. In this short article we review Barnard's original theory of authority, his later work and his private correspondence with F. A. Hayek, Michael Polanyi, Bertrand de Jouvenal and others. We show that Barnard focused in his later thinking less on authority and more on ‘responsibility’ and on the spontaneous nature of coordination within the firm, argued for ‘invisible hand’ explanations of coordination within the firm and compared coordination within the firm to market coordination. We use this information to produce novel insights into the work of Chester Barnard and also to demonstrate that his insights into the inner workings of firms is still not completely understood or reflected in the literature on the firm.