Purpose An important question in contemporary research is: do certain management practices cause better performance or do better performing organizations find it easier to adopt certain management practices? This question is also of importance when applying the high performance organization (HPO) framework, which is a scientifically validated technique designed to achieve and sustain a high level of performance. Many research studies correlate the HPO framework with improved organizational performance. There are, however, no studies which explicitly look at the causal relationship. This paper aims to provide empirical evidence of causality. Design/methodology/approach Longitudinal research was conducted at two companies. An HPO diagnosis was conducted at each company, after which management implemented the HPO framework. Two units at each company were selected as case studies. Data were collected, using a questionnaire and interviews, at the beginning and after 18 months, when the diagnoses were repeated. A linear regression analysis was performed to interpret the data. Findings Despite exposure to the same HPO framework techniques, organizational units achieved significantly different outcomes. In each company, one unit achieved a higher HPO score and higher organizational results, while the other unit had no change, or a lower HPO score and lower organizational results. The key factor was the manner in which unit managers applied the HPO framework. Practical implications Optimal effectiveness for the HPO framework occurs when management incorporates the HPO factors into the workplace and strives diligently to improve performance. Originality/value This research responds to the question “Do certain management practices cause better performance or do better performing organizations find it easier to adopt certain management practices?”

This study proposes a mediation model that links customer perceived service value to customer loyalty via customer satisfaction. Psychometrically sound measures were selected and a survey was undertaken among 1,200 customers of a Chinese Securities firm with a response rate of 41%. Results show that customer satisfaction does play a mediating role upon the relationship between customer perceived service value and customer loyalty. Our study suggests that customer perceived service quality has a significant effect upon customer satisfaction; customer perception of relational benefits has a positive impact upon customer satisfaction, with trust being the most important indicator; customer satisfaction is positively related with loyalty in terms of positive word of mouth, willingness to pay more and to stay with the business. Moreover, the results indicate that the five dimensions as distinguished in SERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al., 1988) are compressed within two dimensions-IT provision and service attitude. Our outcomes suggest that managers should initiate service policies aimed at securing improvement in customer satisfaction.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to deal with the need for Egyptian ICT companies to adopt high performance practices in order to be able to contribute more to the development of Egypt. However, as not much research has been done into management practices which can support these organizations in the Egyptian context, a framework which was developed based on Western and non-Western data – the high performance organization (HPO) framework – was tested on its suitability in the Egyptian context. Design/methodology/approach The study used a questionnaire which was distributed to seven Egyptian ICT organizations after which a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on the collected data. Findings The CFA showed that the original five factors from the HPO framework achieved a high reliability while 26 out of the original 35 underlying characteristics applied in the Egyptian ICT context. Originality/value This study fills the gap which currently exists in empirical research about organization performance practices in Egypt. The study also has practical implications as management of Egyptian ICT companies are now able to undertake focussed improvement actions.

Purpose – The importance of partnerships to organizational success has increased considerably the past decennia and many organizations strive at creating high-performance partnerships (HPPs). For this to happen, organizations in the partnerships have to be of high quality and their collaborations should be world-class. Whereas the factors that create high-performance organizations (HPO) are by now reasonably well established, the HPP factors are still unclear. The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale for measuring the factors of importance for creating and maintaining HPPs, and relates these factors to the factors of the HPO framework and to the success of the partnership. Design/methodology/approach – During a literature study ten potential factors of importance for creating and maintaining HPPs were identified. These potential factors were put in a questionnaire, together with the factors that create the HPO and the factor that measures the success of the partnership. This questionnaire was administered to a cable company, which was working on becoming an HPO, and four of its main suppliers. The data were subjected to a factor analysis which yielded a HPP framework consisting of three factors and 19 underlying characteristics. In addition, these HPP factors were put in a regression analysis with the factors of the HPO framework and the success of the partnership factor. Findings – The research results show a strong relationship between three HPP factors, the five HPO factors, and the success of a partnership factor. Research limitations/implications – This research adds to the literature by extending the concept of HPOs to the value chain these HPOs operate in. Thus the research into the factors of successful partnerships has been brought forward. The practical benefit of the research is that organizations can use the HPP factors to increase the quality of the partnerships they have with their suppliers and customers. Originality/value – There is much literature on partnerships but not so much on partnerships between organizations which strive to become a HPOs, and in the process need to create partnership of high quality.

Purpose-In recent years many organizations have implemented performance management because this technique leads to better organizational results as reported in many articles and case studies. However, often the reported improvement relates to qualitative performance and there is little solid empirical evidence of the actual effects performance management has on the quantitative results of organizations. This article aims to describe the results of a study that explored the quantitative impact of performance management on the results of a non-profit organization. Design/methodology/approach-Quantitative performance data of the organization, before and after the introduction of performance management, were collected and linked to key activities and events that occurred in the organization during and after the implementation. Findings-The research shows that several key activities related to the introduction of performance management have an impact on the results of an organization although not always in an expected positive way. Research limitations/implications-A research limitation is that it is always difficult to isolate the effects of a particular event on the overall results of an organization. Although the effects of other events have been taken into account, it cannot be ruled out that unlisted events and factors are in play. Practical implications-The results support managers who want to introduce performance management to improve the results of their non-profit organisation. At the same time, the research indicates that introducing and using performance management needs continuous attention of management in order to become and stay successful in the long run. Originality/value-This article contributes to the literature as it is one of the few longitudinal research studies into the effects of performance management, specifically in non-profit organizations.