An international study of quality improvement approach and firm performance

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Improving the quality of an organization's products and services is fundamental to business success. The once-held view that product or service specification is static and readily achievable is gone. Managers in world-class companies realize that customer wants and desires are changing, that customers' expectations must be clearly understood, and that their firm must conform to customer wishes. This customer focus requires continual quality improvement, creating a dynamic business situation.If customers are demanding improved quality, then what quality improvement approach leads to the best organization performance? What managerial actions encourage the highest quality and financial performance? Further, is the quality improvement approach that works best in one nation or region the best in other parts of the world? This study is directed to these Each of these principles is implemented through a set of practices, which are simply activities such as collecting customer information or analyzing processes. The practices are, in turn, supported by a wide array of techniques (i.e. specific step-by-step methods intended to make the practice effective) (p. 394).

Effective application of process improvement patterns to business processes

“…In particular, every inefficacious process instance can be viewed as a quality issue in the business process. Note that the overall effect of quality management on cost and firm performance has been well recognized and empirically demonstrated [28]. This option is particularly interesting since associated measures can often be implemented with limited investments.…”

Excelência em gestão e em resultado econômico-financeiro: uma análise crítica do desempenho das empresas vencedoras do Prêmio Nacional da Qualidade

“…Escrig-Tena (2004) recupera um conjunto de trabalhos -Mann e Kehoe (1994), Powell (1995), Larson e Sinha (1995), Adam et al, (1997), Lemak e Reed (1997), Easton e Jarrell (1998), Dow et al, (1999), Terziovski e Samson (1999) e Zhang (2000 -que têm por objetivo avaliar empiricamente as evidências da infl uência do sistema de gestão pela qualidade sobre os resultados das empresas. Utilizando metodologias distintas, cada um dos trabalhos avalia a infl uência dos diferentes componentes da TQM sobre o resultado operacional (melhorias nos processos e nas relações com os funcionários, com clientes e fornecedores) e sobre o resultado fi nanceiro (participação no mercado, crescimento das vendas, lucratividade e rentabilidade).…”

“…Powell (1995), Lemak e Reed (1997) e Easton e Jarrell (1998) se concentram nos efeitos sobre os resultados fi nan-ceiros, enquanto Larson e Sinha (1995) e Dow et al, (1999) priorizam os efeitos sobre os resultados operacionais. Os demais -Mann e Kehoe (1994), Adam et al, (1997), Terziovski e Samson (1999) de Larson e Sinha (1995), Easton e Jarrel (1998) e Terziovski e Samson (1999) (Escrig-Tena, 2004, p. 629).…”

Relating TQM, marketing and business performance: An exploratory study

“…Adam (1994), Adam et al (1997) and Flynn et al (1995) have shown that TQM helps to improve intrinsic quality through reduced defect rates and better design. Also intrinsic quality (another latent variable in the model) has a positive effect on consumer perceptions of quality (Flynn et al, 1995), and that perceived quality has a positive effect on growth in market share Aaker, 1987, Phillips et al, 1983).…”

“…However, these studies only considered relationships between TQM and company performance but not the contribution of individual TQM dimensions. Adam (1994), Adam et al (1997), Anderson et al (1995), Flynn et al (1995), Forker (1997), Ittner and Larcker (1997) and Powell (1995) have considered how different quality improvement practices are related to company performance. However, there is a lack of agreement in the findings and some results are contradictory with TQM theories, as shown in Table 1 below.…”