Slack resources and quality performance: case of a mega health care organization

Ng, Artie W.; Wang, Wai Ming

doi:10.1108/ijqrm-02-2016-0015

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Early research has shown that maintaining a certain amount of slack resources can promote organizational performance and quality performance improvements (Bourgeois, 1981). However, through a survey of large medical institutions, Ng et al (2018) found that idle resources help improve productivity and services quality only under certain conditions. Taking the cost into account, the existence of slack is not conducive to overall performance improvement (Courty and Marschke, 2003;Daniel et al, 2004;Mohr and Young, 2012).…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From the lean manufacturing perspective, operational stickiness leads to resource slack, a type of waste which should be eliminated (Shah and Ward, 2003;Taj, 2008). As the agency theory points out, excessive slack leads to unnecessary empire building and reduces the performance and quality of delivering services to end users (Tan and Peng, 2003;Ng et al, 2018). Additionally, companies that over sticky cannot respond quickly to market changes (Azadegan et al, 2013), which may lead to a negative impact on quality performance.…”

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The impact of operational stickiness on product quality: product diversification moderation

Lin

Zhang

Shi

2020

JMTM

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of operational stickiness on product quality. Particularly, it analyzes the moderating effect of product diversification on the relationship between operational stickiness and product quality of exporting firms from China.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 3,567 exporting firms between 2002 and 2012 in China, this paper develops a fixed effect model to demonstrate the nonlinear relationship between operational stickiness and product quality.FindingsResults show that operational stickiness has an inverted U-shaped impact on product quality, while inventory stickiness, property, plant and equipment (PPE) stickiness and labor stickiness are used to measure operational stickiness. Furthermore, the impact of operational stickiness on product quality is found to be moderated by product diversification.Practical implicationsManagers can achieve an optimal level of product quality by adjusting the level of operational stickiness. Firms with excessive operational stickiness should appropriately reduce the degree of stickiness to improve product quality. Besides, managers who focus on product quality should be cautious in adopting the product diversification strategy and be wary of the loss of product quality this strategy may cause.Originality/valueThis paper is the first study that has empirically validated the inverted U-shaped relationship between operational stickiness and product quality, and confirmed the moderating effect of product diversification on the relationship between operational stickiness and product quality. It provides a new idea to improve product quality by operational management.

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Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of operational stickiness on product quality: product diversification moderation

Lin

Zhang

Shi

2020

JMTM

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“…Some argue that TQM is positively associated with organisational innovation, while others view this connection in negative terms (Carpenter, 2002;Lenka and Suar, 2008;Sila, 2007). Hence, "slack" as a concept is used to understand these debates in greater depth and to better underline this paradox (Ng and Wang, 2018). Innovation further requires a certain level of organisational performance and resource slack (Damanpour et al, 2009;Herold et al, 2006); however, it is also associated with trial and error, and demands time and resources to find and study new solutions (Mol and Birkinshaw, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Duh et al (2012) confirmed this finding by adding another condition, an organisation should be less leveraged to have more resources to implement TQM practices. Interestingly, slack resources were also suggested to enhance quality delivery beyond a short-term time frame, and were considered a "buffer" to achieve a specific target (Ng and Wang, 2018). Given that TQM approaches need to change to further support continuous innovation, an investigation on slack itself remains important (Steiber and Alänge, 2013;Liu et al, 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between TQM practices and organisational innovation outcomes

Salim

Sundarakani

Lasrado

2019

TQM

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the role of slack (both moderating and mediating) to stimulate the relationship between total quality management (TQM) factors and innovation outcomes relative to gaining competitive industry advantages. Design/methodology/approach The research methodology includes a multi-item scale questionnaire completed in three waves between 2016 and 2017, and later analysed in 2018. A final response rate of 29.5 per cent was obtained, representing 190 organisations from both manufacturing and service industries in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to test the multi-collinearity, moderation and mediation analysis. Findings Analysis confirmed that factors such as continuous improvement (CI), human resource management (HRM) and information measurement (IM) were positively linked to innovation. However, when slack was introduced as a moderator, innovation outcomes were stimulated through HRM and IM. The results indicate that slack acts as a full mediator for management leadership but only partially mediates supplier quality, IM, CI, HRM and process management. Research limitations/implications In terms of geographical coverage, research was limited to the UAE. Organisations striving for excellence through innovation may benefit from the outcomes, as they help in understanding the relationship between TQM and innovation moderated and/or mediated by slack. This could also lead businesses to develop new strategies that harmonise TQM policies with “rationale” slack policies, thus, promoting innovation. Originality/value This study is the first to examine the use of slack to stimulate the relationship between TQM factors and innovation outcomes. Using slack as a mediator can help in understanding when TQM might influence innovation, while slack as a moderator could invert the relationship between the two.

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“…Within the healthcare industry, prior research suggests that slack staff levels have important performance implications (Mallidou et al , 2011). For example, research suggests a positive relationship between expenditures and quality (Valdmanis et al , 2008) as well as positive relationship between medical staff and reducing patient complaints (Ng and Wang, 2018). However, other research shows a negative relationship between spending and patient outcomes (Fisher et al , 2003a, b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Slack and performance in the hospital industry: a configurational approach

Geiger

Marlin

Segrest

2019

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the healthcare management literature and improve the understanding of the slack and performance link by examining the hospital slack and performance relationship using a sample of 148 US hospitals. Design/methodology/approach Using cluster analysis, ANCOVA and means comparisons, this study identifies different hospital slack configurations and their associated performance implications. Findings The results demonstrate that different configurations of slack resources result in different levels of hospital performance. The findings also demonstrate equifinality in this relationship suggesting that some configurations of slack can result in similar levels of performance. Practical implications The results indicate that managerial attention should be paid to not only identifying appropriate levels and types of slack for hospitals but also to appropriate ways to bundle these resources. The findings also suggest there may be multiple ways for hospitals’ administrators to effectively manage and bundle slack resources. Originality/value Organizational slack and its impact on organizational performance is an important area of research within the management literature. Unfortunately, no known studies have examined how different types of slack resources are configured or bundled together in healthcare organizations and how this impacts firm performance. This study provides a significant contribution to the literature by providing a first step in understanding the slack and performance relationship in the hospital industry.

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Slack resources and quality performance: case of a mega health care organization

Cited by 6 publications

References 26 publications

The impact of operational stickiness on product quality: product diversification moderation

The impact of operational stickiness on product quality: product diversification moderation

The relationship between TQM practices and organisational innovation outcomes

Slack and performance in the hospital industry: a configurational approach

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