Strategic planning to investigate the decision index of organization for effective total quality management implementation – in context of Indian small and medium enterprises

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this paper is to present an empirical assessment and strategic planning for measuring the impact of total quality management (TQM) practices on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and its effectiveness for business excellence. The authors investigate the present status of quality system in SMEs and find the thrust areas for TQM implementation in SMEs of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis. Also, it examines the effect of external environment on internal factors of SMEs by situation analysis. This study helps to develop a model for assessing the components of TQM in SMEs after identifying their weightage. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative and quantitative techniques have been used together for robust conclusions. The survey data has been collected through the properly designed questionnaire. After studying the present status of TQM in SMEs, situation analysis has been carried out for examining the effect of the external environment on internal factors of SMEs. The weightage of TQM critical success factors was calculated by pair-wise comparison method of analytical hierarchical process (AHP) analysis for framework development. Findings The study offers useful insights and guidelines for identification of the contribution of TQM critical factors in SMEs performance. It has been observed that the attribute understanding of customer need and its fulfillment ability has the highest priority, whereas supplier partnership and the ability to reduce waste having the least priority in SMEs. Validation study facilitates to channelize TQM initiatives, to improve environmental and operational performance. Originality/value The authors provide a comprehensive typology of TQM practices, and its performances on SMEs. This paper can increase the awareness of the significance of TQM strategy which could help managers of SMEs to have a better understanding of the benefits of implementing TQM and therefore unable patient satisfaction with their organizations.

A systematic and critical review of waste management in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises: future directions for theory and practice

“…Therefore, WM requires more improvements in manufacturing and service enterprises (Rehman et al 2018 ). In SMEs, Toke and Kalpande ( 2021 ) found that waste reduction has the least priority. Similarly, Kasseeah ( 2020 ) affirmed that not all small enterprises implemented strategies such as reusing empty bags, composting waste, and separating waste for recycling.…”

“…Lean and six sigma strategy is vital for managing waste and improving quality of products in MSMEs (Gupta et al 2022 ; Singh and Rathi 2021 ). In this vein, lean and six sigma model and total quality management strategies are important for SMEs to enhance sustainability, manage waste, enhance productivity, and improve quality of products (Lande et al 2019 ; Sodhi et al 2020a ; Toke and Kalpande 2021 ). The implementation of lean and six sigma strategy is positively influenced by effective leadership, reward and recognition system, the need for change, financial capabilities, and teamwork (Singh and Rathi 2021 ).…”

Factors affecting project performance in emerging construction firms: a moderated mediation model

“…Small businesses must have a policy of addressing client needs through customer-focused activities. It is envisaged that QM policy and practice will aid this endeavour (Al-Gasawneh et al, 2021;Toke & Kalpande, 2021). According to previous research, prioritising the needs of the customer has a positive impact on operational performance (Ahire et al, 1996;Tarí & Claver, 2008), innovation performance (Kim et al, 2012), inventory management performance (Phan et al, 2011), customer satisfaction (Forza & Filippini, 1998;Phan et al, 2011;Tarí & Claver, 2008) and the overall firm's performance (Joiner, 2007).…”

“…Research studies have been conducted to demonstrate the importance of quality management initiatives for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), which are considered the backbone of the economy (Mamman et al, 2019). Some other examples are TQM implementation in SMEs in Iran (Mehrabioun Mohammadi et al, 2021), India (Toke & Kalpande, 2021), Oman (Karyamsetty, 2021), and Kuwait (Sawaean & Ali, 2020). These studies have confirmed the importance of total quality management elements in enhancing the performance of any SMEs.…”

Exploring human resource work design, learning mechanism and TQM: through the lens of activity theory and contextual learning theory

“…TQM is considered a powerful tool for achieving higher product standards, pursue business strategies and gaining a competitive advantage through strategic continuous improvement practices (Gupta et al, 2020;Jimoh et al, 2018;Toke and Kalpande, 2021;Yu et al, 2017).…”