Investigating the role of EFQM enablers in innovation performance
ISSN: 1754-2731
Article publication date: 18 December 2018
Issue publication date: 12 March 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework to investigate how the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model enablers influence the four types (product, process, organizational and marketing) of innovation performance of a manufacturing firm.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses survey data from a sample of 580 manufacturing firms in Greece and employs structural equation modeling to test the developed hypotheses.
Findings
The results reveal that enablers of the EFQM model are either directly or indirectly associated with the four types of innovation. Furthermore, the findings show that it is essential for a firm to manage all the facilitating enablers included in the EFQM model, since they cannot boost innovation when implemented in isolation.
Research limitations/implications
The sample is limited to one country (Greece). In addition, researchers have to assess the same relationships considering the effect of external factors such as environmental uncertainty. The potential consequences of enablers on innovation performance may be mediated by customer or people results.
Practical implications
The empirical findings of the present study help managers to develop the appropriate quality strategies and allocate the respective resources according to the desired type of innovation.
Originality/value
Based on the multi-dimensional structure of quality, this empirical study determines the contribution of EFQM model enablers to specific innovation performance dimensions of manufacturing companies.
Keywords
Citation
Kafetzopoulos, D. and Gotzamani, K. (2019), "Investigating the role of EFQM enablers in innovation performance", The TQM Journal, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 239-256. https://doi.org/10.1108/TQM-09-2018-0124
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited