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1 – 10 of 17Vas Prabhu, Alex Appleby, David Yarrow and Ed Mitchell
Companies, irrespective of size or sector, often use ISO 9000 and TQM as a route to world class status. The aim of this paper is to show if this has had any impact on or…
Abstract
Companies, irrespective of size or sector, often use ISO 9000 and TQM as a route to world class status. The aim of this paper is to show if this has had any impact on or contributed to raising their competitiveness. This paper gives brief details of a large‐scale UK benchmarking study on the adoption of best practice which provides the data for this research. Then the distinguishing features of some best practices and performance within both ISO and non‐ISO companies are presented for the manufacturing sector. The significance of any correlations between practice and performance are also put forward for further consideration. Finally, the lessons to be learnt from this empirical evidence are drawn out.
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Alex Appleby, Andrew Robson and Jane Owen
Presents the findings from a study of 48 Colleges of Further Education (FE) who have participated in a diagnostic benchmarking exercise using the learning probe methodology…
Abstract
Presents the findings from a study of 48 Colleges of Further Education (FE) who have participated in a diagnostic benchmarking exercise using the learning probe methodology. Learning probe has been developed from the established service probe tool (developed originally by London Business School and IBM Consulting) to support colleges of FE in their pursuit of excellence. Examines five main areas of business practice and performance consisting of business leadership; service processes; people; performance management and business results. Goes on to highlight the key strengths of the FE sector and their main areas for improvement (as defined by the sample of participating colleges). Although there are a number of practice and performance areas that need attention in particular practices relating to service processes, the sample also identifies that a number of colleges demonstrate strengths in these same areas. These issues are discussed and compared with experiences and anecdotal evidence collated from working with the FE sector over a number of years. Additionally, a comparison is made with a separate, regional benchmarking exercise that considered a number of educational organisations. Using the findings, the paper suggests a way forward for colleges to use the information which has grown out of this research. It is intended that the database will continue to grow as an information resource as learning probe becomes more widely adopted within the FE sector.
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Describes how, in order to disprove the misconception that although TQM is a good idea it would not work in their company/sector, the University of Northumbria has set up a Best…
Abstract
Describes how, in order to disprove the misconception that although TQM is a good idea it would not work in their company/sector, the University of Northumbria has set up a Best Practices Club that enables companies to exchange ideas, successes and failures on the subject, for the benefit of others. Asserts that the biggest benefit of the club is that it helps companies to realise that their problems are not unique ‐ other people have experienced them and found solutions. Concludes that no one company has a monopoly on the best ideas and that the club has shown that best practice is applicable to all industries.
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Looks at the growing importance of quality management in local government. Explores the work undertaken in three London Borough Councils and one District Council in Essex which…
Abstract
Looks at the growing importance of quality management in local government. Explores the work undertaken in three London Borough Councils and one District Council in Essex which are attempting to apply management principles to all areas of their activity. Compares each council using a framework for quality management. Describes the differences in their approaches to implementing quality, exploring why those differences may have come about. Identifies a number of important questions which should be considered when planning any local government quality initiative.
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A recent empirical study of over 300 manufacturing organisations in the North East of England supports the findings of previous studies by Hanson et al. and has identified fewer…
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A recent empirical study of over 300 manufacturing organisations in the North East of England supports the findings of previous studies by Hanson et al. and has identified fewer “promising” and an even greater proportion of “vulnerable” companies. This paper reports on this new study and identifies significant statistical differences in a number of practices and performance areas. The paper attempts to answer a number of important questions such as, do vulnerable companies really get "something for nothing”? The findings are discussed along with future agendas for change in such organisations.
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Looks at the growing importance of quality management in local government. Identifies the current thinking behind total quality and the need to apply established theory in the…
Abstract
Looks at the growing importance of quality management in local government. Identifies the current thinking behind total quality and the need to apply established theory in the public domain, and explores the approaches and methodologies which are currently available to do this. Develops a framework for total quality from the work of a number of quality gurus. This framework can be used to examine the key requirements of total quality implementation, and hence expanded to take account of the special purpose of, and constraining conditions which apply to, local authorities.
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Alex Appleby and Cynthia Jackson
The white paper Working for Patients introduced fundholding to general practitioners (GPs), quickly followed by “The New Contract” and the “Patient’s Charter”. All have radically…
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The white paper Working for Patients introduced fundholding to general practitioners (GPs), quickly followed by “The New Contract” and the “Patient’s Charter”. All have radically changed the way GP practices are run and managed. In response to increasing demands mechanisms are needed which will harness the motivation and commitment of practice staff. This paper reports the findings of an empirical study into GP practices conducted during 1998. The research aims were to establish the impact of the investors in people (IiP) programme on the attitudes and motivation of staff and examine any links with total quality management (TQM). The findings highlight significant differences between IiP and non‐IiP and raise some interesting issues for practice managers. There is strong evidence to suggest that using IiP as a tool to promote a TQM culture can work, but this is influenced and limited by the management style adopted.
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The British team's performance in the International Apprentice Competition this year is the best yet for this country: eight gold medals, five silver, and two bronze beats…
Abstract
The British team's performance in the International Apprentice Competition this year is the best yet for this country: eight gold medals, five silver, and two bronze beats anything a British team has done since we started competing nine years ago.
This paper scrutinizes the scholarship on community archives' information work. Community archives and archiving projects represent unprecedentedly democratic venues for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper scrutinizes the scholarship on community archives' information work. Community archives and archiving projects represent unprecedentedly democratic venues for information work centering on essential documentary concepts such as custody, collection development and appraisal, processing, arrangement and description, organization, representation and naming, collaboration, resource generation and allocation, activism and social justice, preservation, reuse, and sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
Unearthed through databases searches, citation chaining, and browsing, sources examined include peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters published in the English language between 1985 and 2018.
Findings
The literature on community archives’ information work shows considerable geographical (six continents), topical, and (inter)disciplinary variety. This paper first explores scholars' efforts to define both community and community archives. Second, it unpacks the ways in which community archives include new stakeholders and new record types and formats even as they leverage alternative archival principles and practices. Third, it discusses community archives as political venues for empowerment, activism, and social justice work. Fourth, this paper delves into the benefits and challenges of partnerships and collaborations with mainstream institutions. Fifth, it documents the obstacles community archives face: not only tensions within and among communities, but also sustainability concerns. Finally, it sets forth six directions for future research.
Originality/value
This paper is the first systematic review of the community archives literature.
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Ashesha Paveena Weerasinghe, Larelle Chapple and Alexandra Kate Williamson
This paper aims to explore how corporate Australia engages in reconciliation through recognizing and providing pathways for Indigenous Australians' corporate leadership…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how corporate Australia engages in reconciliation through recognizing and providing pathways for Indigenous Australians' corporate leadership aspirations.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design is informed by the prior literature on pathways by minority groups to corporate leadership through the theoretical lens of transformational leadership. The investigation is conducted using textual analysis of reconciliation action plans (RAPs), a contemporary and voluntary practice adopted by Australian listed companies to disclose their commitment to national reconciliation. RAPs are publicly available from the official websites of listed companies.
Findings
The analysis of contemporary RAPs highlights organizational initiatives to support Indigenous Australians related to corporate and community leadership. Since the authors’ focus is the former, corporate leadership initiatives are further analyzed. Two initiatives for Indigenous Australians to pursue corporate leadership positions are emerging future leaders' programs and mentoring programs. This is the extent to which the authors observe Australian firms' transformational leadership. While some firms have implemented these initiatives with specific targets, other firms do not have specific initiatives or targets. The paper also conducts longitudinal analysis into the transformational leaders' past RAPs and triangulates to other evidence of reconciliation commitment such as the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Research limitations/implications
This paper contributes new insights to the research area of board cultural diversity, specifically to the limited literature on Indigenous reconciliation. It provides insights into firms and policymakers to address the ongoing issue of the underrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in corporate leadership. The sample of firms comprises Australian listed firms that have adopted higher-order RAPs, which restricts the generalizability of the findings to other sectors.
Originality/value
This paper explores the under researched phenomenon of Indigenous people's pathways to corporate leadership. The research design is informed by transformational leadership theory through considering institutional actions for reconciliation. This research provides evidence of the extent to which corporate Australia has taken action on the issue of the under-representation of Australian Indigenous people in corporate leadership.
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