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The purpose of this paper is to summarize a series of studies conducted by the Center for Organizational Development and Leadership at Rutgers University from 2003‐2005. Motivating these studies is the recognition that organizational self‐assessment programs such as the Malcolm Baldrige program have achieved prominence and popularity. The paper seeks to focus on the value of the Baldrige program, and, more specifically, the impact of the Excellence in Higher Education (EHE) approach, an adaptation of the Malcolm Baldrige framework tailored specifically for colleges and universities.

This paper reports on a two‐phase investigation of six independent university departments that participated in separate Baldrige/EHE assessment workshops. Through a web‐based survey and in‐person interviews we were interested to discover participants' perceptions of the assessment process, the extent of knowledge acquisition, and extent of organizational change.

Findings suggest that self‐assessment does result in the acquisition of a knowledge and theory base; and leads to the identification of strengths and improvement needs. Results also indicate that in a majority of the departments, the assessment program initiated a genuine commitment to organizational change, one that led to a number of tangible improvements.

Enhancing our understanding of the relationship between knowledge acquisition and change is one of the most fundamental and enduring pursuits of social science – one that is absolutely central to organizational development. This study provides an empirical investigation of how these dynamics operate during organizational self‐assessment, an increasingly popular leadership tool for advancing institutions of all kinds.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that affect TQM implementation in construction companies and it suggests solutions for TQM implementation in a difficult environment.

Studies were carried out at six large construction companies who ply their trade in Southern Africa and in-depth investigations were conducted to assess TQM implementation practices and associated TQM barriers. Interviews were conducted on directors and key personnel that play important roles in TQM implementation in their respective organisations. The empirical study also utilised a number of organisational documents which added rigour to the findings.

This study identified three core categories and ten main barriers affecting TQM implementation in Southern Africa construction companies. The core categories are motivation, infrastructure and penchants and tendencies while the factors are lack of quality support, poor TQM knowledge and TQM awareness, poor information sharing, temporary workers, overdependence on contract document, poor data collection measurement, undefined TQM roles and responsibilities, award to lowest bidder tendency, poor business environment and corruption.

The study was conducted based on companies plying their trade in Southern Africa and mostly around Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique. It does not study companies in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, South Africa and Botswana.

TQM cannot be exported wholly from another region to a new setting without taking into consideration the local factors associated with that setting. For successful TQM implementation in construction in Southern Africa, characteristics of this region have to be known. This study illuminates a number of TQM implementation barriers associated with construction especially applied to this difficult environment. Application of this knowledge would enhance TQM and heighten competitive advantage initiatives. The proportions highlighted in this study therefore help build up the TQM implementation awareness.

At society level, the findings of this study indicate societal problems such as corruption and business environment which require wide level approaches to deal with these barriers. In addition, if TQM applied in road construction projects, the quality of the roads will be improved, this in turn will have direct impact on quality of life in the society, better roads means easier access to hospitals, schools and public places, better transport and movements of goods and services, etc. It can also save money for the country in long run and economic benefits to the society.

The factors identified in this study are based on current TQM implementation practices at established construction companies in Southern Africa. They provide a practical basis for guiding TQM in construction companies operating in difficult environments.

Crosby suggested that “quality is free”. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the argument that, although it is not free, it can reduce costs. The UK’s Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL) for people with disabilities is used to illustrate this. The evolution of quality management systems implemented by BEL is examined. These include Charter Mark, Service First, Investors in People, the Business Excellence Framework and the EFQM Excellence Model. A comparative analysis is undertaken between the findings of the authors and those of other academic writers. Conclusions are drawn as to the appropriateness of these quality initiatives in facilitating continuous improvement at minimal cost.

There is a clear recognition that strategic management models are frameworks for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. In this sense, excellence models are directly related to intellectual capital models. The purpose of this paper is to trace and define the relation between several EFQM criteria and the components of intellectual capital. In light of the analysis, the EFQM model may be considered as tool for the governance of knowledge.

This paper focuses on a conceptual analysis of the relations among excellence and intellectual capital. The EFQM excellence model is considered as a suitable framework for the governance of organisational knowledge. In other words, EFQM model is revisited from an intellectual capital perspective. The revision of academic literature and logical analysis are the main methodological tools.

The study shows that intellectual capital is taken into account in the overarching framework of the EFQM model. In this sense it is possible to define relationships between each component of the intellectual capital navigators and those coming from the model.

This paper considers that the intellectual capital perspective is a key element that runs horizontally across the criteria of the EFQM excellence model.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the five European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model enablers, as the latent factor “enabler excellence,” are associated with business performance, taking into consideration the mediating role of innovation in this relationship.

The analysis followed in order to investigate the relations among the various constructs of the proposed model includes an initial exploratory factor analysis, followed by confirmatory factor analysis and finally structural equation modeling.

According to the study findings, “enabler excellence” and innovation performance directly contribute to business performance. Moreover, this paper concludes that innovation performance partially mediates the effect of excellence enablers on business performance.

This study does not separate between radical and incremental innovation; thus, it would be very interesting to explore this issue in future research. Moreover, it might be useful for researchers to reassess the proposed relationships examining the mediating role of organizational culture.

This study offers clear implications for managers, proving that they should give higher emphasis on quality management (QM) and the four dimensions of innovation in order to achieve increased performance.

Based on the multidimensional structure of the EFQM model, this empirical study determines the contribution of QM to business performance taking into consideration the role of innovation performance as a mediator in this relationship.

The aim of this paper is to determine current management thinking on how the business excellence model (BEM) is used within organisations. In many cases when organisational change models are applied in organisations the emphasis is on advocacy and implementation. There is a need to allow managers to play a role in critiquing these models which should lead to improved models and more informed application. This paper describes how a grounded theory research methodology is used to enable managers, who are applying the organisational change model known as the BEM, to develop their thinking in regard to the model. The main findings from the paper are, first, the clarification of the different aspects of the operational role of the BEM. Second, the managers found difficulty in attempting to use the model in a strategic manner despite the claims in the literature.

This paper reports two case studies of the use of the business excellence model (BEM) in two small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) which entered the 1999 East of England Excellence (EEE) regional Quality Award. The experiences of these organisations will be discussed highlighting their journey towards the adoption of the BEM and eventual entry to the EEE quality award. The studies were undertaken to broaden the understanding of the use of the BEM in SMEs where accounts within this sector of industry and commerce are not widely reported. Although the two organisations that took part in the research are different, one being in the manufacturing sector and the other a public service provider, the studies reveal many commonalities in their approach and adoption of the BEM and eventual entry to the EEE quality award.

This paper aims to examine the changing attitudes to diagnostic benchmarking tools of UK business advisors over the last five years, during a period of considerable restructuring in business support, aimed at focusing support on small business and start‐ups.

The authors reviewed business support from the advisor's and client's perspective prior and during this restructuring and conducted a follow up study to that carried out in 2000, allowing direct comparisons to be made with the earlier results. Quantitative advisor demographic data was also collected for comparison.

The authors conclude that though business link has been restructured towards start‐ups and small businesses and that advisors knowledge of the benchmarking has improved, the tools available to advisors have not changed to reflect this and cannot be used by the majority of the advisors' clients. As a result the use of diagnostic benchmarking tools, as a proportion of total business support, has dropped over the previous five years.

In order to give some structured best practice support to immature businesses and pre‐start‐ups new business support tools need to be developed that recognise the change in client maturity that has taken place.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of the research topics and methodologies used in the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Business Excellence Model studies, as well as to suggest a future research agenda.

An integrative literature review methodology was used to explore the diversity of studies being conducted concerning the EFQM model.

Results of the review indicate that the majority of papers are focused on too few research topics (e.g. performance measurement) with limited methodologies (e.g. case study).

The paper enables researchers and practitioners to recognize the missing avenues of current studies and how these avenues could be improved. It provides ideas to stimulate researchers to take divergent and multiple methodological facts. It will be helpful to enhance both the quality and volume of the EFQM model studies.

This paper identifies the current status of the EFQM model studies in terms of research topic and methodological issues.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss some key aspects of quality in education in the light of over 30 years practical experience of doing quality assurance (QA).

Reflection on three concepts, which are still the subject of debate, namely: “quality”; “total quality management (TQM)”; and “autonomy”.

As this is not a research paper, it presents no findings. There are some research implications, if only to deter researchers from digging up old ground. More research into the diversity of and interactions between cultures in academia might prove useful.

There are lessons to be learnt from the past. Doing quality improves quality. Talking about it or trying to impose it does not. Managers and leaders need to reflect more carefully than is their wont on the purposes and procedures of QA in education.

This paper makes a contribution to the debate about quality in education in universities and schools and suggests that a clearer understanding across the education system of the scope and purpose of QA, the nature of TQM and the limitations of autonomy might lead to better embedded and more effective continuous improvement.