Search results

This research aimed to verify how the performance measurement system (PMS) and the quality management system (QMS) work in small and medium Brazilian enterprises in the light of the typology proposed by Garengo (2009).

Using a qualitative approach PMS’s and QMS’s managers were interviewed. The data from the first interview were analyzed using the technique of content analysis and have been subsequently triangulated with other data collected. The study was conducted by means of two questionnaires, two semi-structured interviews, and the analysis of the performance measures used by five small/medium manufactures based in the State of São Paulo.

It was found that in four out of five companies, PMS does not function singly, but along with QMS, mainly with respect to performance indicators. In spite of that intrinsic operation, the systems are in different stages of evolution. It was also found that in three out of five companies, quality management area is responsible for coordinating the process of PMS use, without effective participation from the controlling and/or accounting areas in this process.

The typology of Garengo (2009), used to check the stage of the PMS, was validated and can be used by practitioners to diagnose and improve the PMS in their enterprises; companies with QMS certified by ISO, particularly with higher degree of quality management maturity, can be encouraged to implement or improve the PMS in their organizations.

Total quality management practices have been embraced by many quality-oriented firms around the world in order to improve performance in terms of quality, productivity, customer satisfaction and profitability. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of TQM practices on various performance indicators specifically in the Indian manufacturing context. This paper focuses on developing an integrated model encompassing significant structural relations showing the linkage between TQM practices and multiple performance indicators – quality performance, customer satisfaction level, operating performance, employee performance, innovation performance, society results and financial performance. Apart from analyzing the direct relationship between constructs, the main purpose of this work is also to identify all the possible mediation effects of performance indicators on others using structural equation modeling (SEM).

An in-depth literature review was conducted to identify the key practices for the successful implementation of TQM in an organization as well as to explore TQM-performance effects. As a result, four TQM practices and seven performance indicators were identified. The data were collected from 260 Indian manufacturing organizations. After confirming the reliability and validity using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the proposed hypotheses were tested using SEM.

Through testing the proposed hypothesized structural model, the direct and indirect effects of TQM practices have been examined. Moreover, this work developed an integrated model showing the interrelationships between TQM practices and performance indicators identified. The findings gave an insight that the effective implementation of TQM practices assists in reaping benefits in the every facet of an organization. By implementing these practices effectively, managers can expect to realize improvement in all these performance areas.

This study is subject to certain limitations. Even if all variables were found to be reliable, valid and satisfactory non-response bias test results, the remote possibility of bias in the data might not be fully ruled out. There is a probability of occurrence of common method variance and common method bias, since the data for both dependent and independent variables were collected from the same respondents in the organization. Additionally data on performance indicators were based on the respondent’s assessment and awareness only. The mediating relationship between individual TQM practice and performance indicators can be investigated in future studies. Since society results are a necessity in future, the direct and indirect practices focusing toward this can be explored. In addition, there is a research scope to identify the moderating effect of contextual factors such as degree of TQM implementation, scope of operation and type of organization.

The findings of the research offer some potentially valuable insights into the relevance of TQM practices and its strong linkage on various performance indicators, through which the overall organization performance can be enhanced. By implementing these practices effectively, managers can expect to realize improvement in all these performance areas. Hence, the managers can adopt this approach to assess their organization’s level in the quality path and as a guideline in implementing TQM practices. They can also measure the impacts of TQM practices on multiple performance measures in order to evaluate their TQM initiatives. Especially the deployment of quality culture is a requisite to excel in the every facet of performance. The positive relationship between TQM practices and various performance indicators can motivate the managers to allocate resources in time, effort and capital for TQM implementation in pursuing quality, leading to customer retention and competitiveness. The findings of the study strongly suggest the need for the holistic implementation of TQM practices for the survival of the organization.

While there is a considerable volume of researches carried out to investigate the linkage between TQM and organization’s performance across the globe, still little is evidenced regarding the mediating effect of performance indicators on others, especially in the Indian manufacturing context. The present paper attempts to extend and add knowledge to this line of research and to bridge the gap and provide sufficient empirical evidence specifically in the Indian scenario. Thereby helps the organization to follow a guideline to improve the overall performance.

Manufacturers use several quality assurance systems to assure quality. However, their effectiveness cannot be assessed because an instrument does not exist. This article is based on a study that was set up to identify performance measurement indicators of an instrument that measures effectiveness of food quality systems, called IMAQE‐Food.

The instrument has been developed by translating a conceptual model in quantifiable performance measurement indicators. Literature research, qualitative research, Delphi sessions, and quantitative research were used.

In total, 28 relevant and comprehensible indicators were obtained that measure performance of quality management, production quality and their influencing factors in the bakery sector.

This paper will make a contribution to the body of knowledge in the field of food quality management by developing an instrument to measure effectiveness instead of compliance with norms and requirements or merely performance. This will support food manufacturers in deciding which system is most suitable to achieve their objectives. The developed procedure can be used for providing insight in determining the desired level of quality management, and for extending the instrument for other applications.

The purpose of this paper is to show that performance data use could be promoted with a better understanding of the type of indicators that are important to different stakeholders. This study explored patient, nurse, physician and manager preferences for cancer care quality indicators.

Interviews were held with 30 stakeholders between March and June 2004. They were asked to describe how they would use a cancer “report card”, and which indicators they would want reported. Transcripts were reviewed using qualitative analysis.

Role (patient, nurse, physician, manager) influenced preferences and perceived use of performance data. Patients and physicians were more skeptical than nurses and managers; patients and managers expressed some preferences distinct from nurses and physicians; and patients and nurses interpreted indicators more broadly than physicians and managers. All groups preferred technical process over outcome or interpersonal process indicators.

Expressed views are not directly applicable beyond this setting, or to the general public but findings are congruent with attitudes to performance data for other conditions, and serve as a conceptual basis for further study.

Strategies for maximizing the relevance of performance reports might include technical process indicators, selection by multi‐stakeholder deliberation, information that facilitates information application and customizable report interfaces.

Performance data preferences have not been thoroughly examined, particularly in the context of cancer care. Factors were identified that influence stakeholder views of performance data, and this framework could be used to confirm findings among larger and different populations.

Nowadays, the competitiveness of any organisations rests dominantly on how they can manage their performance. A host of performance variables such as quality, reliability, and efficiency are recognised as competitive priorities. This paper reviews the criteria and dimensions of performance measures, and discusses six core performance indicators in agribusiness operations with particular reference to the poultry/broiler farms. Besides, a holistic “Quality, Reliability and Efficiency” view of performance is proposed when developing measures for poultry agribusiness operations.

How to measure Quality Performance (QP) or excellence performance in organizations is very important for improving the quality of an organization’s products and services. This paper takes Quality Function Deployment (QFD) as a ueful tool to identify the key characteristics of quality performance and measure the influence factors on quality performance. Most national quality awards provide a framework of the criteria to show the essential elements of an organization’s quality performance and get the Quality Performance Score (QPS) by self‐assessment using the criteria. By means of these criteria, especially, the criteria of China Quality Award (CQA), a measurable indicator system for quality performance is set up. A four‐phase QFD model of assessment for quality performance is developed. This QFD model not only presents the most important efforts for the deployment of the measurable indicators of quality performance, but also takes great advantage of evaluating the quality performance and obtaining the quality performance score. The measurable indicator hierarchy of quality performance is formed and its implementation method for assessment quality performance is described in this paper.

Until recently, it was uncommon to ask professionals to give objective evidence to non‐professionals regarding the quality of their work. Nowadays, however, professionals, their health‐care processes and their health‐care organisations have to face assessments concerning organisation, control and content of the work. Meanwhile, health‐care organisations generate improvement programmes to mutually match activities of individual professionals and to redesign health‐care processes within or between health‐care organisations. In all these situations information is required on the current and sometimes the improved stage of the health‐care process. Often performance indicators are mentioned to generate this information. In this paper we present a framework of performance indicators and related measuring instruments to monitor and evaluate health‐care processes. It is based on a literature scan and on empirical research in two general hospitals and one mental hospital. The literature scan was guided by the three case studies and in the case studies the framework was tested.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the critical factors (CRFs) of IS/ISO/IEC 17025:2005 laboratory accreditation and indicators of the performance (IOPs) in the testing/calibration laboratories. The impact of accreditation on the performance is analyzed using the level of presence of critical factors that can be used to benchmark the best practices in the accredited testing and calibration laboratories.

A questionnaire is designed on the basis of an extensive literature review on laboratory accreditation and performance. Based on the responses from pilot study, the developed instrument is tested for its unidimensionality, reliability and validity. Multiple regression analysis is carried out to analyze the impact of critical factors on the IOPs.

The findings reveal that the six distinct critical dimensions of laboratory accreditation (which are the independent variables) have a significant impact on the performance of the accredited testing/calibration laboratories. The performance is measured by the dependent variables which are the IOPs. The customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, laboratory performance, image of the laboratory, the number of increased customers and loyalty of the existing customers are highly influenced by the accreditation which in turn improves the performance to gain the competitive advantage.

Contribution to research is in the area of laboratory accreditation and the performance measurement by the development of a comprehensive instrument to analyze the Laboratory Quality Management System. The results are dependent on the number of respondents who are the quality/technical managers.

This instrument would enable the accredited laboratories to analyze their performance through the feedback from the quality/technical managers to gain credibility and to continually improve and benchmark the quality management system in alignment with the quality policies.

This paper proposes an instrument to measure and benchmark the performance of the accredited testing and calibration laboratories.

Surveys the use of performance indicators in higher education libraries, arising from a study tour of the USA. Considers the purposes and use of performance indicators in relation to missions and goals. Discusses costs in relation to what is to be measured and examines implementation of performance indicators in higher education libraries.

The performance of NHS UK hospitals is under continuous scrutiny as they are constantly under pressure to perform well. A recent document published by an independent body has recommended a host of clinical indicators to assess non‐financial performance of hospitals. This study aims to critically analyse the performance of a single UK hospital against several of these recommended indicators.

Data presented to the Hospital Trust Board for 12 months were used for this study. Previous years' data were used wherever available.

Based on data analysis, this hospital's performance is extremely difficult to calculate. The indicators use complex ratios and due to lack of standardisation, the hospital performance could be interpreted as better, worse or indifferent.

This study analyses most of the recommended indicators. Literature review did not reveal a similar analysis of another hospital against these indicators which precludes comparison.

This study highlights the difficulty in comparing the performance of hospitals due to the inherent lack of consistency. Therefore it is apparent that any reward‐rebuke system linked to performance should interpret the data with caution. It is therefore suggested that easy to control single value activities and standardised routine activities could be used to measure hospital performance. Alternatively, the hospital could compare with its own statistics from previous years.

Literature acknowledges the difficulties in measuring clinical performance. This paper elucidates these difficulties applied to the NHS and suggests alternatives.