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Article
Publication date: 17 April 2007

Byung‐Suh Kang, Chul‐Ho Cho and Jong‐Deuk Baek

In this study, we investigated the effects of service quality on customer satisfaction in education service industry, focusing on the opinion of dissatisfied customers who have…

5101

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the effects of service quality on customer satisfaction in education service industry, focusing on the opinion of dissatisfied customers who have decided to switch the service provider. Additionally, in professional service industries such as law, hospital, and education, customers expect visible results which are often ignored in earlier service quality studies. Customer’s comprehensive assessment of the professional service depends on both process quality experienced during service delivery and service result perceived after service delivery. The hypotheses on the causal relationships among service quality, customer satisfaction, intention to switch service provider, and service performance were tested by using Structural Equation Model.

Details

Asian Journal on Quality, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1598-2688

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 April 2011

Mahour Mellat Parast, Stephanie G. Adams and Erick C. Jones

The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the effects of quality management practices on operational and business performance.

5161

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the effects of quality management practices on operational and business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A reliable and valid survey instrument was used for data gathering from managers in the petroleum industry. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the effect of quality management practices on operational and business performance.

Findings

The results indicate that top management support, employee training, and employee involvement are significant variables explaining the variability of operational performance. Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis on business performance indicated the significance of top management support on business performance. The study also shows that customer orientation is not a significant predictor of business performance in the petroleum industry. In addition, focus on practices associated with human resource management (employee training and employee involvement) is critical in improving operational performance.

Research limitations/implications

Managers in the oil and gas industry need to emphasize practices associated with human resource management. Future studies should replicate this study with a larger sample size.

Originality/value

The study contributes to theory validation and development in quality management by investigating the effects of quality management practices on operational and business performance. The paper adds to the body of knowledge in quality management in the international context, specifically in the Middle East. In addition, it advances the literature on the practice of quality management in process industries, such as the petroleum industry.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 October 2019

Fouzia Kahloun and Sonia Ayachi-Ghannouchi

The concept of business process (BP) management plays a major role in information systems with several applications. Modeling languages and tools can be used by domain experts to…

Abstract

Purpose

The concept of business process (BP) management plays a major role in information systems with several applications. Modeling languages and tools can be used by domain experts to help in the business process model (BPM) design. The purpose of this paper is to focus on quality improvement for BPMs through the proposition of a novel prototype and apply it on real case for BPMs in the field of higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed a prototype named Business Process Model Quality Assess (BPMoQualAssess) that works in two steps. In the first step, it allows designing and verifying the quality of BPMs in the field of higher education. Second, it focuses on evaluating process results through a set of criteria and specific measures for each process. Both steps are based on three main key concepts: measures, threshold values and guidelines in order to guide the modeler in assessing his/her model and also to get good results from the latter.

Findings

The authors implemented the BPMoQualAssess prototype to evaluate the quality of BPMs as well as its results. Furthermore, the authors have conducted a case study with a process in the field of higher education. Indeed, first, the authors obtained an improved BPM with a high-quality level. Second, the authors then evaluated the results by focusing on measures, threshold values and appropriate quality guidelines in order to obtain better results.

Originality/value

In the context of this study, the authors aim to make a significant contribution to the knowledge on the subject of the quality for higher education sector processes, on one hand on the models and on the other hand the results of processes. All these concepts are fully nested within a new quality prototype for process model evaluation and validated on real BPMs in the field of higher education. There are many publications focusing on BP quality in the literature, but only a few approaches combine the main keys thresholds, measures and guidelines. In fact, the principal contribution of this research consists in linking measures and threshold values to the resulting guidelines as they have been presented separately in the literature. Furthermore, the authors elaborate for each measure its own recommendation to guide the modeler in redesigning his/her model. Also, the authors define threshold values of process results in higher education and also took into account the opinion of domain experts. To sum up, the originality of this work appears in the application of BPM in the field of higher education given the lack of work in the literature for this direction, and it will pave a way for research in BP innovation areas.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 March 2024

Muni Kelly and Muni Kelly

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the gender of an audit engagement partner (EP) is associated with the quality of the EP’s audit output.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine whether the gender of an audit engagement partner (EP) is associated with the quality of the EP’s audit output.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper defines a low-quality EP as an EP who leads the audit of at least one client firm that subsequently restates its financial statements, while a high-quality EP is an EP that is not associated with any restatement. Using a sample of 6,082 observations from 2016 to 2020, the study estimates a logistic regression of EP quality on EP gender and control variables.

Findings

The results show that female EPs are more likely to be high-quality EPs. With an odds ratio of 1.25, the results imply that female EPs are 1.25 times more likely to be associated with higher-quality audits compared to male EPs.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study imply that female EPs are more likely to perform high-quality audits, and it supports the assertion that EP gender plays a significant role in determining EP quality. Further studies may apply gender theory to investigate the behavior of female EPs.

Practical implications

The results show that female EPs are more likely to be high-quality EPs. With an odds ratio of 1.25, the results imply that female EPs are 1.25 times more likely to be associated with higher-quality audits compared to male EPs.

Originality/value

The results of this study should be of interest to stakeholders such as audit committees, regulators, investors and creditors, as they provide an indicator for assessing the quality of audits. Moreover, considering the EP’s important role in an audit, the current study extends the existing literature by providing evidence of a relationship between EP gender and EP quality.

Details

Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1832-5912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2006

Dong Kyoon Yoo, S. Subba Rao and Paul Hong

This paper seeks to present an international comparative study on cultural differences and quality practices of four countries – Korea, USA, Mexico, and Taiwan. The paper aims to…

4942

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to present an international comparative study on cultural differences and quality practices of four countries – Korea, USA, Mexico, and Taiwan. The paper aims to present a model, which depicts the relationships among cultures (i.e. power distance and collectivism), employee empowerment, and quality results (i.e. internal and external quality results).

Design/methodology/approach

An analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a discriminant analysis were employed to test hypotheses following the research model. Using reliable and valid instruments, data from four countries were collected on employee empowerment, and internal and external quality results to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results suggest that collectivistic cultures, not power distance cultures, make a significant difference in employee empowerment, employee empowerment plays an important role in enhancing quality results in the four countries, and successful employee empowerment practices are not uniform across countries.

Originality/value

This paper makes a contribution to revealing the relationships among cultures, employee empowerment, and quality practices at the international level of study and to evoking managerial insights to multinational firms.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 23 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2002

Juan José Tarí and José Francisco Molina

Many firms have started to realise the benefits of total quality management. In this respect, quality management improves internal and external quality management performance…

1116

Abstract

Many firms have started to realise the benefits of total quality management. In this respect, quality management improves internal and external quality management performance. This philosophy enhances customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and increases business results. Therefore, the results of most quality management practices show that firms implementing quality systems achieve significant improvement in customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, social impact and business results. The focus of this study was to analyse and evaluate quality management results in ISO 9000 certified firms, in order to identify the key results of TQM and to classify firms. For this purpose, we use a factor analysis and a cluster analysis.

Details

The TQM Magazine, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-478X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2003

Adenekan Dedeke

This paper proposes a different approach to, and definition of, service quality. Service quality is framed as being dependent on composite results that a service provider and its…

5422

Abstract

This paper proposes a different approach to, and definition of, service quality. Service quality is framed as being dependent on composite results that a service provider and its systems offer a customer. In contrast to the approach that depicts service quality as a discrepancy construct, this paper frames the concept as a fulfilment‐oriented construct. The premise of the paper is that each services sector should have service quality criteria that specifically fit its features and characteristics. To implement a context‐dependent services quality instrument, it is argued that managers could use a service quality grid to classify firms according to their outcomes and dominant service‐encounter interactions. Three kinds of dominant interactions are introduced: customer‐to‐staff, customer‐to‐technology, and customer‐to‐product/services. Three central recommendations are proposed. First, it is important for managers to define their services in terms of the dominant service interactions. Second, managers should develop their service‐quality instruments around the dominant interactions of their particular sector. Third, managers should develop service‐quality question items using the paired criteria approach to capture customer experiences during service interactions.

Details

Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-4529

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2006

Charles R. Gowen, Kathleen L. McFadden and William J. Tallon

Healthcare organizations have addressed current error issues by adopting quality programs, which usually include strategic human resource management (HRM). However, little…

7203

Abstract

Purpose

Healthcare organizations have addressed current error issues by adopting quality programs, which usually include strategic human resource management (HRM). However, little research has focused on the determinants of successful quality programs at healthcare organizations. The purpose of this paper is to examine the centrality of strategic HRM for addressing healthcare errors, error reduction barriers, quality management processes and practices, quality program results, and competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of this study involves the analysis of questionnaire data from the quality and/or risk directors of 587 US hospitals by factor analysis and regression analysis.

Findings

The findings focus on highly statistically significant relationships of strategic HRM with antecedent healthcare error sources, error reduction barriers, and quality management processes and practices, as well as the strategic HRM consequences of perceived quality program results and sustainable competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of perceptual data and common method variance are checked. Future research could investigate international effects.

Practical implications

The practical implications are that hospital errors can be successfully addressed with effective strategic HRM, quality management processes, and quality management practices.

Originality/value

The original contribution of this paper is the centrality of strategic HRM as a determinant of successful quality programs at healthcare organizations.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 25 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2011

Luz María Marín and María Carmen Ruiz‐Olalla

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between ISO 9000:2000 certification and business results. It aims to provide reliable and valid constructs for measuring…

1679

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between ISO 9000:2000 certification and business results. It aims to provide reliable and valid constructs for measuring quality results and operative results in a specific sector: the furniture industry in Spain and to test the effects of certification on the aforementioned results.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was conducted in 130 Spanish companies. Confirmatory factor analysis tests were used to verify scales validity and reliability. The analysis of the variance (ANOVA) was utilised to investigate the statistical effects of ISO certification.

Findings

The results revealed two reliable and valid constructs: quality results and operative results. These measurement scales differentiated all the certified companies in the sample from the non‐certified enterprises due to the better results obtained by the former.

Originality/value

Although some studies have concentrated on analysing different quality results deriving from certification and the results of different operations, there is still a clear need for research using previously validated tools to measure results. This research aims to fill this gap by validating two scales to measure both types of results: quality results and operative results.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 28 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2012

Paulo Sampaio, Pedro Saraiva and Ana Monteiro

Despite all the studies carried out in order to analyze the impact of quality management systems' implementation and certification on companies' financial performance, conclusions…

2394

Abstract

Purpose

Despite all the studies carried out in order to analyze the impact of quality management systems' implementation and certification on companies' financial performance, conclusions reached so far have a contradictory nature. Some authors conclude that there is a positive relationship between ISO 9001 certification and companies' financial improvement, while others do not find evidence to support such a relationship. The purpose of this paper is to present the main results derived from a research project developed in order to analyze the economical impact of quality management system implementation and certification on companies' performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes the results obtained from studying the economic impact of quality management systems, based on the adoption of a case study methodology. The authors' goal was to reconstruct the companies' financial history with the aim of identifying the benefits and costs directly related to their quality management systems. The analyzed time period ranged from the year when the company decided to implement its quality management system up to the present.

Findings

Results show that it is not unanimous that certified companies would be less profitable if they had not implemented their quality management systems.

Originality/value

This paper tries to be an important contribution to the worldwide research related to the quality management systems' impact on companies' financial performance.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 29 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

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