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This study aims to provide a comprehensive, textometric analysis of the evolving Quality 4.0 (Q4.0) research, identifying key themes, emerging trends and critical research gaps in the field.

A total of 129 peer-reviewed articles on Q4.0 were analyzed using IRAMUTEQ software. The textometric approach employed includes lexicographic analysis, descending hierarchical classification, factorial correspondence analysis and similarity analysis to uncover underlying patterns in the literature.

Three major clusters emerged from the analysis of Q4.0 research: (1) the digital transformation of quality management practices, (2) technological enablers of Q4.0 and (3) organizational implications of Q4.0 adoption. Key themes identified include the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies (e.g. IoT, AI and big data) into traditional quality management systems, the role of artificial intelligence in quality control and the challenges organizations face during Q4.0 implementation. This research also conceptualizes a comprehensive framework that outlines a strategic roadmap for Q4.0 adoption and integration, including the identification of antecedents and consequences of Q4.0 implementation. Additionally, the study proposes a measurement scale for assessing the dimensions of Q4.0.

The research proposes valuable implications for practitioners and organizations seeking to implement Q4.0 strategies as well as for researchers in the field of digital transformation and quality management. The proposed conceptual framework serves as a practical guide for effectively navigating Q4.0 implementation in diverse organizational contexts.

This study presents an innovative approach by applying textometric analysis to the field of Q4.0, offering an objective, data-driven perspective on the existing literature. It identifies significant gaps in research and proposes future avenues for investigation. As one of the first studies to develop a conceptual framework for Q4.0, including its antecedents, consequences and a measurement scale, this research provides a foundational contribution to the growing body of knowledge on Q4.0.

The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of perceived healthcare service quality (human aspects, technical aspects and tangible aspects) on satisfaction and guest loyalty in the hotel industry in the COVID-19 pandemic era.

A total of 130 guests in the hotel were selected purposively in Iraq. Data from self-administered questionnaires were analyzed through the VB-SEM statistical technique using Smart-PLS software towards testing the hypotheses.

The findings indicated that perceived service quality influences satisfaction and guest loyalty of guests in the hotel. This study reveals that human aspects, technical aspects and tangible aspects directly positively affect satisfaction and guest loyalty in the hotel industry.

This study highlights that perceived service quality (human aspects, technical aspects and tangible aspects) are vital and practical strategic tools that could be positioned to accelerate guest loyalty in the hotel industry. Furthermore, satisfaction mediates the relationship between human aspects, technical aspects, tangible aspects and guest loyalty.

The present research work reviews and maps the thematic evolution of the interface between human resource (HR) practices and service quality (SQ) over the last 33 years.

The authors employed systematic literature review (SLR), bibliometric analysis and visualization to comprehensively map 215 papers extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The present study also helps to document the research themes that evolved through co-occurrence networks and thematic maps.

The study identifies that HR practices are the central drivers for maintaining SQ in an organization and found that teamwork, empowerment, recruitment, selection, training and reward are key for improving the SQ. It concludes the impact of HR practices on SQ, develops the knowledge structure of human resource management (HRM) operations and SQ literature and organizes it under various dimensions as antecedents and outcomes. As its foremost input, the current study proposes human resource practices and service quality (HRPSQ) framework for comprehensive HR practices and SQ in an organization.

The study is unique as it map the journey of HR practices and SQ and proposes a framework for improved performance.

Industry 4.0 or I4.0 has transformed the manufacturing landscape by integrating social and technical factors by means of the sociotechnical framework. However, the sociotechnical aspects of digitalization of total quality management (TQM 4.0), especially in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) remain largely unexplored. This groundbreaking research endeavors to delve into the pivotal role played by social (soft) and technical (hard) TQM 4.0 in driving I4.0 readiness among SMEs.

A research framework has been developed by harnessing the principles of Socio-technical systems (STS) theory. Data collection from a sample of 310 randomly selected SMEs manufacturing in Malaysia through an online survey approach. The collected data is then subjected to analysis using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS.

The study findings indicate that both hard and soft TQM 4.0 factors are vital to promoting I4.0 readiness (R² = 0.677) and actual implementation (R² = 0.216). Surprisingly, the findings highlight that customer-related construct has no impact on hard TQM 4.0 attributes. Furthermore, hard TQM 4.0 factors have played a partial mediating role on the relationship of soft TQM 4.0 and I4.0 attributes (20% = VAF = 80%).

This is a novel research as it explores the underexplored domain of sociotechnical aspects of TQM 4.0 within SMEs amid I4.0 transformation. The study distinctive contributes include revealing the pivotal role of both soft and hard TQM 4.0 factors in driving I4.0 readiness, emphasizing the primacy of people-related dimensions for successful implementation in manufacturing SMEs.

The study determined the role of personal values in doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) students’ academic success in Tanzania. Specifically, it looked into the influence of openness to change values, self-enhancement values and conservation values on Ph.D. students’ academic success.

The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, in which 200 Ph.D. students from Tanzanian universities were involved by responding to a questionnaire. The relationship between the variables was determined by using structural equation modeling, and testing of the measurement model was done by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

The results indicate that personal values influence Ph.D. students’ academic success. Particularly, openness to change values have an ß value of 0.209 and p value of < 0.001, self-enhancement values have an ß of 0.173 and p-value of < 0.001 and conservation values have ß of 0.339 and p-value of < 0.001.

In the quest to improve Ph.D. students’ academic success, universities and Ph.D. students should foster openness to change values, self-enhancement values and conservation values in Ph.D. students.

The results of this study extend the use of the Schwartz theory of basic human values in explaining the academic success of Ph.D. students in Tanzanian universities. Past studies that applied this theory were based on secondary school and college students. Moreover, based on the author’s knowledge, this study is one of the early studies to systematically look into the role of personal values on Ph.D. students’ academic success. Thus, the study contributes to the existing literature on personal values and academic success because previous studies on this subject could not examine Ph.D. students’ success in isolation.