Bita Yazdani, Ali Attafar, Arash Shahin and Manouchehr Kheradmandnia
The purpose of this paper is to determine the correlations between TQM and organizational learning in the context of automobile part manufacturing and suppliers of Iran.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine the correlations between TQM and organizational learning in the context of automobile part manufacturing and suppliers of Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A research project is carried out in 191 automobile part manufacturing and suppliers plants, using the questionnaire method. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) is applied to assess the measurement instrument reliability and validity. The correlations between latent constructs are examined through Partial Least Squares (PLS) method.
Findings
Findings indicate that, both, the core and infrastructure aspects of QM practices have significant positive effect on organizational learning. At the lower levels, HRM and information and analysis contribute to enhancement of the organizational learning.
Research limitations/implications
It is recommended that a more complete construct be designed for measuring the organizational learning. Some contextual factors such as culture need to be noticed in future researches.
Practical implications
in this article some beneficial insights are addressed to assist managers in recognizing the organizational problems which weaken the organizational learning.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the TQM advance, organizational learning research literature and provides better foundations for organizational learning improvement through TQM practices in the Middle East. By investigating the correlations between infrastructure and core QM practices and organizational learning, this study fills the current gap in this field.
Arash Shahin, Ali Attafar and Monireh Samea
The purpose of this research is to propose a systematic and integrative approach for evaluating, assessing, analysing, and improving service quality and effectiveness.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to propose a systematic and integrative approach for evaluating, assessing, analysing, and improving service quality and effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
A new approach is proposed, in which SERVQUAL and overall administration effectiveness (OAE) are integrated. The recycling pavilion service process of Isfahan municipality is examined. By distributing 120 questionnaires containing the 22 questions of the SERVQUAL instrument developed by Parasuraman et al. in four pavilions of four different regions of the city of Isfahan, the services quality gap was measured and the OAE indicator performance was calculated. In OAE, the quality ratio was measured based on the quality gap, and performance and availability ratios were measured based on the characteristics of the recycling pavilion services.
Findings
The empirical findings imply that the application of the proposed approach has resulted in a reduction of 0.59 of the gap average and a 36 per cent improvement of the OAE indicator.
Research limitations/implications
While a general approach is proposed for service application, the results of the case study may not be generalisable.
Originality/value
The proposed approach of this study presents a method for simultaneous analysis of service quality and effectiveness.
Details
Keywords
Mayuri Menike Atapattu and Twan Huybers
This paper aims to investigate the causal relationships between organisational practices, employee knowledge management (KM) engagement and organisational KM performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the causal relationships between organisational practices, employee knowledge management (KM) engagement and organisational KM performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Following a quantitative research approach, an online survey of 536 knowledge workers from multinational knowledge-based organisations located in Sri Lanka was carried out. The data were analysed with structural equation modelling.
Findings
Teamwork, reward structure, learning, performance management and employee empowerment are found to be motivational antecedents of KM engagement while, subsequently, organisational KM performance is affected by employee KM engagement.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this study are based on the use of five key organisational practices derived from the literature. Further research is needed to establish whether the findings extend to other organisational practices such as resourcing strategy, organisational culture and communication. Further, the sample for this research comprised knowledge workers in Sri Lankan organisations which limit the generalisability of the findings.
Practical implications
Teamwork, rewards structure, learning, performance management and employee empowerment are organisational practices that foster employee KM engagement. Organisational practices and employee KM engagement are imperative for the organisational success of KM initiatives.
Originality/value
This research introduces the term KM engagement as the indicator of individual-level KM success and integrates the sequential linkage between individual-level KM outcomes (i.e. KM engagement) and organisational KM outcomes (KM performance) which has not yet been investigated.
Details
Keywords
Syed Arslan Haider and Umar Nawaz Kayani
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the customer knowledge management capability (CKMC) on project performance through strategic agility in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the customer knowledge management capability (CKMC) on project performance through strategic agility in the context project based software companies of Pakistan. The aim of the paper is to find out whether and how is customer knowledge beneficial for project performance and recognized as the important source of advancement of the knowledge management (KM) theory and the essential subject in practical ground.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, non-probability, simple random sampling method was used to collect the data because it excludes bias from the data collection process. Although, the population of this research includes 307 employees working in different 30 public and private projects based software firms, operating in twin cities Rawalpindi, Islamabad. The respondents are project supervisors, team members, customers working on these different projects. Because of time limitation data has been collected within four months (i.e. November 2018 to February 2019) for this study, it is not time-lagged study and the data were collected at one time, so the design is cross-sectional in nature. The analysis was established using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (Smart PLS-SEM v.3.2.8) software to test hypotheses.
Findings
The results revealed the structural equation modeling that the components creating, transferring, integrate and influence ensure the most significant job in clarifying the customer knowledge and enhancing the capability to understand the customer needs and want which lead to decrease project delay, over consumption of the budget and directly lead to increase the project performance. The analyzed results also successfully justified the gap of this research study by showing the significant relationship between CKMC and project performance, also the indirect effect of CKMC through strategic agility on project performance more than its direct effect. So, the strategic agility plays positive and significant mediating role between CKMC and project performance, therefore the all sub-hypothesis and primary hypothesis were accepted.
Originality/value
This study sets the context with a brief summary of the key characteristics of the CKMC to improve the new product performance, enhance product/service quality, also reduce costs and enhance the competitiveness of organizations. Organization ought to acknowledge how to use KM to generate their revenues and achieve their goals. However, available techniques and methodology to measure the sufficiency are dissatisfying and consistent need for assessments and evaluations of this issue are felt.