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An organisational framework for capturing the essential components of total quality management at hospital and directorate level is presented and discussed, based on work carried out at Northwich Park Hospital, near London. Examples of quality plans and monitoring formats are provided.

The purpose of this paper is to address the question how multinational corporations (MNCs) can respond to different domains of formal voids associated with informal institutions in emergent markets.

The author advances the institution-based view of international business strategy by developing a framework and six propositions. The theoretical distinction of informal institutions as an additional aspect when disrupting formal institutional voids are instrumental in developing a refined understanding of how MNCs can respond to institutional voids.

By emphasizing the notion of informal institutions that are associated with formal institutional voids, the author moves away from a unidimensional toward a multidimensional view of substituting formal voids. The presented response variety includes a variety of substitutes.

Further research can apply qualitative research to further examine where, when and why social innovations can be used efficiently to address institutional weaknesses or absences. The author suggests further research opportunities in the implication section.

Constituting substitutive formal institutions with complementary informal institutions can help strategic managers navigate business activities in emerging markets. Institutional weaknesses can be used as opportunities to create legitimacy and serve social needs. To help facilitate such impacts public policies need to be developed accordingly.

The paper provides a new and critical perspective on how MNCs can use institutional voids as opportunities. The author’s key contribution is to highlight specific substitutive actions from MNCs to institutional voids when different cultural-cognitive and normative circumstances apply in emerging markets.

Outlines four interconnecting factors which are essential to motivating staff: an understanding of the “psychology of excellence in teams”; establishing cross‐functional quality improvement teams; understanding and reviewing processes of care and service; and the use of data display.

The purpose of this paper is to make a case for more process-based theorizing in the field of organizational change.

To emphasize the importance of a process perspective on organizational change, this paper challenges the prevalent theorizing approach that treats organizational change as entity and argues that process-based theorizing can help researchers gain a better understanding of organizational change.

To direct future research toward more process-based theorizing, this paper proposes a systematic four-step procedure for the analysis of qualitative data that helps researchers theorize organizational change from a process perspective.

Overall, this paper contributes to theorizing efforts in the field of organizational change by offering a reflective account on the challenges that entity-based theorizing entails, strengthening the position of process-based theorizing in light of these challenges and providing an outlook on how scholars can develop theoretical insights on organizational change from a process perspective.

Describes how a Bristol‐based health authority has established its own TQM approach for continuous improvement of patient care and customer service. Presents the components of their TQM strategy ‐ ′Towards Total Quality′, together with the key opportunities and obstacles inherent in implementing TQM.

This study scrutinizes the evolution of thematic directions in the domain of growth-oriented women entrepreneurship research over the past two decades. Furthermore, it explores the implications of this evolution for future research and practical endeavors.

The authors conduct a bibliometric analysis of 741 publications from 2004 to 2023. The analysis first examines publication numbers and identifies important journals and articles based on performance analysis. Moreover, using science mapping techniques, the study provides four thematic maps organized into five-year periods, as well as a Sankey diagram.

The analysis reveals a significant surge in research activity, particularly since 2014, in terms of both the quantity and diversity of themes. The findings show that in 2004–2008, six themes were driving the research domain, but in 2019–2023, the number of themes increased to 24. Moreover, this study offers a holistic perspective on prospective research directions, emphasizing two key themes: emerging economies and sustainability.

This study makes an important contribution by bringing together scholarship on women entrepreneurs and growth-oriented ventures. These themes can be a significant factor in stimulating new approaches to economic growth when considered together. Moreover, this study emphasizes the need for a more diverse and inclusive research environment.

Total quality management (TQM) has been a popular managerial topic since the 1980s. However, not too many organizations have successfully implemented it. This paper studies a successful TQM project implemented in a manufacturing company in the People's Republic of China. It reports the TQM implementation process, the benefits generated from the TQM project, the problems that arose from the adoption of TQM for the company, and the main factors for the eventual success of the project. This case study is a reference for managers and researchers who are interested in TQM or interested in the Chinese managerial environment in general.

The ISO 9000 standards have been rapidly accepted by business communities around the world. An on‐going research programme focuses on the implementation of quality management systems based on these standards. This article presents data collected from the managers of the first cohort of firms to receive ISO 9000 certification in the export‐driven Hong Kong economy. The results indicate that the local firms typically made a non‐compensatory choice to pursue quality certification and only subsequently elaborated a quality‐based strategy. Quality systems implementation was perceived to have resulted in greater control, higher employee morale and fewer production errors. The presence of such a system was also linked to higher quality outputs and more satisfied customers. Despite the absence of substantial improvements in either quality costs, sales levels or profit margins during the initial post‐certification period, the informants expected tangible long‐term benefits.