Saad Ghafoor, Nigel Peter Grigg and Robin Mann
This paper aims to investigate how business excellence (BE) custodians (BECs) design, develop and modify their BE frameworks (BEFs) and to provide a general framework for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate how business excellence (BE) custodians (BECs) design, develop and modify their BE frameworks (BEFs) and to provide a general framework for reviewing BEFs. The design process is important to understand as these BEFs are used to help organisations understand the components of BE to guide them towards world-class performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The first step was to identify all the BE awards (BEAs) worldwide and their BEFs by conducting a review of publicly available sources. This research was then limited to only those BEAs that were held no more than two years ago. Of these, 29 BECs (with active BEAs) in 26 countries agreed to participate in the research. Data was collected with the help of a survey and 13 BECs also undertook optional follow-up interviews.
Findings
In total, 56 countries and regions have 65 active BEAs with another 17 countries having BE initiatives. The EFQM excellence model and the Baldrige excellence framework are used by 37.7% and 14.5% of BECs worldwide, respectively. In total, 58.3% of the BECs review their BEFs once every three years or sooner, 100% of the BECs are confident in their BEFs’ fundamental concepts and 96.5% in their categories. There are fewer active BEAs now and the use of BE is potentially decreasing which suggests that more effort is required by the BECs in promoting BE.
Originality/value
This research collects data directly from the BECs on how BECs design and develop BEFs and provides a general framework for reviewing BEFs.
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Zafar Iqbal and Nigel Peter Grigg
Quality function deployment (QFD) is a quality improvement methodology using a system of interrelated matrices, where the influence of any one matrix may meaningfully change the…
Abstract
Purpose
Quality function deployment (QFD) is a quality improvement methodology using a system of interrelated matrices, where the influence of any one matrix may meaningfully change the concluding outcomes. In these interconnected matrices, the voice of customer (VOC) matrix and competitor matrix have a strong relationship. The current practice of finding improvement ratios (IRs) does not incorporate competitors' rating in a way that fully utilises competitors' rating information. The aim of this article to enhance VOC importance ratings by utilising the application of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) combined with the geometric mean (GM).
Design/methodology/approach
The current practice of computing IRs may divert QFD practitioners' attention from a potentially important VOC to less important VOC. In the first step using the existing competitors' ratings, a matrix of multiple comparisons is generated for all competitors. In the second step GM for each VOC is integrated with present VOC importance ratings to set new ratings.
Findings
A QFD case study from the published literature is used to illustrate the application of new method. It is described how the existing results of the case study may divert to flawed decisions. It is further corroborated that in this way re-ranking of existing VOCs better achieve the goal of customer satisfaction in relation to VOC ratings and competitors' rankings.
Originality/value
By employing this method, competitor rating can be transformed to two dimensional results, which provide a better picture to practitioners in observing their company's position and in improving VOC rating as well.
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Roslina Ab Wahid and Nigel Peter Grigg
The paper aims to describe the development of an open curriculum framework of external quality auditors (EQAs) education. The study was commissioned by accreditation body JAS-ANZ…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to describe the development of an open curriculum framework of external quality auditors (EQAs) education. The study was commissioned by accreditation body JAS-ANZ, with the objective of improving EQA audit performance, resulting in more effective audits that can add value to client organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
The key sets of knowledge, skills and attributes that auditors should possess were identified from the literature and an initial survey, and validated through several rounds of experts' opinion using the Delphi technique. The Delphi panel consisted of: top managers; quality practitioners; academicians; quality auditors, consultants and managers; a financial auditor and other managers. Kendall's coefficient of concordance (Kendall's W) was used to measure the level of agreement of the experts' ranking scores.
Findings
Panelists believed there is a need for EQAs to be more broadly grounded in certain knowledge, skills, and attributes. The knowledge requirements for EQAs were: audit principles, process and methods; quality management principles, system, and standards; risk management; business process and operations management; applicable legal, regulatory and contractual requirements; strategic planning; and performance measurement. EQAs need strong skills in communication, auditing, people relations, critical thinking, report writing, leadership, coaching and coordination. The attributes considered essential are objectivity, integrity, ethics and professionalism; being observant, perceptive, articulate and confident; having good judgement; being flexible, adaptive, diplomatic, fair and open-minded. Based on these outcomes, the curriculum framework of EQAs was developed.
Originality/value
This study highlights the core elements required in a syllabus to prepare EQAs for value-added auditing in the present and future. The educational framework can be adopted by accreditation and certification bodies to evaluate and improve their auditors' audit performance.
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Ishani Buddika Soysa, Nihal Palitha Jayamaha and Nigel Peter Grigg
The purpose of this paper is to develop a performance measurement (PM) framework for Australasian nonprofit organisations (NPOs) involved in healthcare, and operational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a performance measurement (PM) framework for Australasian nonprofit organisations (NPOs) involved in healthcare, and operational descriptions for each PM dimension within this framework.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature relating to the balanced scorecard and other PM frameworks was examined to develop an initial conceptual model, and this model was substantially improved by collecting qualitative data from nine Australian and New Zealand healthcare NPOs using a case study approach.
Findings
The study identifies nine causally related PM dimensions: mission, strategy, organisational capabilities, infrastructure and people development (people and information), financial health, processes, and stakeholder satisfaction (clients, people, and donors). The study also recognised that “Mission” and “Strategy” should be PM dimensions and that healthcare NPOs should focus on satisfying its people, not only donors and clients. Additionally, 41 operational descriptions are developed for each of these dimensions and can enable detailed PM items to be derived by organisations.
Originality/value
The study is the first study that has been undertaken to develop a PM framework for the Australasian NPOs to a level that it can be readily used by the practitioners (following customisation to their own specific context). The developed model also serves as a basis for future quantitative academic research aimed at testing and empirical validation of the conceptual model.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a literature review demonstrating that quality and its management are increasingly definable as a balancing act between value, risk and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a literature review demonstrating that quality and its management are increasingly definable as a balancing act between value, risk and cost throughout the value stream, from product/service design to production and delivery, and purchaser decision-making. An original framework is presented showing this interplay across the value stream, referred to as the QVRC framework.
Design/methodology/approach
Content analysis is combined with bibliometric analytics, displayed via temporal graphs and citation networks. Reviewed literature is transdisciplinary, encompassing marketing, operations/quality and psychology sources. Core quality management methodologies are positioned on the framework illustrating their relative contribution to value, risk and cost management.
Findings
The QVRC framework is developed, and used as a basis for classifying models and methodologies associated with quality management. A set of propositions are developed, which, together with the framework, set an agenda for further research.
Research limitations/implications
No literature review can capture the richness of discourses on terms as pervasive as value, risk and cost. This paper aims to present a systematic and reliable sampling of such literature.
Practical implications
The resulting model can be applied to management tools, and to products and services.
Originality/value
Researchers, particularly in marketing, have developed models of value, risk and cost in terms of products and services. However, delivering products that provide the appropriate value, risk and cost trade-off is an operations management problem. This is the first paper to combine value, risk and cost across the value stream showing how this interplay extends beyond product.
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Achinthya Dharani Perera Halnetti, Nihal Jayamaha, Nigel Peter Grigg and Mark Tunnicliffe
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how successful lean six sigma (LSS) manifests in the Australasian (Australian and New Zealand) context relative to the context in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how successful lean six sigma (LSS) manifests in the Australasian (Australian and New Zealand) context relative to the context in the USA in terms of LSS project definition, structure and practices.
Design/methodology/approach
In-depth investigation through case studies – 12 Australian/New Zealand cases and 4 US cases – on the implementation mechanisms of successful LSS initiatives.
Findings
A significant difference was found between Australasian and US definitions of an LSS project. However, firms in both regions followed similar project selection, initiating and execution practices. LSS reporting structures were found to be well-established in US organizations, but none of the Australasian organizations were found to be equipped with such a structure, although the effectiveness of LSS implementation success remained unaffected.
Research limitations/implications
Sufficient uniformity of LSS was found across two regions implying its usefulness/generalizability, but the findings are based only on 12 cases.
Originality/value
The paper provides the groundwork to develop a unique LSS model for Australasian organizations to improve processes in an effective and efficient manner.
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Susan M. Ogden and Nigel P. Grigg
In 1979, the UK set the standard on which the universally recognised ISO 9000 series was based. Part of the rationale for the creation of a generic quality assurance standard was…
Abstract
In 1979, the UK set the standard on which the universally recognised ISO 9000 series was based. Part of the rationale for the creation of a generic quality assurance standard was that it would supplant the need for independent customer inspections, avoid duplications of audits, and coordinate the various national approaches to quality standards. Ironically, however, as the award has grown internationally, there has been a corresponding growth in the number and type of quality standards available to UK organisations. This paper reviews the development of sector‐based quality assurance standards in the UK leisure, hospitality and food industries and draws conclusions on the extent to which the various standards can be aligned. It is found that whereas industry‐specific standards in the food industry dovetail with generic standards, there is a degree of overlap in the hospitality and leisure sectors.
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Ishani Buddika Soysa, Nihal Palitha Jayamaha and Nigel Peter Grigg
Using the BSC as the starting point, the purpose of this paper is to present a theory on nonprofit performance management and describes how an overall performance index (OPI) was…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the BSC as the starting point, the purpose of this paper is to present a theory on nonprofit performance management and describes how an overall performance index (OPI) was empirically developed to assess the strategic performance of a nonprofit organisation (NPO).
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model was developed from the literature. This was refined into a testable theoretical model using case studies. Thereafter, the theoretical model and an accompanying measurement model on OPI were validated using quantitative data (n=223) collected from a sample of healthcare NPOs in Australasia.
Findings
The measurement model was found to be a good fit to data. The model parameters (weights) pertaining to the OPI represent six PM dimensions (Mission; Strategy; Organisational Capabilities, Infrastructure and People Development; Financial Health; Processes; and Stakeholder Satisfaction) and 13 sub-dimensions. These parameters provide a tenable scoring system to assess the strategic performance of a NPO.
Research limitations/implications
The parameters (hence the scoring system) were estimated from data collected from a particular sector (healthcare) and a region (Australasia).
Practical implications
The findings can be used for comparative benchmarking (e.g. by managers and major donors) of NPOs, better governance and to initiate major performance improvement initiatives.
Originality/value
This study is the first empirical study that has been undertaken to develop an OPI for NPOs. The findings can be readily used by the practitioners.
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Jürgen P. Wagner, Nigel Grigg, Robin Mann and Musli Mohammad
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the basic problem of ingroup favoritism in a setting of high task interdependence is addressed through an intervention strategy…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the basic problem of ingroup favoritism in a setting of high task interdependence is addressed through an intervention strategy combining different approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reports on evidence from extensive field-based case research. It focuses on the holistic description of a single high-performance logistics setting and discusses the distinct but interrelated managerial approaches against the backdrop of behavioral theory.
Findings
Most notably, the authors examine how culturally specific factors such as people’s social ingroup-outgroup categorization is reduced through a continual rotation of jobs. Work relationships are purposefully depersonalized and consequently socially reframed through reference to the corporate philosophy. Likewise, behaviors, roles and responsibilities are redefined based on a purposeful reinterpretation of the corporate philosophy. The authors evaluate these desired behaviors against the background of the perceptions of work group members and describe how these guide actual behaviors.
Practical implications
The insights of this study exemplify how adverse behavioral effects that may occur in some socio-cultural contexts may be avoided through the appropriate design of operations.
Originality/value
This study employs a holistic approach to provide valuable insights into both practitioners and academics in the field of OM to counteract detrimental behavioral effects in real-world operations.
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Roslina Ab Wahid and Nigel Peter Grigg
Changes in structure and conceptual underpinnings of ISO 9001 mean that quality management system (QMS) auditors require a wide knowledge base and skill set to effectively…
Abstract
Purpose
Changes in structure and conceptual underpinnings of ISO 9001 mean that quality management system (QMS) auditors require a wide knowledge base and skill set to effectively evaluate contemporary QMS and add value to the process. Hence, this study presents an open curriculum framework of the knowledge, skills and attributes for quality auditor education.
Design/methodology/approach
This study describes the first two phases of a three-phase study examining the educational requirements for external quality auditors (EQAs). Phase 1 involved a review of relevant international literature on auditor competence and education; Phase 2 involved the collection of qualitative data from a panel of experts, combined with the initial round of a Delphi study. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the findings from the questionnaire.
Findings
The findings of this study suggests there is a need to improve EQAs education, as most experts reported the quality of audit to be variable, inconsistent, poor and diminishing in value. The most important improvements to auditor education are to update and improve the auditors' knowledge on the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard and technology in business and skills such as report writing, communication, IT understanding and analytical ability. Some of the attributes reported as being desirable to instill in EQAs include the following: objectivity, integrity, ethics and professionalism; being observant, perceptive, articulate and confident; having good judgment; flexibility, adaptivity and diplomacy, fairness and open-mindedness.
Originality/value
This study highlights the need for wider EQA education based on the gap identified in its performance. The resulting framework can be adopted by accreditation and certification bodies to evaluate and improve their auditors' audit performance.