The TQM Journal

Zhang, Shuaijun; Rew, Dongjun; Jung, Joo; Wu, Sibin; Baldo, Carlos

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-02-2023-0056

This study investigates the relationship between organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), total quality management (TQM), and corporate sustainability (CS). Specifically, the authors propose that TQM mediates the relationship between OCB and CS. The authors intend to demonstrate that TQM practice may be able to balance the interests of all stakeholders and hence improve the performance of all three CS elements, namely economic, social and environmental.Design/methodology/approachThe authors designed a survey questionnaire. The authors then collected data from managers that were in charge of quality control in 216 companies. Hypotheses were developed and regression and path analyses were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsOCB has a positive effect on both TQM and CS. TQM also is positively related to CS. Further, TQM mediates the relationship between OCB and CS. Further analyses show that the full mediation only applies to economic aspects of CS but not social and environmental.Practical implicationsCompanies that aim to achieve overall CS performance should not only encourage OCB in an organization, but also pay attention to TQM. Moreover, when deciding on hard and soft TQM, the priority should be given to hard TQM.Originality/valueThe authors investigate the relationship between OCB, TQM and CS in detail. The authors treat TQM in two elements of soft TQM and hard TQM while treating CS performance in three elements of economic, social and environmental performances. The authors further examine how both hard and soft TQM impacts CS performance differently.

Fernandes, June Marques; Reis, Luciana Paula; Mansk, Raphael

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-01-2023-0023

This study aims to validate a model to assess the level of lean maturity of Brazilian hospitals based on the adaptation of the SAE J4000/2021 standard.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology was divided: (1) adaptation of the standard to the health context, (2) application of the questionnaire through a survey, and (3) comparison of the results of the level of maturity in the standard and by the clustering technique, using Minitab.FindingsThe research presents two contributions: (1) validation of a model to assess the level of lean maturity based on the SAE J4000/2021; (2) insights into the level of maturity of Brazilian hospitals. It was observed that only 10% of the sample was classified at maturity level 3 and 75% at level 2. Private and large hospitals showed greater maturity compared to the others.Research limitations/implicationsThis includes the limited number of hospitals that participated in the survey, given the difficulty of adherence to due constraints of time and staffing from hospitals, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Practical implicationsThis article presents a lean maturity assessment proposal, adapting a consolidated standard in the automobile industry to the health context. Insights on the lean maturity of Brazilian hospitals can contribute to the development of policies to encourage the implementation of the lean philosophy directed to each specific environment.Social implicationsThis study serves as a guide for public agents interested in monitoring the quality of hospital indicators through the SAE J4000/2021 standard. From this lean maturity analysis, hospital managers can understand their opportunities for improvement in both human and organizational aspects. This favors the improvement of service delivery to society that depends on health services.Originality/valueDue to the lack of research that validates lean maturity level assessment models in Brazilian hospitals, this study can be considered a pioneer in this Brazilian research by validating the SAE J4000/2021 standard in its updated version in the health context.

Ganjare, Smita Abhijit; Satao, Sunil M.; Narwane, Vaibhav

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-12-2022-0365

In today's fast developing era, the volume of data is increasing day by day. The traditional methods are lagging for efficiently managing the huge amount of data. The adoption of machine learning techniques helps in efficient management of data and draws relevant patterns from that data. The main aim of this research paper is to provide brief information about the proposed adoption of machine learning techniques in different sectors of manufacturing supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThis research paper has done rigorous systematic literature review of adoption of machine learning techniques in manufacturing supply chain from year 2015 to 2023. Out of 511 papers, 74 papers are shortlisted for detailed analysis.FindingsThe papers are subcategorised into 8 sections which helps in scrutinizing the work done in manufacturing supply chain. This paper helps in finding out the contribution of application of machine learning techniques in manufacturing field mostly in automotive sector.Practical implicationsThe research is limited to papers published from year 2015 to year 2023. The limitation of the current research that book chapters, unpublished work, white papers and conference papers are not considered for study. Only English language articles and review papers are studied in brief. This study helps in adoption of machine learning techniques in manufacturing supply chain.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few studies which investigate machine learning techniques in manufacturing sector and supply chain through systematic literature survey.Highlights A comprehensive understanding of Machine Learning techniques is presented.The state of art of adoption of Machine Learning techniques are investigated.The methodology of (SLR) is proposed.An innovative study of Machine Learning techniques in manufacturing supply chain.

Antony, Jiju; Bhat, Shreeranga; Fundin, Anders; Sony, Michael; Sorqvist, Lars; Bader, Mariam

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-06-2023-0198

The use of quality management (QM) to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) is a topic of growing interest in academia and industry. The IAQ (International Academy for Quality) established Quality Sustainability Award in 2020, a testament to this growing interest. This study aims to investigate how QM philosophies, methodologies and tools can be used to achieve sustainable development in organizations.Design/methodology/approachFive large manufacturing organizations – three from India and two from China – who reported their achievements about using QM in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were studied using multiple sources of data collection. A detailed within-case and cross-case analysis were conducted to unearth this linkage's practical and theoretical aspects.FindingsThe study finds that QM methodologies effectively met the five organizations' UNSDGs. These organizations successfully used OPEX (Operational Excellence) methodologies such as Lean, Kaizen and Six Sigma to meet UNSDGs 7, 11, 12 and 13. Moreover, UNSG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) is the most targeted goal across the case studies. A cross-case analysis revealed that the most frequently used quality tools were Design of Experiments (DoE), Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), C&E analysis and Inferential statistics, among other essential tools.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's sample size was limited to large-scale manufacturing organizations in the two most populous countries in the world. This may limit the study's generalizability to other countries, continents, or micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Additionally, the study's conclusions would be strengthened if tested as hypotheses in a follow-up survey.Practical implicationsThis practical paper provides case studies on how to use QM to impact SDGs. It offers both descriptive and prescriptive solutions for practitioners. The study highlights the importance of using essential QM tools in a structured and systematic manner, with effective teams, to meet the SDGs of organizations.Social implicationsThe study shows how QM can be used to impact UNSDGs, and this is very important because the UNSDGs are a set of global objectives that aim to address a wide range of social and environmental issues. This study could motivate organizations to achieve the UNSDGs using essential QM tools and make the world a better place for the present and future generations.Originality/valueThis case study is the first to investigate at a micro-level how QM can impact UNSDGs using live examples. It uses data from the IAQ to demonstrate how QM can be integrated into UNSDGs to ensure sustainable manufacturing.

Samanta, Alok Kumar; Varaprasad, G.; Gurumurthy, Anand; Antony, Jiju

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-02-2023-0043

Many healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, have recently implemented quality improvement initiatives such as Lean Six Sigma (LSS). However, only a few have sustained the initiatives and remained successful. One of the main reasons for the failure of LSS implementation is that managers tend to view LSS as individual projects. Managers lack a Change Management (CM) focus during the implementation. The primary purpose of this study is to document the implementation of LSS through a CM approach to improve sustainability.Design/methodology/approachDefine-Measure-Analyse-Improve-Control (DMAIC) and the Awareness-Desire-Knowledge-Ability-Reinforcement (ADKAR), a popular CM approach, are combined to propose a new framework. The usefulness of the proposed framework is demonstrated using a case study in a multispeciality hospital located in southern India.FindingsThe study found that several factors are responsible for the high Length of Stay (LOS) for patients in the Emergency Department (ED). By implementing this proposed model to implement LSS and taking corrective actions, the average LOS was reduced from 267 to 158 min (a 40% reduction approximately).Practical implicationsThe complete step-by-step approach is explained, and the LOS was considerably reduced during the pilot project. The findings will provide valuable insights for healthcare practitioners to understand the steps involved in the combined DMAIC-ADKAR model. The findings would also give healthcare practitioners the confidence to identify suitable tools and implement LSS in organisations where the practitioners work.Originality/valueAccording to the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that synergises two models (DMAIC and ADKAR) into a single framework to implement in a hospital.

Kumar, Vimal; Mittal, Ankesh; Verma, Pratima; Antony, Jiju

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-08-2022-0258

This paper attempts to investigate the approaches used for implementing total quality management (TQM) practices and study its impact on ABC India Limited (Name changed), a tyre manufacturing industry for realizing leadership in the Indian market. The other objectives are to explore the key issues faced by the company before TQM and study the benefits achieved after TQM implementation.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual case study research methodology has been utilized in this paper. The industry was facing some major business challenges such as low productivity, financial issues and low market presence since 1996. To overcome these issues, the top management of the industry adopted TQM as a business improvement tool and started its implementation in 2008.FindingsA good number of improvement initiatives under four TQM approaches such as management approach, development approach, improvement approach and involvement approach were performed systematically and strategically. As a result of the successful implementation of TQM initiatives, the industry received the most prestigious quality award namely Deming Prize in 2017.Research limitations/implicationsWith the implementation of the TQM philosophy in the industry, it gained the top market position, the customer satisfaction score increased from 75 to 81, market presence increased from 7.2% to 26.3% and the percentage participation of employees increased by 73.5% within a period from 2009 to 2016.Originality/valueThe novelty of this research is to consider a case-based approach that will be helpful in promoting the utilization of the TQM philosophy in other industries for gaining competitive advantages.

McDermott, Olivia; Antony, Jiju; Sony, Michael; Swarnakar, Vikas

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-01-2023-0019

This paper gives the background to the ISO 18404:2015 standard and explains its rationale. It aims to rebut the Oudrhiri et al. (2022) paper. Furthermore, this paper adds further evidence of the misplacement and unfitness for use of the standard, as evidenced in the previous work by Antony et al. (2021, 2022).Design/methodology/approachA point-counterpoint methods approach with a literature review of studies available on ISO 18404:2015 to respond to the Oudrhiri et al. (2022) study.FindingsThe findings indicate that Oudrhiri et al.'s (2022) work is not open minded in relation to ISO18404. Each point raised in the Oudrhiri et al. (2020) study has been answered and counter argued.Research limitations/implicationsOther than Antony et al.'s three studies (2021 and 2022) and Oudrhiri et al.’s (2022) study empirical studies looking into the impact of the ISO 18404 standard in the literature were limited. As the literature has shown, many companies are not utilising the standard given its current format; hence, a lack of information relating to the practical implementation is sparse.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that Oudrhiri et al.'s (2022) work can be answered and counter argued.Originality/valueThis study consolidates and strengthens the findings from the three studies by Antony et al. (2021 and 2022) and acts as a rebuttal to the Oudrhiri et al. (2022) study.

Antony, Jiju; Swarnakar, Vikas; Sony, Michael; McDermott, Olivia; Jayaraman, Raja

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-03-2023-0083

This study aims to investigate how early and late adopters of Quality 4.0 (Q4.0) differ in terms of organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed a grounded theory approach for interviewing 15 senior managers from diverse organizational contexts throughout the globe as part of their qualitative research methodology.FindingsThe research's findings were analyzed based on four types of performance: operational, financial, environmental and social. It was clear that early adopters of Q4.0 were sustaining superior performance in quality over time, even though their investment was significantly higher than that of late adopters. From a financial viewpoint, it was evident that early adopters had a competitive edge over their rivals compared to late adopters. Late adopters have utilized the notion of the circular economy (CE) more effectively than many early adopters in the context of environmental performance in order to establish a green economy and sustainable development.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the results of the interview indicate that Q4.0 is having some positive effects on social performance, in the authors' view, it is still least understood from an empirical standpoint.Originality/valueThe study's findings assist organizations in comprehending the performance differences between Q4.0 early adopters and late adopters.

Zulfiqar, Maryam; Sony, Michael; Bhat, Shreeranga; Antony, Jiju; Salentijn, Willem; McDermott, Olivia

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-05-2023-0130

The integration of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is in the nascent stage and promises to achieve new optimums in operational excellence. This study aims to empirically examine the enablers, barriers, benefits and application of I4.0 technologies in LSS and I4.0 integration.Design/methodology/approachA pilot survey was chosen as an appropriate methodology, as LSS and I4.0 integration is still budding. The survey targeted senior quality management professionals, quality managers, team leaders, LSS Black Belts and operations managers to collect the relevant research data. The questionnaire was sent to 200 respondents and received 53 valid responses.FindingsThis study reveals that “top management support” is an essential enabler for LSS and I4.0 integration. The most significant barrier was “poor understanding of data analysis” and “lack of top management support”. The findings further illustrated that LSS and I4.0 integration resulted in greater efficiency, lower operational costs, improved productivity, improved customer satisfaction and improved quality. Regarding I4.0 technology integration at different phases of LSS, the authors noticed that big data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are the most prominent technologies used in all phases of LSS implementation.Research limitations/implicationsOne of the limitations of this study is the sample size. LSS and I4.0 are emerging concepts; hence, obtaining a larger sample size is difficult. In addition, the study used non-parametric tests to analyse the data. Therefore, future studies should be conducted with large sample sizes across different continents and countries to understand differences in the key findings.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of this study can be useful for organisational managers to understand the enablers and barriers before integrating LSS and I4.0 for adoption in their organisations. Secondly, it helps to convince top management and human resource personnel by providing a list of benefits of LSS and I4.0 integration. Finally, it can help decision-makers understand which I4.0 technologies can be used in different stages of LSS methodology.Originality/valueLSS and I4.0 integration was studied at a conceptual level. This is the first empirical study targeted toward understanding the LSS and I4.0 integration. In addition, this study investigates the application of widely used I4.0 technologies in different phases of LSS.

Antony, Jiju; Sony, Michael; Lameijer, Bart; Bhat, Shreeranga; Jayaraman, Raja; Gutierrez, Leopoldo

2024 The TQM Journal

doi: 10.1108/tqm-01-2023-0017

Design science research (DSR) is a structured approach for solving complex ill-structured problems in organizations through the development of an artefact followed by its validation. This paper aims to evaluate existing DSR methodology and propose specific accents to promote DSR for environmental, social and governance (ESG)-oriented operational excellence (OPEX) initiatives within organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis commentary paper is based on an abductive reasoning approach to evaluate and understand DSR and assess its effectiveness for developing solutions to typical ESG-oriented OPEX-based problems within organizations.FindingsExisting literature on DSR is reviewed, after which it is evaluated on its ability to contribute to the implementation of sustainable solutions for ESG-oriented OPEX-based problems. Based on the review, specific DSR methodological accents are proposed for the development of ESG-oriented OPEX-based solutions in organizations.Research limitations/implicationsThis conceptual paper contributes to the conceptual understanding of the applicability, limitations and contextual preconditions for applying DSR. This paper proposes an explicit and, in some ways, alternative view on DSR research for OPEX researchers to apply and further the body of knowledge on matters of sustainability (ESG) in operations management.Practical implicationsCurrently, there is limited understanding and application of the DSR methodology for OPEX-based problem-solving initiatives, as appears in the scant literature on DSR applied for the implementation of OPEX based initiatives for ESG purposes. This paper aims to challenge and provide accents for DSR applied to OPEX-related problems by means of a DSR framework and thereby promotes intervention-based studies among researchers.Originality/valueThe proposed step-by-step methodology contains novel elements and is expected to be of help for OPEX-oriented academicians and practitioners in implementing DSR methodology for practical related problems which need research interventions from academics from Higher Education Institutions.