Elaine Aspinwall

An empirical study of the important factors for knowledge‐management adoption in the SME sector

Purpose – To investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) for adopting knowledge management (KM) in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) – an area that has, to date, received very little attention in the literature.Design/methodology/approach – A survey instrument comprising 11 factors and 66 elements was developed. Through a postal survey, data were sought from SMEs in the UK. A parallel one was also administered to a group of academics, consultants and practitioners in the KM field in order to provide a more holistic view of the CSFs.Findings – The survey instrument was shown to be both reliable and valid. Pertinent statistical analyses were then performed. By integrating the results from both groups of respondents, a prioritised list of CSFs, in order of importance for implementing KM, was generated.Research limitations/implications – The number of responses received was rather small since KM is a new and emerging discipline, and not many SMEs have formally implemented it.Practical implications...

Characterizing knowledge management in the small business environment

Most of the literature on knowledge management (KM) and its application has, until recently, been centered on large organizations. Pertinent issues in small businesses have to a large extent been neglected. However, small businesses do not necessarily share the same characteristics and ideals as large ones. There are certain unique features of small businesses that need to be understood before KM is implemented in their environment. This paper aims to redress some of this imbalance in the literature by putting KM into the context of small businesses. It looks at their characteristics, their advantages and disadvantages, their strengths and weaknesses, and their key problems and issues, all associated with KM. Recognition of all these elements is crucial in order to provide a well‐suited KM approach for small businesses. The paper culminates with recommendations that will provide important insights to help them accomplish this.

A framework for the dimensions of quality in higher education

In any quality improvement programme, measurement plays a vital role as it provides information for decision making. Finding the characteristics of quality is a prerequisite for the measurement process. Despite recent research on general service’s quality dimensions, little work has been concentrated on public services and in particular higher education. Examines conceptual models proposed for different environments for consistency with higher education. Reviews quality factors found in the relevant literature and presents a new framework for the dimensions of quality in higher education.

Total quality management implementation frameworks: Comparison and review

One of the most influential factors in ensuring total quality management (TQM) adoption success is the formulation of a sound implementation framework prior to embarking on such a change process. Current frameworks seem to have been developed and derived primarily from the context and experience of larger sized organizations rather than small businesses. They tend to be complex and too prescriptive, rather than being a general guide. This paper compares and reviews a sample of the existing frameworks found in the literature. The first part focuses on understanding small businesses in terms of their definition and characterizes the differences between large and small businesses with respect to TQM implementation. It is followed by analysing the proposed frameworks as to their suitability and applicability to small and medium-sized enterprises (referred to as small businesses). This particular sector is chosen because it provides much needed attention, especially if TQM is to be sustained by the larger multinational organizations. By improving the small business sector, the resultant effect on the overall economy will be tremendous. A discussion is included on the future research direction for the development of a framework to meet the needs of small businesses.

Critical success factors in small and medium enterprises: Survey results

Studies, to date, on critical success factors (CSFs) for total quality management (TQM) implementation have largely centred on the experiences and perceptions of large companies rather than small and medium enterprises (SMEs). They could very well be similar for both sectors, but it is diYcult to say without any concrete evidence. This paper discusses the results of a survey (in the form of a postal questionnaire( on CSFs, conducted in UK automotive SMEs. The paper begins with general descriptive statistics of the respondents, the quality initiatives implemented, and the level of understanding and knowledge of TQM that they have. It is followed by reliability and validity tests conducted on the CSF instrument. The ® nal section presents an analysis of the perception of level of importance and extent of practices of the CSFs. Tests of signi® cance were performed to investigate any diVerences between the levels of importance and practice, and on the level of importance and practices of companies accredited to QS 9000 against those that were not. The paper culminates with a discussion and the general conclusions from the survey together with some proposed future research directions.

TQM in higher education ‐ a review

Posits that the role that quality plays in the higher education sector is becoming more important as the dominance of market‐orientation leaves no alternative for universities and colleges but to improve their quality while increasing efficiency. Philosophies like total quality management (TQM), which have been successfully adopted in commercial organizations, are generally seen as the way forward. Includes a review of the published literature on theories and applications of TQM in higher education. The case studies were analysed using ten features found to be critical to a total quality philosophy. Conclusions were drawn regarding similarities and differences between higher education and other environments as well as between US and UK approaches.

TQM implementation issues: review and case study

TQM is a philosophy mainly dominated by large companies. Small businesses are lagging behind larger ones when it comes to introducing and adopting new managerial philosophies and advanced technology. Many small companies have stopped at quality system certification, such as ISO 9000, in their quality journey rather than pursuing further continuous improvement efforts through TQM. Small businesses must understand the need to go beyond the quality system stage and work towards a total approach for quality. Only through this total approach will their quality effort be a success. Discusses the various issues confronting small businesses when embarking on TQM. First, reviews the subject of TQM and the quality initiatives undertaken by small businesses (which are treated as small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs)) such as ISO 9000 and TQM. The small business characteristics are also examined. Second, presents a case study conducted in a small manufacturing company. Culminates with conclusions and discussions drawn from both the review and the case study with suggestions for future research directions.

Development of a knowledge management initiative and system: A case study

As knowledge emerges as the primary strategic resource in the 21st century, many firms in the manufacturing and service sectors alike are beginning to introduce and implement Knowledge Management (KM). Organisations can certainly benefit from its application for enhanced decision support, efficiency and innovation, thus helping them to realise their strategic mission. However, KM is an emerging paradigm, and not many organisations have a clear idea of how to proceed with it. This paper presents the results of a case study conducted in one company in the United Kingdom (UK), the major aim being to identify how it has developed a KM initiative and system. Hopefully, the information extracted from this study will be beneficial to other organisations that are attempting to implement KM or to those that are in the throes of adopting it.

A conceptual framework for TQM implementation for SMEs

The proposed framework for TQM implementation in SMEs described in this paper centres on three main elements: the “quality toolbox”, “general methodology” and the “central co‐ordinating body”. It is believed that the adoption of TQM in SMEs must not be a fully blown approach but a gradual progression and selection of appropriate “quality tools and initiatives” as and when necessary, with the ultimate aim of continuous improvement in the organisation. The suggested methodology consists of a series of activities which can help towards making a selected quality initiative become a permanent feature of the organisation. The proposed framework is intended to be non‐prescriptive and the adoption of a quality initiative to be dependent upon the needs and priorities established by the company. Concludes with a discussion of, and the proposed future direction for, this research.

Performance measures in English small and medium enterprises: survey results

Purpose – To determine the current state of knowledge related to performance measures and their degree of implementation in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in England.Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts with a literature review and then goes on to discuss the methodology used. The survey is briefly presented together with the analysis of the resultant data. General opinions regarding performance measurement in English SMEs are described, including the most important measures and the biggest obstacles to the adoption of new ones. Hypotheses about differences between groups are tested and discussed.Findings – This work concludes that there is a gap between the theory/knowledge of performance measures and the practice in English SMEs. Training of employees and difficulty in defining new performance measures were highlighted as the major obstacles to the adoption of new performance measures.Research limitations/implications – The low response rate of the survey precludes the generalisation of t...