Juan José Tarí

Green management and financial performance: a literature review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to carry out a literature review of the quantitative studies that have analyzed the impact of green management on financial performance.Design/methodology/approach – An examination of the literature was undertaken to review the quantitative studies that analyze the influence of environmental management on financial performance. A total of 32 studies were identified, examining the environmental variables used, the financial performance variables, the statistical analyses, and the main findings obtained by these studies.Findings – Results are mixed, but studies where a positive impact of environment on financial performance is obtained are predominant. In addition, the findings show that the set of firms, industries and countries are varied. Some studies use environmental management variables and other works employ environmental performance variables, and regression analysis prevails.Research limitations/implications – The study does not consider studies that analyze t...

Components of successful total quality management

Purpose – According to the literature, quality management consists of a set of components: critical factors, tools, techniques and practices. The purpose of this paper is: to identify the components of total quality management (TQM), in order to make them known to managers and thus facilitate successful quality management implementation, and to show the situation of 106 ISO 9000 certified firms concerning these components.Design/methodology/approach – In order to achieve this objective, a literature review and a survey based on 106 ISO 9000 certified firms in Spain were developed.Findings – The results reflect that certified firms must develop their people orientation 1and use techniques and tools to a higher extent in order to progress towards total quality.Originality/value – The value of the paper is point out which TQM components are important to successfully implement TQM and identify the situation of these components in ISO 9000 certified firms in a particular area.

The relationship between quality management practices and their effects on quality outcomes

Recent research into quality management has examined the relationship between quality management and performance. The purpose of this study is to identify the relationships between quality management practices, and to examine the direct and indirect effects of these practices on quality outcomes by means of replication research. The paper uses a path analysis and a research model is tested using cross-section data collected from 106 certified firms in Spain. The findings support the relationships between quality management practices and the positive impact of these practices on quality outcomes. Evidence is also found confirming previous research showing that a firm could transfer the organizational forms and behaviours underlying quality management to other countries with similar cultures. However, as minor differences emerge, managers should consider the cultural issues. The contribution of the paper is that it provides empirical support for direct and indirect effects of quality management on performance in Spain compared to previous studies carried out in USA and Korea.

Critical factors and results of quality management: An empirical study

Quality management theory has been influenced by the contributions from quality leaders, standardized quality models and empirical research. This has helped identifiy a set of critical factors for successful quality management implementation, as a way to improve customer satisfaction and performance. This study reviews the literature in order to identify the critical factors and results of quality management, using a factor analysis and, starting from this analysis, we also create a scale that can be empirically tested from the answers provided by those responsible for quality in 106 certified firms.

The importance of internal aspects in quality improvement

The adoption of ISO 9000 has been justified in terms of the many benefits it generate, although problems may also arise. Such advantages and disadvantages lead to different reasons for seeking certification. Based on these reasons, this paper analyzed the influence of internal motivation for seeking certification with level of quality management and performance in order to determinate whether internal aspects are more important than external aspects. For this purpose, a factor analysis (to identify reasons) and a cluster analysis (to establish significant differences among the groups in order to study the relation between reasons for seeking certification and level of quality management and performance) have been performed on the answers supplied by 106 certified firms in the Alicante area (eastern Spain). It is part of a wider research process, aimed at analyzing quality practices in certified firms by using quality management elements.

TQM, managerial factors and performance in the Spanish hotel industry

Purpose – Several important managerial factors, such as training, information and communication technologies and information systems (ICT/IS), and environmental management, can be related to total quality management (TQM) in the hotel industry. This paper aims to analyse how TQM is associated with these factors and to verify whether more TQM‐committed hotels achieve higher performance.Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data were collected from a sample of 301 three‐to‐five‐star Spanish hotels. A cluster analysis was carried out to identify the different TQM commitment levels, after which a regression analysis tested the TQM‐performance link.Findings – Managerial factors are significantly further developed in hotels with a stronger TQM commitment, which also have higher performances. TQM does not seem to influence all the performance variables measured.Practical implications – Hotels showing a stronger commitment to TQM develop more advanced management systems and achieve higher performance levels...

The influence of soft factors on quality improvement and performance: Perceptions from managers

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate the influence of soft factors on quality improvement and performance and also to examine the link between quality improvement and organizational performance.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses data from perceptions from managers in 255 electrical and electronics (EE customer focus; employee involvement; training and education; and reward and recognition. Organizational performance was significantly influenced by the following soft factors: management commitment; customer focus; and employee involvement. Finally, this paper empirically shows that firm performance will increase when the organizations implement more quality improvement practices.Practical ...

Integration of quality management and environmental management systems

Purpose – Quality management (QM) and environmental management (EM) systems have several similarities. These parallels may facilitate the development of an integrated system (QEM system). A QEM system is a full, single system where quality and environmental issues are taken into account at the same time, and where QM and EM systems lose their independence. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main benefits to be derived from the integration of QM and EM systems, and to use the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model as a bridge toward the implementation of a QEM system.Design/methodology/approach – First, an extensive literature review about the parallels between QM and EM systems is conducted. Second, the criteria of the EFQM model are taken into account to develop an integrated system.Findings – The literature review identifies several similarities between QM and EM systems, including the reasons to implement them, benefits derived from their adoption, positive influence on cost ...

An EFQM model self‐assessment exercise at a Spanish university

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the EFQM model self‐assessment in a Spanish university.Design/methodology/approach – A case study methodology is used based on five services provided by a public university in Spain.Findings – The findings show the steps that one university can follow in order to apply this exercise in a successful manner, its benefits, its obstacles and its key factors such as management and employee commitment, and the support to self‐assessment teams (e.g. training, review).Originality/value – The paper provides lessons for managers from other universities who wish to develop a self‐assessment exercise.

Does quality impact on hotel performance

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to study the reasons for the adoption and certification of quality systems and the subsequent impacts on performance.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology selected is a study based on the perceptions of two hotel managers in Spain.Findings – On the one hand, the results show that the most important reasons to adopt and certify quality systems are internal and, on the other hand, that although positive effects on performance can be identified, the impact on financial performance is low.Originality/value – The value of this paper lies in that it provides the perceptions of hotel managers for others who wish to know the reasons leading to the implementation and certification of a quality system and the subsequent impacts on performance.