Leopoldo Gutiérrez

Six sigma: from a goal‐theoretic perspective to shared‐vision development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend understanding of the success of the six sigma quality management initiative by investigating the effects of six sigma teamwork and statistical process control (SPC) on organizational‐shared vision.Design/methodology/approach – The information used comes from a larger study, the data for which were collected from a random sample of 237 European firms. Of these 237 organizations, 58 have implemented six sigma. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses.Findings – The main findings show that six sigma teamwork and SPC positively affect the development of organizational‐shared vision. A positive but not significant influence is also observed between shared vision and organizational performance.Research limitations/implications – Positive effects found in this study should be investigated further employing a larger sample of six sigma firms and including other variables such as organizational learning. Further, the effects of these varia...

Quality management initiatives in Europe: An empirical analysis according to their structural elements

In recent years, managers have opted for implementing quality management (QM) in their firms. The market offers different alternatives for QM implementation, such as the EFQM model, ISO standards, the Malcolm Baldrige model or the recent Six Sigma methodology. The difficulty in implementation of each initiative varies from case to case. In this article we propose a criterion for choosing among four alternatives (quality control, EFQM, Six Sigma and ISO 9000), according to the degree of development required for the elements that structure the alternatives. To do so, using an ANOVA analysis and mean comparison t-tests, we analyse 234 organisations in Europe that have implemented the four alternatives mentioned and observe the degree of development of nine of the elements that compose them. From the research, one can conclude that quality control is the simplest initiative, followed by ISO 9000 and, finally, the EFQM model and Six Sigma methodology.

The knowledge transfer process in Six Sigma subsidiary firms

Although the operative benefits of the Six Sigma methodology in the business world are well accepted, the long-term benefits of the initiative are currently under discussion. This paper aims to analyse how Six Sigma methodology is related to the knowledge transfer process, a source of competitive advantage. For this purpose, we observe how team management in Six Sigma firms differs statistically from the team management proposed by other quality management initiatives, and how Six Sigma team management is related to the knowledge integration and knowledge transfer processes. An ANOVA analysis and Partial Least Squares approach were used to analyse data from 53 European Six Sigma firms, confirming the hypotheses developed. The results confirm that Six Sigma methodology offers new possibilities to companies and that implementation of Six Sigma has a positive effect on the variables that influence long-term organisational performance, such as knowledge management. Relevant academic contributions and implicat...Although the operative benefits of the Six Sigma methodology in the business world are well accepted, the long-term benefits of the initiative are currently under discussion. This paper aims to analyse how Six Sigma methodology is related to the knowledge transfer process, a source of competitive advantage. For this purpose, we observe how team management in Six Sigma firms differs statistically from the team management proposed by other quality management initiatives, and how Six Sigma team management is related to the knowledge integration and knowledge transfer processes. An ANOVA analysis and Partial Least Squares approach were used to analyse data from 53 European Six Sigma firms, confirming the hypotheses developed. The results confirm that Six Sigma methodology offers new possibilities to companies and that implementation of Six Sigma has a positive effect on the variables that influence long-term organisational performance, such as knowledge management. Relevant academic contributions and implications for practitioners are included.

External managerial networks, strategic flexibility and organisational learning: A comparative study among non-QM, ISO and TQM firms

This paper studies the effect of external managerial social networks on strategic flexibility and organisational learning, considering three groups of firms (non-quality management (QM) firms, ISO firms and total quality management (TQM) firms). At present, there are a wide variety of alternatives for managing quality in organisations, such as ISO standards and the European Foundation for Quality Management model. Thus, different alternatives will influence the external social networks differently, affecting strategic flexibility and organisational learning, as the literature on external social networks suggests that they can affect strategic flexibility and organisational learning positively. Through a comparative analysis of variance and stepwise regressions, we observed that external social networks affect strategic flexibility and organisational learning positively, primarily based on the greater size of the networks. On the other hand, we found that depending on the kind of QM initiative implemented in the organisation, other effects vary. For example, in organisations without QM, the range of external social networks influences strategic flexibility negatively, whereas in organisations with ISO standards, this negative effect disappears. In organisations with TQM, we found the positive effect of both size and strength of relations on the networks. For organisational learning, a negative relationship was found between organisational capability and network range for the non-QM firm group. These relationships turned out to be positive for the TQM firm group. This paper includes these and other conclusions, as well as future lines of research.

Un estudio empírico del impacto de las iniciativas actuales de gestión de la calidad sobre la innovación y flexibilidad organizativa

RESUMEN En los últimos años, los directivos han optado fuertemente por la Gestión de la Calidad (GC). Como consecuencia, el mercado ha acabado ofreciendo una amplia gama de alternativas para ello (EFQM, ISO, Seis Sigma, etc.), cuyos beneficios difícilmente serán los mismos. Este trabajo diseña un criterio para diferenciar entre cuatro alternativas (Control de calidad, EFQM, Seis Sigma, ISO), basándose en los distintos efectos que sus elementos estructurales pueden tener sobre las capacidades de innovación y flexibilidad. Para ello, se analizan 234 empresas europeas, usando una regresión múltiple con variables ficticias. Los resultados muestran como el efecto de elementos incluidos en el control de calidad y en las Normas ISO no es distinto sobre la innovación ni sobre la flexibilidad. Los elementos en el Modelo EFQM tienen un impacto más fuerte sobre la innovación técnica, la administrativa, y la flexibilidad estratégica, y los asociados a Seis Sigma sobre la flexibilidad operativa.

A dynamic evaluation of factors determining the quality of service perceived by clients: an empirical analysis focused on the consultancy sector

The buyer–seller relation has become an integral part of business strategy in the service sector. This study begins from the importance of quality of service in the buyer-seller relation and adds evidence concerning an issue missing in other studies performed: the importance that clients attribute to dimensions of perceived quality varies as a function of the length of their relation to the firm. We identify which dimensions of quality of service should at any given moment be the primary concern of management and which should have secondary significance. To do this, we contacted an experienced national consultancy in order to learn, by means of a multiple linear regression model, the value attributed on the part of its clients to the quality of service and its dimensions. The study shows how buyers value some dimensions of perceived quality as a function of the length of their relation to the organisation.