Luís Lourenço

Factors that hinder quality improvement programs’ implementation in SME

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the following purposes: first, to identify/analyze the main factors that hinder quality improvement programs’ implementation in SMEs, and second, to test if the level of importance attributed to those factors differ according to firms’ dimension. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was mailed to 600 Portuguese SME randomly selected. Out of the sample, a total of 95 questionnaires were completed and returned, performing a final response rate around 16 per cent. Findings – Findings reached from this research, highlighted seven different factors affecting quality programs: top managements education/training level and priorities, costs and actual performance, lack of support from external agents, human resources’ overload, aversion to change, lack of resources, and culture and training. Furthermore, results suggest that these factors assume greater importance in medium-sized firms, compared to smaller ones. Research limitations/implications – The research...

Perceived psychological empowerment and total quality management-based quality management systems: an exploratory research

Although much has been written about total quality management (TQM) and employee involvement, little attention has been paid to individual-level determinants of employees’ involvement in such a context. Moreover, studies highlight differences between employers’ and employees’ perceptions of human resources practices, especially in what empowerment concerns. The main purpose of this research was to analyse potential differences in the perception of empowerment in employees without leadership duties between TQM-based companies and non-TQM-based companies. Results showed significant statistical differences in some dimensions of empowerment among the two groups of companies. To our knowledge, no previous study has ever investigated this issue. As a result, our research brings new insights into the TQM framework, especially in what concerns employees’ behaviour.

A LIDERANÇA TRANSFORMACIONAL COMO FACTOR DE DESENVOLVIMENTO NA GESTÃO PELA QUALIDADE TOTAL: CRIATIVIDADE, INOVAÇÃO, CONFIANÇA E TRABALHO EM EQUIPA

Diversos estudos de investigacao tem conduzido a identificacao da lideranca como um potencial catalisador da gestao pela qualidade total. Alem disso, estudos empiricos tem demonstrado, de forma consistente, uma relacao positiva e significante entre a lideranca transformacional e indicadores de eficiencia no trabalho. Um sistema estruturado de lideranca deve basear-se em valores claros e em principios organizacionais que sustentem os processos de tomada de decisao e permitam orientar e inspirar a organizacao, comprometendo todos os seus colaboradores, na senda de padroes de excelencia. Assim, e para que se promova uma cultura de excelencia orientada para a qualidade total, e necessaria uma forte concertacao e convergencia das praticas de gestao entre todos os actores organizacionais. Neste contexto, e fundamental que a direccao de topo da organizacao estabeleca um conjunto de valores e principios organizacionais capazes de estabelecer um rumo a seguir, e balizem o comportamento dos seus membros, orientando a accao organizacional para elevados padroes de qualidade. Entre os investigadores e especialistas, e unânime reconhecer que cabe a direccao de topo liderar o movimento pela qualidade. Neste sentido, e expectavel que os lideres definam a missao e a estrategia organizacional, estabelecam valores e principios de gestao inspiradores das melhores praticas de gestao orientadas para a qualidade total. Este trabalho explora a relacao conceptual entre a lideranca transformacional e a gestao pela qualidade total – ao nivel das dimensoes da inovacao, criatividade, confianca e trabalho em equipa – apresentando proposicoes iniciais que podem nortear futuras investigacoes dentro desta area de conhecimento.

Aircraft sustaining: a holistic and systemic approach establishing the various support components

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of research into the support activities of commercial aircraft (A/C).Design/methodology/approach – The work is associated with A/C operations (OPS) providing a structure establishing the A/C sustaining during the in‐service phase. The process involved the implementation of a field survey in order to capture heuristically A/C support practices to enable one to identify system requirements. This part of the work utilized the collaboration of 21 A/C operators and maintenance repair and overhaul companies from various regions of the world.Findings – Using systems engineering methodology, the research process led to the development of a prototype sustaining system. The solution comprises a tree of support functionalities (similar to a work breakdown structure). The result was verified by major local national airlines which confirmed the ability of the solution in terms of representing a viable structure establishing an A/C sustaining system.Origina...

PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY AND STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE INFLUENCE OF TEACHING METHODS

The main aim of this research was to study the relationship between perceived quality (PQ) and satisfaction in Higher education, and especially to identify if these variables could differ between groups of students exposed to different teaching methods. A quantitative study was conducted at a Portuguese Faculty of Health Sciences, through a survey applied to a final sample of 359 students. Data analysis was performed through a structural equation model, using, for this purpose, the PLS method. Results confirm that PQ is positively related to students’ satisfaction in the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) context, and that PQ and satisfaction are significantly different when students are exposed to different teaching approaches. Although there is a substantial body of evidence regarding teaching methods in HEI, to our knowledge there is no reliable prior study that explicitly approached the influence of alternative teaching methods on students’ satisfaction and their perception of service quality.