Luis Mendes

Employees’ skills, manufacturing flexibility and performance: a structural equation modelling applied to the automotive industry

The issue of manufacturing flexibility (MF) is gaining growing importance in production/operations management, mainly due to the changing nature of competition, and in such a context, the efficient use of resources may be a major concern and challenge for manufacturing strategy in many industries, particularly in the capital intensive automotive industry. Building on the foundation laid by previous researches on flexibility concerns, the objective of this study is to gain further insights on the nature of the linkage between employees’ skills and MF, as well as its impact on business performance. Moving toward such purpose, a structural equation modelling is applied to data collected from 144 manufacturing firms in the automotive industry from several countries. Findings provide evidences that workforce’ skills may foster MF as an effective approach to cope with uncertain environments and turbulent markets. More precisely, results show that employees’ skills directly influence new product, volume and mix flexibility, which in turn directly influence business performance. Moreover, findings revealed that MF mediates partially the relationship between employees’ skills and business performance.

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...

Relationship between growth and R&D intensity in low‐tech and high‐tech Portuguese service SMEs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine if the relationship between growth and research and development (R&D) intensity is of a different nature in the context of low‐ and high‐tech Portuguese service small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approach – The System Analysis of Iberian Balance Sheets database is used. Based on the European Unions recommendation, L124/36 (2003/261/CE), the authors select 764 low‐tech and 139 high‐tech Portuguese service SMEs for the period 1999‐2006. As method of analysis, panel data are used.Findings – A negative relationship between growth and R&D intensity for low‐tech Portuguese service SMEs is identified, whatever the level of R&D intensity. For high‐tech Portuguese service SMEs, a quadratic U‐shaped relationship between growth and R&D intensity is identified. Moreover, the authors find that relationships between growth and determinants are of a special nature in the context of high‐tech Portuguese service SMEs with high levels of R&D inte...

Influence of leadership on quality nursing care

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which nursing leadership, perceived by nursing staff, influences nursing quality. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH Data were collected between August and October 2011 in a Portuguese health center via a questionnaire completed by nurses. Our original sample included 283 employees; 184 questionnaires were received (65% response). FINDINGS The theoretical model presents reasonably satisfactory fit indices (values above literature reference). Path analysis between latent constructs clearly suggests that nursing leadership has a direct (beta = 0.724) and statistically significant (p = 0.007) effect on nursing quality. ORIGINALITY/VALUE Results reinforce several ideas propagated throughout the literature, which suggests the relationships relevance, but lacks empirical support, which this study corrects.

IT in lean-based manufacturing industries: systematic literature review and research issues

This systematic literature review is the first to explore the role of IT in lean manufacturing contexts, characterising literature on the field, identifying and exploring the main issues approached, and identifying potential future lines of research. Grounded on an accurate screening process, 124 papers were selected for analysis from the SCOPUS and the ISI Web of Knowledge databases. The structured content analysis process highlights five key issues approached in literature: (1) software and technologies used, (2) benefits achieved through applying IT in lean manufacturing, (3) importance of IT integration, (4) IT and lean as complementary or independent options and (5) role of human resources. Despite an apparent scepticism concerning compatibility between IT and lean, claiming that IT may lead to processes’ complexity, extra tasks, resource consuming, among other issues, among other key findings, the review shows that several different IT instruments may boost improvements, acting as a facilitator in developing lean industrial environments, especially when lean-based improvement processes are introduced first, and then IT infrastructures. Because both IT and Lean may require significant investments in terms of managerial attention, employees’ capabilities and financial resources, it is important for management to balance investment decisions. Authors point to several shortcomings in literature which represent significant opportunities for further research: (1) significant lack of integrated comprehensive frameworks, (2) lack of knowledge concerning hybrid manufacturing systems, supply chains as research unit of analysis, how organisations can respond to staff resistance, and role of IT across the distinctive stages of lean maturity.

Employees' involvement and quality improvement in manufacturing small and medium enterprise (SME): A comparative analysis

The research focused on specific human resource management (HRM) issues, driven at raising employees’ awareness, and fostering employees’ full involvement in quality programs. Moreover, the research tested if general HRM initiatives directed at quality improvement, and quality training programs, in particular, assumed different preponderances in small and medium enterprise (SME), according to firms’ size. For this purpose, a survey was mailed to a random sample of Portuguese SME. From the sample, around 16% of questionnaires were completed and returned. The results suggest clear concerns from SME in raising employees’ awareness about the importance of quality improvement issues, and fostering employees’ involvement in quality improvement programs. Furthermore, regarding quality improvement, differences in attitude towards HRM initiatives, in general, and training, in particular, are attributed to organizational size.

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.

IT Applications In Logistics And Their Influence On The Competitiveness Of Companies/Supply Chains

Abstract This paper aims to study the influence of Information Technologies on the competitiveness of companies/supply chains. That is, it intends to analyse if the adoption of Information Technologies contributes to improve costs, time and customer service. To attain this objective a case study and content analysis methodology is used. Results indicate that there is a positive relation between the adoption of technologies, namely RFID, A.R. and the competitiveness of companies/supply chains. By the use of these technologies it is possible to improve several processes across the supply chain, as well as the reduction of costs related to labor, improvement in inventories and management of transport channels as well as an improvement on customer service. The improvement of these indicators has as consequence a gain in competitiveness allowing the companies to respond to the market needs in a differentiated way increasing by this way the customers’ satisfaction. As the information technologies have been considered very important for businesses it is crucial to improve our understanding on the main advantages associates with them and their contribution for competitiveness improvement of companies and supply chains, so this paper represents an important contribution for academics and professionals in this field.

Influence of total quality-based human issues on organisational commitment

Most studies generally report consistent evidence that private-sector employees exhibit higher levels of organisational commitment, compared to employees in public-sector organisations. This paper focuses on the understudied public sector, and assesses the contribution of total quality-based human resources practices to enhancing employees’ organisational commitment, as well as the mediating role of job satisfaction in such relationship. A structural equation modelling approach was applied to data collected in three organisations belonging to the Portuguese public social security system. The findings are, to a large extent, in agreement with earlier fragmented studies, since they confirm the idea hypothesised according to which total quality-based human resources practices would have a significant effect on each of the dimensions of organisational commitment. Moreover, there is evidence of a mediation effect of employees’ job satisfaction on the relationship between total quality-based human resources practices and affective and normative dimensions of employees’ organisational commitment.

Efeitos da liderança na melhoria da qualidade dos cuidados de enfermagem

The development of quality systems in health, in accordance with the Nursing Council of the Portuguese Order of Nurses, is a priority and nurses play a key ...