R.B. Van Der Meer

The Compatibility of Performance Appraisal Systems With TQM Principles - Evidence From Current Practice

Purpose – This paper aims to address the question whether or not quality‐driven organisations have, in practice, tended to adjust their performance appraisal systems to integrate total quality management (TQM) requirements.Design/methodology/approach – To do so, the findings of an initial literature survey suggested the combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods for empirical research. The quantitative element consists of a postal questionnaire survey of 64 UK‐based, quality‐driven organisations on the topic of performance appraisal in the context of TQM. Key informants from ten of these organisations were subsequently interviewed in order to gather detailed information on the reasons behind their initial responses.Findings – The results indicated that only a minority of the respondents were satisfied with their TQM programmes. But this comparative lack of success did not lead them to eliminate performance appraisal altogether, as advocated by Deming and others because of the role of systems‐lev...

HR performance evaluation in the context of TQM: A review of the literature

While the concepts of performance evaluation and total quality management (TQM) have been explored in the management literature of the last decades, there has been relatively little work on the particular characteristics that an organisation with a TQM approach to human resource (HR) performance evaluation should adopt. To this end, this paper provides a review of the literature in the area of TQM and HR performance evaluation, in order to establish the context for future empirical research. This study provides a brief overview of the implications of a quality orientation for the evaluation of employee performance. It reveals the main difficulties with the concept of performance evaluation from a quality perspective; and it also examines particular characteristics of performance evaluation that could maximise the effectiveness of HR performance evaluation in organisational environments with a quality orientation. Both the assumptions of TQM and the requirements for HR evaluation are used as a foundation from which to examine the ways in which HR performance evaluation might have changed to integrate TQM requirements. By examining the relevant literature, the main criteria of a TQM-based HR performance evaluation system are refined and enhanced, thus moving towards a situation in which TQM can drive HR performance evaluation in practice. The results also serve as a guide for the evaluation of the effectiveness of such a system.While the concepts of performance evaluation and total quality management (TQM) have been explored in the management literature of the last decades, there has been relatively little work on the particular characteristics that an organisation with a TQM approach to human resource (HR) performance evaluation should adopt. To this end, this paper provides a review of the literature in the area of TQM and HR performance evaluation, in order to establish the context for future empirical research. This study provides a brief overview of the implications of a quality orientation for the evaluation of employee performance. It reveals the main difficulties with the concept of performance evaluation from a quality perspective; and it also examines particular characteristics of performance evaluation that could maximise the effectiveness of HR performance evaluation in organisational environments with a quality orientation. Both the assumptions of TQM and the requirements for HR evaluation are used as a foundation f...

Challenges Posed to Performance Management by TQM Gurus: Contributions of Individual Employees Versus Systems-Level Features

There is a plethora of literature to suggest that even in quality-oriented organizational contexts, the approach driving performance appraisal is fundamentally in conflict with Total Quality Management (TQM) precepts, which put heavy emphasis on systems-level features of performance management. This inconsistency arguably impedes the transition to a stable Total Quality (TQ) environment, or even actively encourages regression to traditional ways. In response to this inconsistency, this paper discusses the contributions of individual employees towards organizational performance versus systems-level features, based on a wide-ranging literature survey and an empirical study of a sample of EFQM-affiliated organizations. The results indicate that most performance appraisal systems fail to meet TQ expectations in practice, and that they contradict TQM assumptions about the relatively low importance of individual employees as a source of variation in organizational performance. In this paper, we argue that performance management should be based on both systems-level features and contributions from individual employees, as these tend to complement each other. Our findings suggest that individual employees--as a basis for competitive advantage in the new millennium--will retain a critical role in providing a potential source of quality improvement. Thus, our research findings will provide a new insight into how quality-driven organizations not only cope with apparent mismatches between TQM precepts and the performance appraisal system used in practice, but also attempt to utilize the latter system to the advantage of both the organization and its employees.

Have TQM organisations adjusted their performance management (appraisal) systems? A study of UK‐based TQM‐driven organisations

Reports findings from a survey designed to measure the consistency and congruity of HR performance evaluation systems with quality management precepts in UK‐based quality‐focused organisations. Twelve a priori features of HR performance evaluation were used to measure HR performance evaluation systems. Since a fundamental reason for the purported incompatibility between TQM and HR performance evaluation is the assertion that most variance in performance is caused by system factors, and due to indications from various sources that HR performance evaluation focuses managerial attention on person factors rather than on system factors, the survey was also developed with the intention of discovering the extent to which these system criteria are used for measuring employee performance. The findings confirm that most HR performance evaluation systems fail to meet quality management expectations and contradict TQM assumptions about individual and system performance.

Fracture clinic redesign reduces the cost of outpatient orthopaedic trauma care

Objectives “Virtual fracture clinics” have been reported as a safe and effective alternative to the traditional fracture clinic. Robust protocols are used to identify cases that do not require further review, with the remainder triaged to the most appropriate subspecialist at the optimum time for review. The objective of this study was to perform a “top-down” analysis of the cost effectiveness of this virtual fracture clinic pathway. Methods National Health Service financial returns relating to our institution were examined for the time period 2009 to 2014 which spanned the service redesign. Results The total staffing costs rose by 4% over the time period (from £1 744 933 to £1 811 301) compared with a national increase of 16%. The total outpatient department rate of attendance fell by 15% compared with a national fall of 5%. Had our local costs increased in line with the national average, an excess expenditure of £212 705 would have been required for staffing costs. Conclusions The virtual fracture clinic system was associated with less overall use of staff resources in comparison to national cost data. Adoption of this system nationally may have the potential to achieve significant cost savings. Cite this article: P. J. Jenkins. Fracture clinic redesign reduces the cost of outpatient orthopaedic trauma care. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:33–36. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.52.2000506

Using regression analysis to model the performance of UK coastguard centres

This paper combines the use of (binary) logistic regression and stochastic frontier analysis to assess the operational effectiveness of the UK Coastguard (Maritime Rescue) coordination centres over the period 1995–1998. In particular, the rationale for the Governments decision—confirmed in 1999—to close a number of coordination centres is scrutinized. We conclude that the regression models developed in this paper represent a performance measurement framework that is considerably more realistic and complex than the one apparently used by the UK Government. Furthermore, we have found that the coordination centres selected for closure were not necessarily the ones that were least effective in their primary purpose—that is, to save lives. In a related paper, we demonstrate how the regression models developed here can be used to inform the application of data envelopment analysis to this case.

Using data envelopment analysis to model the performance of UK coastguard centres

This paper uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess the operational effectiveness of the UK Coastguard (Maritime Rescue) coordination centres over the period 1995–1998. Based on the development of a performance measurement framework that is considerably more realistic and complex than the one apparently used by the Government, the main grounds for the latters decision—confirmed in 1999—to close the Oban, Pentland and Tyne Tees coordination centres are called into question. The paper aims to contribute to the relevant academic literature in two ways: (1) by using formal analysis methods to measure the operational performance of a vital government-supplied service where such methods have not been applied before; and (2) by demonstrating how the results of suitable regression models can be used to inform the specification of appropriate DEA models, particularly with respect to the incorporation of relevant environmental factors.

HR performance evaluation in the context of TQM

While the concepts of performance evaluation and total quality management (TQM) have been explored in the management literature of the last decades, there has been relatively little work on the particular characteristics that an organisation with a TQM approach to human resource (HR) performance evaluation should adopt. To this end, this paper provides a review of the literature in the area of TQM and HR performance evaluation, in order to establish the context for future empirical research. This study provides a brief overview of the implications of a quality orientation for the evaluation of employee performance. It reveals the main difficulties with the concept of performance evaluation from a quality perspective; and it also examines particular characteristics of performance evaluation that could maximise the effectiveness of HR performance evaluation in organisational environments with a quality orientation. Both the assumptions of TQM and the requirements for HR evaluation are used as a foundation from which to examine the ways in which HR performance evaluation might have changed to integrate TQM requirements. By examining the relevant literature, the main criteria of a TQM-based HR performance evaluation system are refined and enhanced, thus moving towards a situation in which TQM can drive HR performance evaluation in practice. The results also serve as a guide for the evaluation of the effectiveness of such a system.While the concepts of performance evaluation and total quality management (TQM) have been explored in the management literature of the last decades, there has been relatively little work on the particular characteristics that an organisation with a TQM approach to human resource (HR) performance evaluation should adopt. To this end, this paper provides a review of the literature in the area of TQM and HR performance evaluation, in order to establish the context for future empirical research. This study provides a brief overview of the implications of a quality orientation for the evaluation of employee performance. It reveals the main difficulties with the concept of performance evaluation from a quality perspective; and it also examines particular characteristics of performance evaluation that could maximise the effectiveness of HR performance evaluation in organisational environments with a quality orientation. Both the assumptions of TQM and the requirements for HR evaluation are used as a foundation f...

Performance management: TQM versus HRM – lessons learned

This article focuses on the key research findings and challenges pertaining to evaluation and managing the employee performance in the context of quality management derived from the literature survey, questionnaire survey, and a semi-structured interview survey. Topics include the generic criteria of the current HR performance evaluation systems, the main criteria of a quality-driven HR performance evaluation system, and the extent to which HR performance evaluation systems have been adjusted to integrate TQM requirements. Thus, the goal of the article is to review the published literature and highlight the actual practices and trends in the HR performance evaluation in organisational environments with a quality orientation. It concludes that by highlighting where we have made progress, acknowledge critical gaps, and attempt to stimulate additional research.

Modeling supply risk using belief networks: A process with application to the distribution of medicine

We propose a modeling approach based on belief networks to capture and understand the systemic nature of risks affecting supply networks. By aligning the purpose of a model with the nature of supply management decisions, we provide a mechanism for identifying relevant supply risks so that we can visualize inter-dependencies between risks and predict their effects on supply performance. By using a belief network modeling formalism we can use diagnostics to understand the key drivers of unwanted risk scenarios and to explore the efficacy of possible risk mitigating actions. We illustrate how belief network modeling can be used to manage the risk/reward position and provide new insights into supply risks through an example for the medicine supply chain of a regional health service provider.