Stefan Lagrosen

Exploring the impact of culture on quality management

On the more fundamental level total quality management (TQM) is based on a number of core values. Implementing these values requires a cultural transformation of the company. The purpose of this study is to add more understanding of how the fundamentals of TQM are viewed in different cultural settings. Hypotheses are formed regarding possible correlations between values of quality management and cultural dimensions. The hypotheses are tested with a questionnaire answered by quality managers from the SKF group from 30 countries world‐wide. It is found that the cultural dimensions of uncertainty avoidance and individualism‐collectivism have an influence on the values of TQM. This influence is described and the managerial implications of it are discussed.

Management of service quality – differences in values, practices and outcomes

This article concerns a study with the purpose of identifying differences in the management of quality between manufacturing, private service and public service organisations. A questionnaire was sent to members of the Swedish Association for Quality. Some interesting differences were identified. Customer orientation is highest in the private service sector and lowest in the public service sector. The manufacturing companies’ usage of ISO 9000 is extremely high and their usage of the Swedish Quality Award is fairly low whereas the public service organisations use both these two models equally. This corresponds with the finding that ISO 9000 produces better results in the manufacturing sector whereas The Swedish Quality Award produces better results in the service sector. Generally, the indication is that quality management is most successful in the manufacturing sector and least successful in the public service sector. There is also a difference in that improvements in the manufacturing sector are more often about the processes whereas the organisations within the public service sector more often report improvements regarding personnel.

Exploring service quality in the health and fitness industry

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to discover quality dimensions for the health‐and‐fitness industry and to examine the salient aspects of the quality‐management practices of organisations in this industry.Design/methodology/approach – The research in this paper uses a grounded‐theory approach to a multiple case study of 15 companies in the Swedish health‐and‐fitness industry. Qualitative methods in the form of in‐depth interviews and observation are utilised for data collection.Findings – The paper finds that a framework for fitness quality management is developed and presented. The quality dimensions are found to be “pleasure”, “mental change”, and “physical change”. The main enablers are defined as “relational competence” and “technical competence”. Other indirect enablers are also identified and described.Research limitations/implications – The paper shows that because the framework is based on qualitative data collection, the relationships are not quantified. This could be an objective of further...

Quality management and health : A double connection

The purpose of this paper is to examine and discuss the effects of quality management in the health care sector and the general effects of quality management on the health of the employees. Methodo ...

Quality configurations:a contingency approach to quality management

This article departs from Mintzbergs framework in which five different organisational configurations are defined. The purpose of the study has been to identify and describe the differences between organisations of different configurations to determine the way that quality management is used and the effects that are produced. The research population comprised the members of the Swedish Association for Quality. A questionnaire was mailed to 500 members. The questions concerned the values, models and techniques of quality management as well as the outcomes and the difficulties in using these models and techniques. The results show that the differences between the configurations are limited. Two of the more important differences are that systematic quality management is less used in the adhocracy configuration and that the effect of increased participation is more seldom seen in the professional bureaucracy configuration. On a general basis, it is also noted that the use of quality models and tools is rather infrequent and the value of committed leadership is highlighted.

Trust and quality management : Perspectives from marketing and organisational learning

In this paper, the concept of trust is elaborated upon and compared with the traditional values of quality management. Trust is approached from the areas of relationship marketing and organisational learning where it is a frequent element. The purpose is to create a framework of trust based on previous research, particularly in the areas of relationship marketing and organisational learning, and to analyse whether trust should be regarded as a core value of quality management. Properties of the concept of trust in quality management, relationship marketing and organisational learning are described. Concerning trust as a quality value, it is found that dissimilarities with the current values make it an unsuitable candidate for inclusion in this group. However, examination of the underlying components of the current values of quality management is encouraged with the conviction that trust will prove to be an important element in this endeavour. A tentative framework based on the two dimensions of aspects of trust and components of the relationship is proposed. This framework broadens the view of trust and its implications for quality management. The proposed framework should be helpful for managers in providing a more structured view of the different aspects of trust in business relationships.

A dive into the depths of quality management

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the fundamentals of quality management, to examine the deeper layers of quality management and propose a tentative framework of its profound foundations. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is conceptual, reviewing the quality management literature and connecting it with contributions from service management, organisational consciousness studies and eastern philosophy. Findings - A model of quality management consisting of the levels of techniques, models and values has been the starting point. From this basis, an elaborated framework of the foundations of quality management, including different aspects of the values, functions and activity elements, has been developed. Originality/value - Current approaches to quality management might be too superficial, which could be the cause of many implementation failures. In this paper, a deeper understanding is sought. A novel framework has been proposed that can provide a basis for further research into the profound nature of quality management. Further, implications that should be useful for managers are discussed. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Quality management and environment : exploring the connections

Purpose – This paper concerns regional development of quality management. The purpose is to identify and describe environmental factors that governments can influence in order to facilitate the development of quality management in regions and nations.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a survey directed at the quality managers of industrial companies in the region of Gotaland, Sweden. The data have been analysed using factor analysis.Findings – The results in this paper indicate that human issues are most important for achieving regional quality development whereas physical infrastructure is less important.Research limitations/implications – The paper has been based on Porters diamond model. The implications of the results are that the human aspects of this framework are most important, particularly the attribute “firm strategy, structure and rivalry”. A tentative quality diamond model, which can provide a basis for further research, is proposed.Practical implications – Regional and national leade...

Investigating Social Media Marketing in the Hospitality Industry: Facebook and European Hotels

Social media have changed the way people interact with each other and with companies. In fact, recent research confirms that user-generated content is a key element in the decision-making process of customers who travel. The hotel business is now taking advantage of the introduction of social media into their marketing programmes, trying to create a customized relationship with consumers. The aim of this study is to investigate the use of social media among European hotels. Quantitative and qualitative research methods have been combined to identify a group of items useful to comprehend how hotels interact with customers on social media. The results show that European hotels are still in the first stages of developing social media strategies that present a moderate level of integration among different media. They are considered a useful instrument to promote the hotel brand but the potentiality of customer engagement is still undervalued.

Brain integration as a driver for quality management success

Purpose – In this paper, research leading to quality management success is examined, elaborated, and highlighted in a new profound way by focusing on the most fundamental aspect of the human dimension, the brain. The purpose is to examine the relationship between brain functioning and quality management success. In this examination, the role of core values, profound organizational learning and values of quality management are explained.Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds on a conceptual review of research in the areas of quality management success, values of quality management, core values and neurophysiology with focus on brain integration.Findings – The relation of core values with brain functioning is described based on previous research. A framework with logical steps from brain integration, via core values, quality management values and quality management practices to quality management success is developed.Research limitations/implications – The paper adds to the understanding of the role...