Tomás Félix González Cruz

Analysis of the implementation of ISO 9000 quality assurance systems

Examines the literature relating to the implementation of quality assurance systems and then uses a questionnaire to a number of organisations and consultants to compare “practice” with “theory”. Analyses the implementation process for quality assurance systems designed to meet the requirements of the ISO 9000 standard to identify the role of the different “actors” to find out which factors facilitate the implementation or make it more difficult. Suggests that the primary motivation for introducing ISO 9000 systems is to improve image and reputation rather than processes.

The contribution of dynamic marketing capabilities to service innovation and performance

Innovation can become a sustainable competitive advantage for service firms. However, there is lack of empirical research on how marketing capabilities support innovation. This study differentiates between operational and dynamic marketing capabilities, the latter related to strategic marketing, marketing planning and market knowledge skills. Based on a sample of 152 service firms, the results show that operational marketing capabilities influence on those dynamic marketing capabilities. Strategic marketing and marketing planning capabilities impact positively on firms performance while market knowledge capabilities impact positively on service innovation.

Two Views for Understanding How TQM Fosters Learning and Value Innovation: Absorptive Capabilities and Action-Based Management

In the last decade some frameworks have tried to explain how to devise strategies for innovation in value by determining the needs of customers and non-customers, also creating new industries in which competition becomes irrelevant (Hax, The delta model. Reinventing your business strategy. New York: Springer, 2010; Kim and Mauborgne, Blue ocean strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2005; Madhok and Marques 2013). These reference frameworks are based on a common set of principles: Value is created through the relationship with the customer (Priem, Acad Manag Rev 23; 219–235, 2007; Vargo and Lusch 2008); Strategy is considered to be a continuous process of exploring new opportunities, through observation of customer behaviour, intuition of opportunities (as a result of inductive reasoning) and the definition of value proposals characterized by being focused, clear, and original (Hax, The delta model. Reinventing your business strategy. New York: Springer, 2010; Kim and Mauborgne, Blue ocean strategy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2005); agility and speed to intuit and capture new opportunities, as well as flexibility to operationalize them through experimentation and subsequent trial and error actions (Madhok and Marques 2013).