Development and Validation of TQM Implementation Constructs

The contemporary quality management (QM) literature prescribes various quality improvement strategies. However, it lacks scientifically developed and tested constructs that represent an integrative QM philosophy. Moreover, an impact of the prescribed QM strategies on a firm's product quality has not been analyzed. Through a detailed analysis of the literature, this research identifies 12 constructs of integrated QM strategies. Using a survey of 371 manufacturing firms, the constructs are then empirically tested and validated. LISREL 7 is used for this purpose. Finally, a framework to examine the effects of integrated QM strategies on a firm's product quality is suggested. Comparisons between this and two other comprehensive scales of TQM are made.     

An Empirical Model for Managing Quality in the Electronics Industry

Much of the empirical research in the past two decades has suggested that quality management (QM) is context dependent. This research develops an empirical QM model in a technology‐based sector—electronics manufacturing. Based on quantitative and qualitative investigations of 225 electronics firms in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of China, a path analytic model is developed. The empirical model shows that a typical quality management system (QMS) in the electronics industry is composed of four major modules, namely leadership, cultural elements, operational support systems, and process management. These modules create a series of chain effects on organizational performance, rather than acting as parallel elements with an equal impact. By quantifying their effects on organizational performance and comparing the model to others in the literature, we identify those QM constructs that are context dependent. In electronics manufacturing, process management and customer focus are more important than other elements (e.g., cultural factors) for garnering business results. This study contributes to contingency theory and research by identifying the key constructs and their relationships in a competitive, volatile, and technology‐based industry with complex supply networks.     

The management accountant's role in quality management: A Queensland perspective

The successful implementation of quality management (QM) requires a change in both an organization's culture and structure. Consequently, as management accountants are organizational members their roles and systems will need to change to provide support for this QM implementation. This study found that although the majority of management accountants are involved in the implementation of quality concepts into the accounting area of the firm, there has been little modification of cost determination methods and limited development and use of quality related performance measures. Nevertheless, the overall results of this research imply that the role of the management accountant has altered due to the implementation of QM practices, but not to the degree indicated in the literature.     

管理学的基本概念与学科地位——一种基于科学计量学的再认识

在回顾和廓清国内外管理学学科概念的基础上,以国际管理类学术期刊数据为样本,运用科学计量学最新的知识图谱方法,揭示了现代管理学的学科界限和作为基础学科的一般管理学的学科地位,阐明了管理学与心理学、社会学、经济学、数学等相关学科的关系,以及管理学作为独立学科在人类知识体系中地位上升的趋势,对于我国管理学走向国际学术前沿与学科合理布局提供了启示。     

MANAGING YOUR DOCTORAL PROGRAM: A PRACTICAL ORIENTATION

In this article we pass on advice for getting through a dissertation that we found useful in our roles as dissertation advisors and doctoral students. We have also included some other hints on starting and getting through a doctoral program, as well as beginning an academic career. We hope that readers in a position to advise Ph.D. students will convey the recommendations stated here to their students. Since the final responsibility for completing the degree rests with the student, the advice given here is, by and large, addressed directly to students and can be passed on to them in its current form.     

Quality management, environmental management and firm performance: A review of empirical studies and issues of integration

Quality management (QM) and environmental management (EM) are two business practices that may affect firm performance. These practices are being increasingly introduced into firms, which often use them jointly owing to their similarities. As a result of these similarities, their integration has become a popular topic of research and practice. In the field of integration, the highest level of integration may be achieved by means of a single, full QM–EM system (QEM) in which QM and EM lose their independence. It is therefore desirable to identify dimensions from which to assess these management practices and their effects on performance. The aim of this paper is to carry out a literature review in order to propose and analyse dimensions for QM, EM, QEM and firm performance, as well as models of cause–effect relationships between these variables. The topics reviewed are the following: (1) the QM and EM dimensions; (2) the empirical studies about QM–performance and EM–performance links; and (3) issues of integration. The review suggests that the large body of QM research may inform EM and QEM. This is so because research on the QM side is more advanced and developed than that on the EM side.     

Theory Development in Operations Management: Extending the Frontiers of a Mature Discipline via Qualitative Research

This invited paper discusses theory development in operations management. Many stellar researchers have made excellent contributions to theory development in our field. Operations management is a maturing discipline. Recently, theory driven empirical research has become common in top‐tier journals in our field. Impelled by this trend and due to the path dependency of research, in general, researchers have examined operations phenomena using theories from management and organizational science. How do we extend the frontiers of knowledge in our maturing discipline? How do we develop theories within the field of operations management? In examining some of the seminal ideas that have shaped our field, a common characteristic is that they relied on observational studies and conceptual reasoning. Is it time for us to stress the usefulness of qualitative research methods in our field? Could this lead to an intellectual renewal in our field and extend the frontier of a maturing discipline? This paper explores these questions and advances the notion that qualitative analysis needs to be emphasized more than it has been in recent past. This paper is meant to provoke discussion among empirical researchers in operations management.     

Customizing Quality Management Practices: A Conceptual and Measurement Framework

Quality management (QM) has often been promoted as a universal remedy, where organizations adopt these practices to enhance performance. However, implementation of QM has led to mixed results with some high‐profile failures. Some suggest that customizing QM practices to fit the organization's situational context can help avoid implementation failure and improve performance. However, research has not fully investigated how organizations should go about customizing quality practices. This article addresses this question by conceptualizing two fundamental yet different aspects of QM practices that have different learning objectives: quality exploitation (QEI) and quality exploration (QER). Drawing on experts and empirical data, we develop a reliable and valid set of measures for QEI and QER. Furthermore, the analysis shows the performance differences in the two sets of QM practices across different contextual settings. Specifically, the empirical results show that the benefits of different QM orientations depend on the level of competition and rate of product change. This research challenges prior conceptualizations of QM, and suggests a practical framework to guide decision makers in customizing QM practices.     

Inter‐organizational Quality Management: The Use of Contractual Incentives and Monitoring Mechanisms with Outsourced Manufacturing

Quality‐related incidents involving contract manufacturers (CMs) are becoming increasingly prevalent. The quality management (QM) literature, however, has focused mostly on QM within a single firm. Thus, the need for data‐driven research on managing quality with outsourced production is evident. We investigate the use and effectiveness of external failure penalties and audits of CMs’ facilities to manage inter‐firm quality. Building on agency theory and extant QM literature, this study addresses two research questions: (i) whether the control mechanisms of quality audits and contractual external quality failure penalties are substitutes or complements in use and (ii) whether they are substitutes or complements in their effectiveness at aligning the quality interests of customers and their CMs. Our analysis uses dyadic data gathered from brand‐owning firms and their CMs representing 95 contract manufacturing relationships in Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐regulated industries. The results indicate that more severe external failure penalties correspond to a lower use of facility audits (i.e., they are substitutes‐in‐use). We also find that both external failure penalties and facility audits have a unique positive effect on the CM's perception of relative quality importance. Finally, some evidence supports the hypothesis that each mechanism is more effective in the presence of the other (i.e., they are complements‐in‐effectiveness).     

Evolution of Quality: First Fifty Issues of Production and Operations Management

Many contributions have been made to the field of quality since the inaugural issue of Production and Operations Management in 1992. The first issue called for more research and teaching on TQM, which resulted in two special issues dedicated to TQM. Many other articles related to quality have also been published in the first fifty issues of the journal on topics ranging from technical methods to the Baldrige Award and ISO 9000. As we review these articles, we assess their contribution and the progression of the field of quality. Although past research has advanced our understanding of quality, there still exists many research opportunities in developing more theory, using additional research methodologies, and studying emerging topics in this field.     

项目管理领域工程硕士培养模式研究

本文在对中外项目管理知识体系研究的基础上,借鉴国内外十余所大学的项目管理培训课程体系,并参考我国其他领域工程硕士的培养方案,总结提出了适用于我国项目管理领域工程硕士培养的课程体系以及学位论文培养方案。该方案已在北京航空航天大学的第一届项目管理工程硕士培养中试行。     

A Manifesto for Information Management Research

This paper calls for major rethinking in information management research as we enter the second half of the 1990s and approach the 21st century. It argues that, should we not take up the challenges identified herein, it is likely that what little remains of the discipline ‘information management’ will be subsumed into the realms of computer science/engineering at one end of the spectrum, and strategic management and organizational behaviour at the other. It argues that while it is no bad thing that aspects of the topic are dealt with in these related fields, it is important that information management should be seen as a discipline in its own right. In order to achieve this recognition – indeed, in order to earn this recognition – major restoration is required. The paper seeks to begin a debate on this topic by presenting a manifesto¹ for reform in the field of information management by discussing a series of concerns regarding the focus, methods and quality of research in this field; its reference disciplines, and its international and cross-cultural considerations. This is not meant to be a comprehensive treatment of the issues by any means, but an attempt to present aspects of the topic that are of importance. By commencing the debate, it is hoped that the issues will become clearer, and action can begin to be taken. The list will doubtless be refined as the debate ensues.     

The role of QMS in the relationship between innovation climate and performance

The emergence of new global competitors, the convergence of high-technology industries and the increasing speed and cost of technological development promises an increasingly uncertain environment for organisations, making adaptation to changes in the environment a central theme in the study of the organisation for both organisation theory and strategic management. This study thus seeks principally to verify that, while innovation and quality management (QM) alone do not possess the qualities required to provide organisations with sustainable competitive advantages, the bundle of innovation and QM together with other resources and competencies will allow organisations to obtain a competitive advantage and adapt to their environment. The results show that the factors determining innovation – such as resistance to change, cohesion and workload pressures – have repercussions for the firms’ capacity to adapt to their environmentand that a QM context facilitates this adaptation. Finally, we can conclude that a climate of support for innovation is positively related to the organisation’s performance.     

Formal approaches to setting long-range goals

In this article the author reports (as a result of his dissertation research in California) that the frequently termed bottom-up approach to long-range goal-setting in firms has a place, especially under conditions of diversity and some management styles. However, trends to more top-down approaches with increased size and experience with planning can be observed when account is taken of the other more significant variables.     

Research Constituents and Authorship Patterns in the Production and Operations Management Journal

The Production and Operations Management Society is the largest professional society dedicated to creating and disseminating knowledge in product and process design, operations, and supply chains for the management of manufacturing and services. Its research journal, Production and Operations Management (POM), covers all topics in the discipline and all research paradigms to serve the entire community. Since its inception in 1992, POM has become recognized as a top tier outlet for operations management research. We identify research institutions in the operations management community that have played major roles in developing the journal based on the research of their faculty members and doctoral graduates. Our findings show that the constituency of the journal reflects the constituency of the society.     

管理信息系统(MIS) :背景、核心课程、学术流派及 主要国际学术会议与刊物评介

管理信息系统(management information system , MIS) 是一门新兴的交叉学科. 简介了这一 学科创立的背景, 国际MIS 学科核心课程, 当今世界MIS 学科领域的主要学术流派及主要的 国际学术会议及刊物,以期中国MIS 领域的专家学者更好地知已知彼,为在国际MIS 学术刊物 上发表更多的学术论文提供一些参考建议.     

Researching small firms and entrepreneurship: Past, present and future

This paper seeks to stimulate debate on the agendas, methodologies and methods used in the field of small business and entrepreneurship. The paper raises questions regarding the research agendas pursued and provides some pointers for the direction of future research. Integral to this is the argument that there is a need to reflect on the condition of small-business research and to raise the quality of research by employing robust research methods. This may involve questioning the role of small firms and entrepreneurship in society rather than merely advocating them and the policy measures taken when supporting and/or developing the small business sector. The dominance of specific viewpoints, the methodologies used in small business studies, and the consequences of these in relation to the development of a coherent scientific field of small business studies are also discussed. Examples of research activity are discussed to illustrate these themes. Overall, the paper argues that entrepreneurship and small business is a lucrative area for research. However, if the field of inquiry is to flourish, it needs to be approached from a more critical perspective, instead of merely accepting normative, or even strongly ideologically driven, standpoints now dominant in so many studies. This has implications for research agendas, methodologies and ultimately research methods training.     

管理信息系统(MIS) :背景、核心课程、学术流派及 主要国际学术会议与刊物评介

管理信息系统(management information system, MIS)是一门新兴的交叉学科.简介了这一学科创立的背景, 国际MIS 学科核心课程, 当今世界MIS学科领域的主要学术流派及主要的国际学术会议及刊物,以期中国MIS领域的专家学者更好地知已知彼,为在国际MIS学术刊物上发表更多的学术论文提供一些参考建议.     

Behavior-based analysis of knowledge dissemination channels in operations management

One essential requirement for the development and vitality of a discipline is a network of channels for knowledge dissemination. These channels, such as scholarly journals, furnish not only a means for knowledge sharing, but also for knowledge generation by the discipline's community of researchers. In the field of operations management (OM), there have been several studies that have sought to rank journals relevant to OM research, using opinion surveys, citation analyses, and author affiliations. However, each of these methods has some limitations. This paper adopts a new approach for discerning journal publication patterns in the OM field. It is based on an examination of the actual publishing behaviors of all full-time, tenured OM researchers at a sizable set of leading research universities in the US. This behavior-based methodology provides three metrics that individually, and in tandem, give a basis for rating publication outlets for OM research in terms of their relative importance. The ratings can be used by scholars and administrators to assist in monitoring, disseminating, and evaluating OM research outlets.     

公共管理与中国发展——公共管理学科发展的回顾与前瞻

从20世纪70年代末起在中国大地开始进行的历史性变革到现在已经超过20年了。在这场变革中 ,以经济学为代表的许多社会科学学科做出了重要的贡献。随着中国改革的深入与发展 ,随着改革重点从提高效率为主到效率与公平兼顾 ,从市场经济体制的建设向民主与法制社会的转变 ,越来越多的改革实践问题向中国的社会科学领域的学者 ,尤其是向公共管理领域的学者 ,提出了挑战。如果说经济学在中国前一时期的改革与发展中成为社会科学领域中的带头学科 ,那么中国未来的改革与发展则迫切要求公共管理加入到带头学科的行列之中。随着公共管理专业硕士 (MPA)学位教育在中国的开展 ,更多的人们开始了解公共管理这个学科领域在中国改革与发展中的重要地位与作用 ,开始关注这个学科的工作及成果。本刊自2002年第2期开始 ,创办“中国公共管理论坛”这个栏目 ,就是希望能够在中国公共管理领域的学者之间 ,在公共管理领域的学者和实践者之间 ,搭起一座桥梁 ,提供一个学术交流的园地 ,使公共管理不辱使命 ,承担起历史的重任 ,为中国进一步的改革与发展做出其应有的贡献。本栏目的创办得到了清华大学公共管理学院的大力支持 ,他们还专门为本期组织撰写了首篇文章 ,旨在理清国内外公共管理学科的历史发展脉络 ,对有关公共管理学