Quality management, environmental management and firm performance: a review of empirical studies and issues of integration
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| QM, EM and firm performance 214 © 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and British Academy of Management Quality management–environmental management depends on the change in the corporate culture, driven by a leadership that seeks to improve quality and friendliness to the environment. Thus, leadership and people management are two key factors fora successful QEM implementation. If managers want to measure the implementation of these dimensions, they may check whether: (1) leaders and employees are committed to quality and environmental efforts (2) people are affected by quality and environmental plans (3) employees are authorized to inspect their own work employees are encouraged to find and fix problems, to give suggestions, to participate in teams (5) quality and environmental training is provided to managers, supervisors and employees (6) leaders and employees are evaluated and rewarded on quality and environmental performance results. Similarly, QEM emphasizes long-term planning over short-term considerations, and quality and environmental issues should become part of planning in order to satisfy customers and other stakeholders. To measure this dimension, some questions maybe posed: (1) Do the mission, vision, values and ethics of the organization reflect quality and environmental issues? (2) Are quality and environmental goals defined and communicated straightforwardly to all employees? (3) Are quality and environmental issues used to establish strategies, policies and procedures? (4) Are strategies, policies and procedures based on stakeholders needs and expectations? Quality management–environmental management equally stresses how important it is to improve the quality of information, communication and accountability, and demands permanent self-assessment and improvement in order to enhance performance. Information and analysis are necessary for continuous improvement. Then, the answers to the following questions may help to measure this dimension: (1) Are quality and environmental data provided in a timely manner to all employees? (2) Are quality and environmental data used to improve QEM dimensions? (3) Is measurement used to determine the stakeholders degree of satisfaction with quality and environmental performance? (4) Is quality and environment-related information used on an ongoing basis? Similarly, managers should also manage and improve the process. The following aspects can serve to measure this dimension: (1) Have processes been developed to respond to all stakeholders needs and expectations? (2) Have procedures been identified and further developed to monitor key indicators of quality and environmental performance) Are quality and environmental performance results used to improve processes? Furthermore, QEM requires changing relationships between suppliers, customers and other stakeholders. These aspects maybe measured in accordance with the following issues: (1) Are quality and environmental aspects considered during the supplier evaluation process? (2) Is suppliers quality and environment- related performance taken into account? (3) Is emphasis laid on long-term supplier relationships? (4) Are stakeholders formal and informal complaints evaluated? |