Quality management, environmental management and firm performance: a review of empirical studies and issues of integration
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| June 2009 © 2008 The Authors 199 Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and British Academy of Management researchers have identified measures of QM, EM and firm performance. Environmental management dimensions are not as widely developed and clearly defined as QM dimensions are, perhaps because EM is a relatively new area. In addition, no consensus has been reached on what dimensions of firm performance will yield the most precise and useful measures. Further, few scholars have dealt with the link and integration between the two systems (Curkovic et al. b Karapetrovic Wilkinson and Dale a. In the field of integration, the highest level of integration maybe achieved by means of a single, full QM–EM system (QEM). Although generic issues of integration have been analysed in the literature, little attention has been paid to the QEM framework as a single, full system. This suggests that more research is needed to fill these gaps. The aim of this paper is to propose and analyse dimensions for QM, EM, QEM and firm performance, and to model cause–effect relationships between these variables. In order to achieve this aim, we conducted an exhaustive review of the literature that is devoted to the analysis of QM dimensions and the quantitative empirical studies about QM–performance and EM–performance links. Based on this review, the contribution made by this paper can be summarized as follows. First, dimensions for QM, EM and QEM are provided. Second, the key role that quality performance (QP) and environmental performance (EP) as mediating variables might play in the QM–performance, EM–performance and QEM–performance relationships is proposed. Third, following this idea, models of cause–effect relationships between QM, EM, QEM and firm performance are provided. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. After defining QM, EM, QEM and firm performance, a literature review about QM dimensions, along with an overview of empirical studies on QM–firm performance and EM– firm performance links, are presented. Later, the paper examines and proposes dimensions for QM, EM and QEM, as well as some models of cause–effect relationships between these management systems and firm performance. Finally, conclusions and ideas for future research are provided. Download 276.85 Kb. Share with your friends:
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