1,720,958 research outputs found
Total Quality, Operations Effectiveness and Competitive Advantage in Horticultural Industry in Kenya
No full textA Doctoral Thesis by Maina Muchara, a Lecturer at USIU-AfricaThe study focused on Kenya’s horticultural industry and the aspects of total quality, operations effectiveness and competitive advantage. The literature shows that total quality brings forth competitive advantage. However, most of that literature has come from developed countries. Researches carried out in less developed countries have shown contradictory results, with some showing that total quality brings forth competitive advantage, while others show it does not. This study aimed at understanding these contradictions, and coming out with tangible evidence of the effect of total quality to an organization’s capability to acquire competitive advantage. Incorporating operations effectiveness to the conceptual framework brought in new grounds of study in the total quality paradigm. The context under which the study was undertaken is highlighted by the materials concerning the horticultural industry in Kenya. The industry is seen as a vibrant and important sector of the economy. The growth of the sector in the last fifteen years has been phenomenal. However, the sector is beset with numerous challenges, the biggest being one of quality. The sector, therefore, provided very fertile grounds for this study. The literature review brought out factors of total quality, operations effectiveness and competitive advantage. The case and empirical studies point positive relationships between total quality and competitive advantage. Conceptually, it was assumed that there is a relationship between total quality and competitive advantage with operations effectiveness acting as an intervening variable. The research methodology brings out the approach that the study took. All scientific practices including data validation and effective analysis were undertaken. This was to ensure replicability and validity of the research. Further, factors that were found to have very strong correlation, or scoring low corrected-item total correlation, were dropped before analysis was undertaken. The major findings are presented and discussed comprehensively. The study shows that total quality has a strong and positive impact on competitive advantage. Further, that there is a strong relationship between operations effectiveness and total quality. This brings the study to new areas of knowledge in that it is shown that bringing in operations effectiveness to the equation, enhances competitive advantage so that operations management becomes an important component in strengthening an organization’s competitive advantage. However, this enhancement is found to be more pronounced at low levels of total quality implementation and less pronounced at high levels. In the Kenyan horticultural sector, it is discovered that the level of implementation of total quality is low. However, those implementing total quality are getting competitive advantage. This finding explains the contradiction seen in studies conducted in developing countries where organizations claiming to be quality oriented have posted different results. This study shows that it is not total quality that has been posting different results, but lack of effective implementation of total quality. A crucial finding is the poor score registered on the leadership index and the tendency of taking quality certification as an end by itself. It is demonstrated that most of the certified companies do not understand the philosophy behind quality management and, therefore, cannot implement it effectively. Further, the emergence of performance measurement as a powerful principle in the total quality paradigm for enhancing competitive advantage should encourage the government of Kenya on its preoccupation with performance contracts to government institutions. However, the value that ISO 9001 certification (one of the requirements in the performance contract) is bringing to the institutions against the enormous costs incurred is not validated. The research, therefore, recommends among other things, the appreciation and understanding of the total quality philosophy or any quality management system before embarking on implementation. On theory, policy and practice, the study has the implication that that operations effectiveness should be incorporated into the total quality paradigm, institutions should be encouraged to become total quality organizations, and that at low levels of total quality implementation, firms should be encouraged to focus on operations effectiveness. Future research could take the form of a study of government institutions or firms cutting across industries that are ISO 9001 certified, their level of implementing the quality management system, and the value the system has brought to the firms
Total quality and competitive advantage of firms in the horticultural industry in Kenya
No full textA journal article by Dr. Maina Muchara, a Lecturer at the Chandaria School of Business in USIU - AfricaThe study focused on Kenya’s horticultural industry and the aspects of total quality and competitive advantage. The available literature shows that total quality is associated with competitive advantage. However, most of that literature has come from developed countries. Researches carried out in developing countries have shown contradictory
results. This study aimed at understanding these contradictions, and determination of the exact effect of total quality on an organization’s competitive advantage. The materials concerning the horticultural industry in Kenya highlight the context under which the study is undertaken. The industry is a vibrant and important sector of the economy.
However, the sector is beset with numerous challenges, the biggest being one of quality. The sector, therefore, provided very fertile grounds for this study. All scientific practices including data validation and effective analysis were undertaken. This was to ensure replicability and validity of the research. Further, factors that were found to have very strong correlation, or scoring low corrected-item total correlation, were dropped before analysis was undertaken. The study is able to confirm that total quality has a strong and positive impact on competitive advantage.
In the Kenyan context, it is discovered that the level of implementation of total quality is low. However, those
implementing total quality are getting benefits similar to those in developed countries. This finding explains the contradiction seen in studies conducted in developing countries where organizations claiming to be quality oriented have posted different results. This study shows that it is not total quality that has been posting different results, but lack of effective implementation of total quality. A crucial finding is the poor evidence of the leadership concept and the tendency of taking quality certification as an end by itself. It is demonstrated that most of the certified companies do not understand the philosophy behind quality management and, therefore, cannot implement it effectively.
Further, the surprise emergence of performance measurement as a powerful principle in the total quality paradigm for enhancing competitive advantage validates the government of Kenya’s preoccupation with performance contracts to government institutions. However, the value that ISO 9001 certification is bringing to the institutions against the
enormous costs incurred is not validated. The research, therefore, recommends among other things, the appreciation and understanding of the total quality philosophy or any quality management system before embarking on implementation. Future research could take the form of a study of government institutions or firms cutting across industries that are ISO 9001 certified their level of implementing the quality management system, and the value the system has brought to the firms
Strategic Management Process Implementation in Kenyan Companies : A Case study of the Chemical Industry
No full textThesis (PhD)
No full textThe study focused on Kenya's horticultural industry and the aspects of total quality, operations effectiveness and competitive advantage. The literature shows that total quality brings forth competitive advantage. However, most of that literature has come from 'developed countries. Researches carried out in less developed countries have shown contradictory results, with some showing that total quality brings forth competitive advantage, while others show it does not. This study aimed at understanding these contradictions, and corning out with tangible evidence of the effect of total quality to an organization's capability to acquire competitive advantage. Incorporating operations effectiveness to the conceptual framework brought in new grounds of study in the total quality paradigm.
The context under which the study was undertaken is highlighted by the materials concerning the horticultural industry in Kenya. The industry is seen as a vibrant and important sector of the economy. The growth of the sector in the last fifteen years has been phenomenal. However, the sector is beset with numerous challenges, the biggest being one of quality. The sector, therefore, provided very fertile grounds for this study. The literature review brought out factors of total quality, operations effectiveness and competitive advantage. The case and empirical studies point positive relationships between total quality and competitive advantage. Conceptually, it was assumed that there is a relationship between total quality and competitive advantage with operations effectiveness acting as an intervening variable.
The research methodology brings out the approach that the study took. All scientific practices including data validation and effective analysis were undertaken. This was to ensure replicability and validity of the research. Further, factors that were found to have very strong correlation, or scoring low corrected-item total correlation, were dropped before analysis was undertaken. The major findings are presented and discussed comprehensively. The study shows that total quality has a strong and positive impact on competitive advantage. Further, that there is a strong relationship between operations effectiveness and total quality. This brings the study to new areas of knowledge in that it is shown that bringing in operations effectiveness to the equation, enhances competitive advantage so that operations management becomes an important component in strengthening an organization's competitive advantage. However, this enhancement is found to be more pronounced at low levels of total quality implementation and less pronounced at high levels. In the Kenyan
horticultural sector, it is discovered that the level of implementation of total quality is low. However, those implementing total quality are getting competitive advantage.
r This finding explains the contradiction seen in studies conducted in developing
countries where organizations claiming to be quality oriented have posted different results. This study shows that it is not total quality that has been posting different results, but lack of effective irnplementation of total quality. A crucial finding is the poor score registered on the leadership index and the tendency of ta~ing quality certification as an end by itself. It is demonstrated that most of the certified companies do not understand the philosophy behind quality management and, therefore, cannot implement it effectively.
Further, the emergence of performance measurement as a powerful principle in the total quality paradigm for enhancing competitive advantage should encourage the government of Kenya on its preoccupation with performance contracts to government institutions. However, the value that ISO 9001 certification (one of the requirements in the performance contract) is bringing to the institutions against the enormous costs incurred is not validated. The research, therefore, recommends among other things, the appreciation and understanding of the total quality philosophy or any quality management system before embarking on implementation. On theory, policy and practice, the study has the implication that that operations effectiveness should be incorporated into the total quality paradigm, institutions should be encouraged to become total quality organizations, and that at low levels of total quality implementation, firms should be encouraged 10 focus on operations effectiveness. Future research could take the form of a study of government institutions or firms cutting across industries that are ISO 9001 certified, their level of implementing the quality management system, and the value the system has brought to the firms
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Get PDFWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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