Purpose
The capability of an organization to perform not only incremental quality improvements to the existing processes and products but also innovative or radical improvements that explore new opportunities is referred to as organizational ambidexterity. Research indicates that the long-term success of organizations demands a dynamic balancing of and excelling at both perspectives. However, there is considerably less clarity as regards how this can be achieved. The purpose of this paper is to empirically explore enabling factors for organizational ambidexterity in the public sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is a qualitative study based on interviews with managers at two public organizations in Sweden. The analysis is conducted using a soft system methodology.
Findings
Nine enabling factors for organizational ambidexterity are identified and presented in two pictures inspired by the Soft System Methodology. The study indicates that it above all is important to create leeway for exploration to achieve organizational ambidexterity in the public sector. The study strengthens the belief that some quality movement values and tools can be considered important, whereas others can counteract the ability to achieve organizational ambidexterity in public administration.
Practical implications
Practitioners and scholars can use the identified enablers and the Soft System Methodology presented in this study to examine and develop the organizational ambidexterity of other public organizations.
Originality/value
This study explores empirically the concept of ambidexterity in the public sector, a perspective that few previous scholars have studied.
PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to contribute to the solution, and understanding, of the current lack of activity concerning the development of practices, such as engineering methods, for the creation of attractive quality. The current situation is clearly problematic given the important positive effects assigned to attractive quality in the literature.Design/methodology/approachFirst, different descriptions of attractive quality are examined in order to determine whether there is a common understanding of the concept. Second, the ability to manage attractive quality creation in accordance to a proactive ideal is approached by an examination of the current ability to predict the occurrence of attractive quality.FindingsTwo obstacles that currently hinder the development of practices for attractive quality creation are identified. The first obstacle is the diversity of meanings given to the concept of attractive quality, resulting in confusion about what to obtain. The second obstacle identified is the current lack of valid explanations to the occurrence of attractive quality, resulting in an inability to develop proactive practices.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of bringing attention to, and overcoming, the two obstacles identified will potentially be substantial. A common attractive quality concept and valid explanations to the occurrence of attractive quality will constitute an essential base for the successful development of practices, such as engineering methods, for attractive quality creation.Originality/valueThe paper contributes via the identification of two critical areas in need of intensified attention and future research in order to facilitate the sought‐after development of practices for the creation of attractive quality.
Total Quality Management, TQM, is often referred to as a value based management philosophy, built on a set of core values. These TQM values should ideally be conformed to by all employees in order to achieve a thriving organisation. A strong organisational culture with shared core values can therefore be identified as of importance for a successful TQM implementation. This paper discusses how organisations can act to achieve shared values among co-workers. In the theory two strategies appear: to select people who appear to possess the desired values in the first place and to socialize employees once hired. When working with TQM, several examples of socialization can be found in described techniques and tools, however the selection strategy seems to be both unapplied and underestimated. In order to find empirical examples a case study was conducted at an organisation which is renowned for the way in which they work with values. A conclusion of this paper is that, as a complement to the use of socialization, a selection strategy is proposed to achieve shared values in order to facilitate TQM implementation.
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