Business Excellence Models (BEMs) are used by organisations to assess and improve their work practices and paformance. The authors' research identified that there are currently 94 national QuaIitylBnsiness Excellence (BE) Awards used in 83 counmes. While the use of BEMs is widespread, it was identified that many organisations wanted guidance in terms of which improvement initiatives to implement to assist them on their BE journey. This paper discusses how the BEM can be used as an overarching framework for managing and/or aligning multiple improvement initiatives within the organisation. A new model is developed showing some of the main improvement initiatives that can be adopted towards achieving BE, which are arranged according to the common enahling criteria of BEMs and levels of BE maturity. This proposed model can be used as a pathway/mddmap to BE. In developing this model, a Literature review, a document review and several semi-sbuchlred interviews were conducted. Sixteen quality and BE experts were interviewed in New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

In this paper, we empirically test the theoretical model underlying the Toyota Way (TW), based on data obtained from Toyota's logistics, sales and marketing functions across 27 countries. TW is the result of Toyota attempting to codify its culture to the global community. Using structural equation modelling techniques we show that the TW-associated measures challenge, kaizen, genchi genbutsu, respect and teamwork do adequately operationally define the TW; the first three measures corresponding to the construct 'process improvement' and the final two measures corresponding to the construct 'people development'. Empirically, people development is found to have no direct effect on how the TW is deployed across a business unit. However, people development is found to be indirectly related to TW deployment through the mediating effect of process improvement. Our study provides quantitative evidence that while the intangible aspects of the TW (modelled as people development) may not directly relate to the results, they are an integral component of a complete implementation of the TW and related 'Lean' systems. By logical extension, this provides support for adoption of a holistic and long-term strategy, integrating soft and hard elements, by those organisations attempting to implement and sustain Toyota-style systems.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the basic problem of ingroup favoritism in a setting of high task interdependence is addressed through an intervention strategy combining different approaches. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on evidence from extensive field-based case research. It focuses on the holistic description of a single high-performance logistics setting and discusses the distinct but interrelated managerial approaches against the backdrop of behavioral theory. Findings Most notably, the authors examine how culturally specific factors such as people’s social ingroup-outgroup categorization is reduced through a continual rotation of jobs. Work relationships are purposefully depersonalized and consequently socially reframed through reference to the corporate philosophy. Likewise, behaviors, roles and responsibilities are redefined based on a purposeful reinterpretation of the corporate philosophy. The authors evaluate these desired behaviors against the background of the perceptions of work group members and describe how these guide actual behaviors. Practical implications The insights of this study exemplify how adverse behavioral effects that may occur in some socio-cultural contexts may be avoided through the appropriate design of operations. Originality/value This study employs a holistic approach to provide valuable insights into both practitioners and academics in the field of OM to counteract detrimental behavioral effects in real-world operations.

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