Purpose -To empirically investigate the relationships among critical TQM factors and business results. Design/methodology/approach -Twenty-three hypotheses regarding the relationships among TQM factors and business results have been developed through literature review and tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study utilized survey data obtained from US manufacturing companies.Findings -Provides information about the results of each hypothesis, their implications, and how these findings compare to previous studies. Pays special attention to the relationships between TQM factors and business results and discusses findings in this area by offering insights from 22 previous studies that analyzed TQM-performance relationships.Research limitations/implications -Researchers could use the results of this study to explore various related hypotheses in more detail and improve the accuracy of future empirical quality management studies. The study makes specific recommendations for such future studies. There were also some research limitations. For instance, the data were obtained through mail survey and relied on the perceptions of the respondents. Practical implications -The results of this study can be used by managers to prioritize the implementation of TQM practices. For instance, those practices that are found to have a positive impact on business results can be recommended to managers so that they can allocate resources to improve these practices to get the best results. Originality/value -This study conducts a comprehensive review of the literature to develop factors of critical TQM practices and business results, and unlike most previous studies, it uses multiple, distinct indicators for each factor to test an elaborate SEM model of the relationships among these factors.

There has been a plethora of published research related to total quality management (TQM) in the last few decades. However, very few studies focused on cataloging critical factors of TQM. One of the objectives of this literature review was to investigate the state of TQM by examining and listing various TQM factors identified based on survey studies conducted in different countries and published in a variety of journals over the past decade. An examination of 76 survey studies that used an integrated approach to TQM showed that the TQM factors could be grouped under 25 categories. An analysis of the 347 survey based research articles published between 1989 and 2000 using these 25 factors as a framework revealed the most frequently covered TQM factors in the literature. Another goal of the paper was to analyse the objectives of these articles by year and type of journal they were published in to determine the trends in TQM survey based studies and recommend future direction for research. The analysis showed that the objectives of the 347 studies could be grouped under six categories.

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If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -To analyze the state of supply chain quality management in manufacturing companies by testing several hypotheses regarding the knowledge these companies have about their different supply chain partners, the attributes that characterize customer-supplier relationships and the factors that determine the development of quality specifications in a supply chain, and the effect of supply chain quality management activities of companies on product quality. Design/methodology/approach -Six hypotheses related to supply chain quality management have been developed through literature review and tested using survey data from US manufacturing companies.Findings -Provides information about the results of each hypothesis, their implications, and how these findings relate to the previous literature.Research limitations/implications -The study offers insights into what the findings suggest and provides guidelines for future research to tackle issues raised by these findings. There were also some research limitations. For instance, the study relied on the perceptions of the respondents to operationalize the survey instrument, and the variables were mostly operationalized using single measures. Practical implications -The study recommends ways managers can use the study's findings to improve supply chain quality. Originality/value -This paper fills a void in the literature by focusing on quality in supply chain management.

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a structured approach to seek out customers, understand their needs, and ensure that their needs are met. QFD is probably the most important management tool developed to assure quality in new or improved products and services. As with any other tool, the quantum of benefits obtained from the use of QFD is proportional to the effectiveness of its use. To enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of QFD as a means to transfer the``voice of the customer'' into design and production, a new comprehensive hierarchical framework for QFD planning process and a zero-one goal programming model for the selection of design requirements are proposed. The hierarchical framework contributes to the strategic guidance and provides clear direction for QFD teams during the construction of the house of quality. The decision model assists in determining a set of design requirements that most effectively meet customer needs subject to limited resources and other organizational restrictions. An illustrative example is also provided to demonstrate the practical usage of the design selection model.