A strong body of research evidence has shown that better predictions of organizational phenomena would be achieved if greater emphasis was put on the interactive effects of potential independent variables. As an integral part of that research, contingency theory has been a landmark approach to...

Examines the role of senior managers in total quality management (TQM) and provides some pointers as to why they should become involved in TQM. These pointers include the strategic nature of TQM, their personal impact on the credibility of TQM, and their influence in changing the behaviour and...

Many business‐to‐business buyers are building closer relationships with fewer sellers. When faced with the choice of which sellers to partner with, buyers often develop such close relationships with sellers who have made transaction‐specific investments (TSIs). TSIs are assets (both...

The US General Accounts Office (GAO) study is, arguably, the first Western attempt at linking TQM and bottom‐line results. The study focused on the top 20 scorers of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) in the period of 1988‐89. Following the findings of the GAO study, the...

Presents the results of a study which examines the implementation of Total Quality Management in small and medium‐sized manufacturing companies. The study is based on personal, structured interviews with the senior manager responsible for quality in 30 manufacturing companies in the Sheffield...

Educational reform has been called for over the past several decades with answers resulting in fragmented programmes and mixed research findings. Reluctance and unfulfilled promises of post‐reform movements have caused dismay and scepticism among educators and community members alike. These...