▼ The European Union and the Eurozone have been experiencing a deep crisis since 2008 when the global financial slump started. Moreover, with a changing world, due to the current financial crisis, the Brexit about to take place and transformations happening within India and China, business environments are entering a new period of unparalleled change. Greece has been suffering from the ongoing debt crisis since the late 2009. The memorandum agreements signed between the Government and its lenders, include tough austerity measures such as minimizing public expenditures, gradually eliminating various subsidies, raising taxes, reducing public sector wages, capping pension payments and postponing social benefits. In addition, unemployment rates are increasing with an overall rate just below 30%, youth unemployment was higher than 60% in 2013 (Markovits, Boer, & van Dick, 2014). An important motivation to provide financial support to Greece, despite the no-bailout cause in the Maastricht Treaty, was fear of contagion probably to Italy, Spain or Portugal (Mink & Haan, 2013).According to recent reports, the aforementioned global economic slump has also affected the quality of life in the EU-28. Specifically, it has caused a decline in GDP, rise of unemployment and job insecurity, loss of income, austerity and a feeling of uncertainty and pessimism. These are mostly evident in countries like Greece and Spain where crisis was more intense. From a microeconomic point of view, this affected significantly the individual disposable income and total consumption (Campos-Soria, Inchausti-Sintes, & Eugenio-Martin, 2015; Stylidis & Terzidou, 2014). Moreover, the globalized economy has defined a new landscape in businesscompetitiveness. It is common knowledge that an asset in technology alone is not sufficient for a company to excel in a demanding and competitive environment (Oakland & Porter, L., 2004; Oakland, 2005). Adaptation to the new conditions means willingness to change. The first step in a dramatic organizational change program is obviously a dramatic personal change (Watkins & Collins, 2006). During these times of turbulence, companies should rethink of their operating models (Sureshchandar, Rajendran, & Anantharaman, 2002; Zakuan, Yusof, & Shaharoun) and adjust them to the new reality (Metaxas & Koulouriotis, 2014; Kim, Kumar, & Murphy, 2010).In these times of crisis what does the term ‘excellence’ mean? Is it different from ‘total quality management’? How have these two ideas evolved throughout the time? Are their limits easily recognizable? Nowadays organizations are getting more involved in incorporating business excellence practices in their operations in order to gain prestige as leaders in their respective fields. Throughout the years, a lot of research has been carried out to understand business excellence as a field. Excellence is more than a simple term; it is a state of mind for employees, managers and every simple individual. Ancient Greeks used to refer to the word of “arete” which has the same root with “aristos”…

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During the last twenty years, Total Quality Management and Business Excellence Models [BEMs] have been very attractive to organisations as an improvement strategy, as there has been a push by governments to encourage this trend in both public and private sector organisations through the development of national quality awards. There remain difficulties in the successful implementation of BEMs, as there have been high implementation failures rates in various industrial settings. It appears that these failures have been the result of a failure to identify key influential factors that might be incorporated into organisations’ BEM implementation guidelines. Therefore, this research attempts to identify the key influential factors for the successful implementation of a BEM and then examines the role of these factors when they are incorporated with the implementation strategy of a BEM in a public sector organisation in the United Arab Emirates, the Abu Dhabi Police. The research takes a mixed-methods approach including a systematic literature review, a questionnaire survey of 300 employees and 25 interviews with top managers and BEM implementation team members in the Abu Dhabi Police. The quantitative data is assessed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. A paired-samples t-test is used to compare perceptions and the actual presence of key influential factors. Additionally, the correlation between these factors and the implementation efficiency of the BEM is investigated by using a Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis. The interviews are also subjected to thematic analysis. The key findings are that there are 18 key influential factors which significantly impacted on the successful implementation of the BEM in this public sector organisation; therefore they should be considered as a whole during any such implementation. These factors can be grouped into associated stages of commitment, implementation and measurement, leading to the development of a conceptual framework to be used as a roadmap for the implementation of BEMs by public sector organisations.

During the last twenty years, Total Quality Management and Business Excellence Models [BEMs] have been very attractive to organisations as an improvement strategy, as there has been a push by governments to encourage this trend in both public and private sector organisations through the development of national quality awards. There remain difficulties in the successful implementation of BEMs, as there have been high implementation failures rates in various industrial settings. It appears that these failures have been the result of a failure to identify key influential factors that might be incorporated into organisations’ BEM implementation guidelines. Therefore, this research attempts to identify the key influential factors for the successful implementation of a BEM and then examines the role of these factors when they are incorporated with the implementation strategy of a BEM in a public sector organisation in the United Arab Emirates, the Abu…

Advisors/Committee Members: REES, CHRIS CJ, Mamman, Aminu, Rees, Chris.

▼ The aim of this study was to assess the impact that Business Process Excellence has on the innovation process to create new products and services in the software development environment. The best practices were identified in the current use of BPE in software development organisations. Subsequently, a proposal was put forward to enhance the use of BPE in the software development process to create innovative products and services. Once these products are implemented the organisation can use these products as a sustainable competitive advantage. The use of Business Process Excellence in software development creates an innovative environment for employees in order to develop innovative products that can create shareholder wealth, and increase market share. Companies want to create products that are unique to the market, and be able to offer their customers products that only they can offer in order to secure future business. Innovation is a key factor to enhance processes within the software development company. Enhancing the processes can generate new ideas that contribute to the sustainable competitive advantage of the company. The literature does not create a definite link between the use of Business Process Excellence and innovation, and the study aimed at evaluating the possibility to merge the concepts. Business Process Excellence optimises a currently implemented process, by exploring all ideas to increase the effectiveness of the system. It is a structured way to ensure that all possibilities are explored before a decision is made on how the process is structured to implement new products or services. The software development industry is a very competitive industry, and most companies do not share their competitive strategy, or make it available to the public, to ensure that they would be offering their customer something unique. These companies would only make their strategy known to the market once the new product or service is launched, and the trend is set for other companies to follow. It also creates the opportunity for companies to become the market leader within the industry, to ensure growth, and increase profits. Some key aspects were identified that companies could focus on to encourage an innovative environment. Most employees are willing to accept responsibility for the v innovative ideas, since this will benefit the company. Managers should take responsibility for their actions within the software development department, and reward employees that assist in reaching the goals set in company strategy. The software development process should always include a step for quality and reliability. This step is needed, since even the most innovative product needs to be stable and reliable, otherwise the product will not be used by customers if they are frustrated.

▼ During the last twenty years, Total Quality Management and Business Excellence Models [BEMs] have been very attractive to organisations as an improvement strategy, as there has been a push by governments to encourage this trend in both public and private sector organisations through the development of national quality awards. There remain difficulties in the successful implementation of BEMs, as there have been high implementation failures rates in various industrial settings. It appears that these failures have been the result of a failure to identify key influential factors that might be incorporated into organisations’ BEM implementation guidelines. Therefore, this research attempts to identify the key influential factors for the successful implementation of a BEM and then examines the role of these factors when they are incorporated with the implementation strategy of a BEM in a public sector organisation in the United Arab Emirates, the Abu Dhabi Police. The research takes a mixed-methods approach including a systematic literature review, a questionnaire survey of 300 employees and 25 interviews with top managers and BEM implementation team members in the Abu Dhabi Police. The quantitative data is assessed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. A paired-samples t-test is used to compare perceptions and the actual presence of key influential factors. Additionally, the correlation between these factors and the implementation efficiency of the BEM is investigated by using a Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis. The interviews are also subjected to thematic analysis. The key findings are that there are 18 key influential factors which significantly impacted on the successful implementation of the BEM in this public sector organisation; therefore they should be considered as a whole during any such implementation. These factors can be grouped into associated stages of commitment, implementation and measurement, leading to the development of a conceptual framework to be used as a roadmap for the implementation of BEMs by public sector organisations.

▼ The thesis is devoted to evaluating the performance of companies selected companies. Said performance evaluation model focuses on START. In the first part, the author describes the evaluation model business performance. In the analytical part introduces company and characterized the current situation. In the practical part is to conduct an assessment of company performance model applied questionnaire Start. This model are identified strengths and weaknesses of the company, but also the weaknesses of the company and place to improve performance. The results are drawn suggestions and recommendations for the company. Advisors/Committee Members: Žižlavský, Ondřej (advisor), Luňáček, Jiří (referee).

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In today's society, the linear economy dominates. As a result of the earth’s limited resources, an ever-increasing focus is on the need for companies to become sustainable. One concept that has become more prevalent in this context is the Triple Bottom Line, which emphasizes the importance of a balance between people, profit, and planet. In manufacturing industries, circular economy can be a way to reach sustainability and the Triple Bottom Line. However, many companies prioritize quality and profitability. The Business Excellence Model is a business model that focuses on quality and achieving business excellence. However, many consider that quality and business excellence do not go hand in hand with sustainability and circular economy. The purpose of the study was to understand how the manufacturing industry, through its Business Excellence Model, can contribute to a more sustainable future by using circular economy in its business development. This was done by expanding existing theories of Business Excellence Model and exploring how manufacturing companies can integrate a Triple Bottom Line perspective with the help of circular economy. A qualitative method was used to conduct the study and data collection was done through semi-structured interviews with researchers and professionals in relevant areas. Based on the theory, a conceptual model was developed that links the theoretical framework. The empirical results of the interviews were then compared against existing theories to answer the research questions. The study resulted in seven factors that can be important to keep in mind for a Triple Bottom Line Business Excellence Model. These factors are clear and committed leadership, committed and loyal employees, customers and stakeholders, collaboration, long-term perspective, a holistic perspective, and sustainable business. Some of these factors already existed in the excellence models, while others were added. There were also three strategies that should be considered to make a successful shift from Single Bottom Line to Triple Bottom Line. These strategies were: changing management strategy, expanding the perspective, and finding a way to do business of sustainability. The conclusion that could be drawn from this is that manufacturing companies may be facing a paradigm shift where they must realize that they can make money and do business on sustainability.

I dagens samhälle dominerar den linjära ekonomin och till följd av jordens begränsade resurser riktas ett allt större fokus mot att företag måste bli hållbara. Ett koncept som har blivit alltmer förekommande i detta sammanhang är Triple Bottom Line som betonar vikten av en balans mellan ekonomisk, miljömässig och social hållbarhet. Inom tillverkande industrier kan cirkulär ekonomi vara en väg för att nå hållbarhet och specifikt Triple Bottom Line. Många företag prioriterar dock kvalitet och lönsamhet. Business Excellence Model är en affärsmodell som fokuserar mycket på kvalitet och att uppnå så kallad business excellence. Många…

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Aviation business is a primary impetus for the global economy and airports pose a central position in the aviation system. Air transport restructuring of the last three decades has increased the demand for performance improvement in all nodes of the air transport pipeline. Nevertheless, airports are still treated more like infrastructures rather than enterprises, with their efficiency almost exclusively measured in operational and financial terms.The current study is the first known attempt to deal with airport performance in a holistic manner. We approach airports as integrated business ecosystems and we borrow concepts from ecology science to explore their interacting components. We first investigate airports biotic factors, i.e. all living airport participants and their relations. To do so, we develop a novel Airport Business Excellence Model (ABEM) which assesses airport performance using twelve groups of criteria: Leadership, Strategy, HRM, Suppliers and Resources, Partners and Customers, Processes, Products and Services, People results, Operational results, Quality results, Customer results, Society results and Financial results. ABEM was applied to a pluralistic sample of 143 airports in 92 states all over the world. The total performance score derived from ABEM application was subsequently associated with abiotic determinants of the external environment, in order to draw the overall picture of Airport Ecosystem Performance.The study results indicate that airport biotic factors weave a complex nexus of interactions, with Leadership and Strategy displaying the broader impact. Rather surprisingly, Financial results were not considered of primary importance contrary to the People and Operational results that were estimated as more crucial to achieving airport excellence. Regarding the environmental abiotic factors, our findings further support and extend the existing literature, concluding that low seasonality (50-60%), a big airport size between 60 and 80 million WLUs and a combination of Light-handed/monitoring with Dual Till regulation scheme have a positive contribution to the airport performance. On the contrary, hosting no airlines as home base, having a mixed ownership/public management or public ownership/private management, the absence of any Performance Management System and the combination of public ownership with RoR regulatory framework have a negative influence.Finally, we studied the joint impact of the biotic and abiotic performance determinants, finding that the contribution of the software factors is more significant than the effect of the business surroundings to the overall performance of the airport ecosystem.

Η Διατριβή πραγματεύεται το θέμα της διαχείρισης απόδοσης των αεροδρομίων δημιουργώντας κι εφαρμόζοντας σε παγκόσμια κλίμακα το Airport Business Excellence Model (ABEM). Το μοντέλο εξετάζει ένα πλήθος βιοτικών και αβιοτικών παραγόντων και τις αλληλεπιδράσεις τους, στο πλαίσιο της ολιστικής διαχείρισης της απόδοσης του airport ecosystem.

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A expansão do mercado internacional e as constantes mudanças no ambiente externo tornam as organizações e seus processos cada vez mais flexíveis. As novas imposições de mercado transformam os conceitos do sistema mecanicista em um sistema de inter-relações, nas organizações. A organização de hoje precisa quebrar seus paradigmas e preparar seus colaboradores para esse processo de constante mudança; somente dessa forma obterá bons resultados e atenderá a seus clientes de forma rápida e eficaz. A pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a implementação das mudanças no processo produtivo de uma empresa fumageira, tendo como base a excelência empresarial. A escolha do tema para a realização deste trabalho foi baseada na importância de compreender como os colaboradores, que estão envolvidos no processo de mudança organizacional, se posicionam frente às mudanças que influenciam a maneira de realizar suas atividades de rotina, a qualidade de vida e o clima organizacional. O processo produtivo da empresa X passou por uma transformação profunda, com a finalidade de torná-la mais competitiva no seu mercado de atuação. A pesquisa busca identificar os aspectos percebidos nessa mudança, baseando-se na percepção dos colaboradores da empresa. Os critérios e fundamentos do modelo de excelência da Fundação Nacional da Qualidade FNQ foram utilizados para levantar os dados referentes à percepção dos colaboradores da empresa. O alinhamento da pesquisa aos critérios da FNQ é importante, pois a organização que segue os conceitos do programa é considerada referencial de excelência. Os Critérios de Excelência constituem um modelo sistêmico da gestão adotado por inúmeras organizações de Classe Mundial, sendo construídos sobre uma base de fundamentos essenciais à obtenção da excelência do desempenho.

Expansion of the international market and constant changes in the external environment require organizations and their processes to become more and more flexible. New impositions of the market turn the concepts of a mechanicist system into an inter-relation system at organizations. Today s organizations need to break their paradigms and prepare their employees for this process of continuous changes because only so they will achieve good results and will help their clients in a fast and efficient way. The research aims to analyze the implementation of changes in the productive process of a tobacco industry based on the excellence of the business. This subject choice was based on the importance of comprehending how the employees involved in the organizational change process face the changes that influence the way of performing their routine activities, the quality of life, and the organizational environment. The productive process of company X has faced profound transformations aiming to become more competitive in its area. The research aims to identify aspects that were noticed in this change, and it was based on the perception of the employees of the company. The criteria and principles of the excellence model of Fundação Nacional da Qualidade FNQ…

Advisors/Committee Members: Jorge André Ribas Moraes, Alberto Souza Schmidt.

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Abstract Background The organisations actions are continuing to be disconnected from Earth system research and to what level organisations have an impact, if all to minimize risk of collapse of Earth systems are unknown (Whiteman etl al 2013) this is the problem this paper is seeking to address. By connecting organizations sustainability work with Earth boundaries research by developing the Swedish SIQ business excellence model. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop SIQ model so it contains what is necessary to identify organizations impact on Earth 9 boundaries.  Method A qualitative research method has been used and the analysis has been done by using the Planetary Boundaries research and top-down & bottom-up perspective as a lens to identify problem, solution and to analyse the SIQ model, then data has been collected by literature studies. Results The result chapter is the presentation of a model than show the relation between the Earth system and boundaries. This is followed by the analysis of the SIQ model that suggest main development needs in the environmental management criteria. The development should incorporate a top-down & bottom-up perspective in order to effectively consider external criteria’s such as Earth boundaries in the management of the organization at management and activity level. Discussion For organisations to consider external factors such as Earth boundaries the SIQ criteria’s and goals has to interact. And by interacting Earth boundaries with the SIQ model the gap between organizations and environmental science are reduces. By reducing this gap the organizations activities can contribute to minimize the degradation on Earth systems and risk for collapse

Bakgrund Företagens aktiviteter fortsätter att vara särkopplade från vetenskapen om Jordens globala system och till vilken utsträckning företagen motverkar kollaps av Jordens system är oklart (Whiteman et al. 2014) och det är denna utmaning som denna uppsats söker att utforska genom att koppla företagens hållbarhetsarbete med Jordens 9 gränser genom at utveckla SIQ modellen. Syfte Syfte med denna uppsats är att utveckla SIQ modellen så den innehåller det som krävs för att företagen skall identifiera sin inverkan på Jordens 9 gränser. Metod En kvalitativ metod har använts och för att analysera har gjorts genom att använda Jordens 9 gränser och top-down/bottom-up perspektivet som lins för att identifiera problem, lösningar och analysen av SIQ modellen och datainsamlingen har gjorts genom litteraturstudier. Resultat Resultatkapitlet introducerar en modell som visar samverkan mellan Jordens system och 9 gränser ner till företagen aktiviteter. Modellen följs av analysen av SIQ modellen som visar störst utvecklingspotential i miljöledningskriterierna. Utvecklingen bör samverka med top-down/bottom-up perspektiven för…

▼  Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to determine whether Swedish dental clinics apply parts of Business Excellence models in their business operations and whether or not they are aware of doing so. The framework for this survey will be based on the success factors that we identify in the Swiss dental clinic Frenkenklinik AG, which is known to effectively apply theories behind Business Excellence. Background: An extensive range of research has been carried out regarding Business Excellence and its effect on manufacturing, service companies and even healthcare. Still, there is a lack of studies on how Business Excellence can change and improve the dental care sector. However, there is a clinic in Switzerland that has not only implemented Business Excellence, but done it so well as to win the prestigious EFQM Excellence Award. Therefore, we want to investigate what Frenkenklinik AG does, that makes them so successful and if dental clinics in Sweden are applying Business Excellence and if they are aware of the fact that what they do could be considered Business Excellence. Method: In order to answer the purpose of our thesis we had to employ a mixed method approach. We required a qualitative approach, in the form of semi-structured interviews, in order to find the factors that make Frenkenklinik AG so successful in their application of Business Excellence. After this, we used a quantitative method when surveying whether Swedish dental clinics employ activities that are part of a Business Excellence approach. Conclusion: In conclusion, we have identified five factors that have made Frenkenklinik successful at using Business Excellence. We then have found that Swedish dental clinics are certainly using parts of Business Excellence; however, they are not aware of actually having a Business Excellence approach. And lastly, we found recommendations for Swedish dental clinics to improve their journey towards Excellence.

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Massification, a phenomenon driven by both the collective aspirations of citizens and governmental encouragement of a highly skilled workforce, is revolutionising the field of higher education. The student body, particularly in widened participation universities, has expanded in number and diversity increasing the demands on HE institutions and their teaching staff. Australian business school graduates are expected to drive national success in fast-changing, globally competitive business environments. This qualitative study investigates characteristics of teaching excellence in widened-participation teaching environments in Australian business schools. The recency of the massification phenomenon has meant theoretical conceptualisations are sparse so Grounded Theory was used to generate new theory. Using university entry scores as a surrogate for an academically inclusive student cohort, 23 award winning teachers from the business schools of eight universities were interviewed. These exemplary business educators displayed strong similarities in terms of their approach to teaching. Seven dimensions of diversity that significantly impact teaching within a widened-participation environment were identified. This thesis argues that alignment between the diversity of cohort and both the type of educators and the pedagogic strategies they employ is the key to unlocking teaching excellence within widened-participation universities, thus giving rise to the notion of context mediated pedagogy and the associated conceptual model. Findings from this study are significant because extreme student diversity is now the norm in many university environments and a better understanding of teaching excellence may offer specific insights for policymakers, academic leaders and educators seeking to adapt pedagogy for the massified HE environment. Improving teaching quality in these widened-participation universities has the power to significantly impact on individual student success, whilst driving innovation on the global stage.

Doctor of Philosophy

▼  Continuous improvement of processes is one important aspect of quality management and the way towards excellence. Companies are at different stages of business excellence, but the way is long, and the improvement process is never ending. For a company to start its journey towards business excellence, there are many means, guidelines and models to use but no single way that guarantees the success and no generic mean that can be extended to all types of companies. That’s why this paper tries to initiate process improvement journey at Golvet Göteborg by applying excellence models for process optimization and making a process map of warehousing to recognize improvement areas and act upon that. To do this, a literature review in areas of quality management and business excellence is conducted with focus on process management. By interviewing key persons at the company, a map of warehouse process is illustrated and based on that possible improvements are suggested to leadership.

▼  Operational excellence is an executional competency that reflects a firm’s ability to run its day-to-day operations efficiently, effectively, and profitably. Differing views have been expressed regarding the inner dynamics and value creation potential of operational excellence. From an inner dynamics perspective, the competency’s dimensions of efficiency and effectiveness are viewed by some as conflicting and difficult to reconcile (the tradeoff model), and by others as synergistic and mutually supportive (the cumulative model). From a value creation perspective, operational excellence is portrayed by some as an effective cash-flow generator and a potent enabler of firm growth, and by others as a source of excessive routinization that hinders strategic adaptation and limits long-term value creation. The present dissertation revisits these conflicting views. Drawing on Porter’s profit maximization prescription, essay 1 empirically examines the individual and collective effects of operational efficiency and operational effectiveness on firm profitability. In so doing, it assesses the respective merits of the tradeoff and cumulative perspectives. Empirical findings based on a multi-industry panel of 595 public US manufacturing firms provide relative support for the cumulative perspective; concurrent improvements in efficiency and effectiveness are shown to have a compounding positive effect on firm profitability. The findings also show that the individual benefits of isolated improvements to either efficiency or effectiveness tend to be curvilinear with diminishing returns. Addressing the value creation question, essay 2 draws on signaling theory to empirically examine the stock market’s ex-ante assessment of operational excellence as an instrument for long-term value creation. Contrary to the productivity dilemma narrative, empirical results show that market participants tend to have a positive outlook on the value creation potential of operational excellence. The positive outlook is, however, found to be dampened by the stock market’s expectations of firm short-term revenue growth and amplified by firm R&D efforts. In a third exploratory essay, I discuss environmental and organizational learning factors that have the potential to cause firms to grow over-invested in operational excellence at the expense of strategic foresight and market adaptation. Essay 3 is conceptual in nature and provides theoretical propositions for future empirical investigation. Advisors/Committee Members: Christian Hofer, Adriana Rossiter Hofer, Marc A. Scott.

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Sistemi vodenja kakovosti dandanes močno vplivajo na kakovost poslovnega procesa, ki je zelo pomemben element za vsako podjetje, ki hoče biti in ostati med uspešnimi v svoji panogi. S kakovostnim poslovanjem podjetja izpolnjujejo zahteve in potrebe deležnikov – predvsem odjemalcev, lastnikov, partnerjev, zaposlenih in družbe kot celote. V ta proces morajo biti vključeni vsi zaposleni v podjetju. Podjetja si pridobivajo konkurenčno prednost s certificiranimi standardi sistemov vodenja kakovosti, nekatera pa nadgradijo te certifikate še z različnimi modeli. Eden izmed modelov, ki zagotavlja celoten pregled poslovanja, je tudi Model poslovne odličnosti EFQM, ki temelji na devetih merilih, od katerih je pet dejavnikov in štirje rezultati. V podjetju Primat d.d. so se leta 2011 odločili za kandidaturo za nagrado-Priznanje Republike Slovenije za poslovno odličnost (PRSPO). Izvedli so samoocenjevanje z ocenjevalnim in vodstvenim orodjem RADAR, ki se uporablja pri ocenjevanju vlog za nagrado za odličnost EFQM. Predvsem zaradi posledic finančne in gospodarske krize je bilo v novo verzijo evropskega modela odličnosti – EFQM 2010 vgrajenih nekaj konceptualnih sprememb, predvsem v smislu povečane odgovornosti voditeljstva za sprejete odločitve, integritete in etičnosti poslovanja, spodbujanja ustvarjalnosti, učenja in inovativnosti ter uravnoteženja posameznih meril. Rezultati vrste znanstvenih raziskav so potrdili pozitivne učinke uporabe modelov odličnosti.

Quality management systems nowadays greatly affect the quality of the business process, which is a very important element for any company that wants to be and remain among the successful in his industry. With quality business should meet the requirements and needs of the stakeholders – in particular customers, owners, partners, employees and society as a whole. In this process must be included to all employees in the company. Companies are gaining competitive advantage with certified quality management system standards, and some are upgraded these certificates with different designs. One of the models, which provides a complete review of the business, is also the Business Excellence Model EFQM, based on nine criteria, of which five factors and four results. In the company Primat d.d. in 2011, decided to Award nomination-Recognition for business excellence-Slovenian Business Excellence Prize (PRSPO). Run the self-assessment with the assessment and management tool, the RADAR used in the assessment of applications for the award for the excellence of the EFQM. In particular, the consequences of the financial and economic crisis was in the new version of the European model of excellence, EFQM 2010 embedded a few conceptual changes, especially in terms of the increased responsibilities of the leadership for the decisions taken, integrity, and to contact the business, encouraging creativity, learning and innovation and a balance of individual criteria. The results of scientific research have confirmed the positive effects of the use of models of excellence.

Advisors/Committee Members: Uršič, Duško.

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Thesis by publication.

Bibliography: pages 178-191.

Chapter 1. Research overview  – Chapter 2. A comprehensive view on research excellence  – Chapter 3. Business process rearrangement and renaming - a new approach to process orientation and improvement  – Chapter 4. Aiming for excellence : commitment matters  – Chapter 5. Discussion - Chapter 6. Conclusion  – Appendices.

There has always been a significant debate about management models and systems in the literature. This thesis focuses on Business Excellence (BE) models, and their impact on the process maturity and performance. Through a case-study and a survey in UK firms, this study shows that utilising and commitment to BE models is significantly related to process maturity and financial performance. Not only BE-active firms were in a better situation than non-BE-active firms, but also within the BE-active companies, those who showed a higher level of commitment, were higher in their process maturity and financial performance.

This is a thesis by publication presenting several contributions to the existing knowledge. The literature review has resulted in a conceptual paper including the first comprehensive scientific excellence model. Following the literature review, a case-study is presented in the second paper proposing a new process orientation methodology, namely the ‘Business Process Rearrangement and Renaming (BPR2)’ boosted by BE. The power of names which has been so far neglected in management literature, has been utilised in BPR2. Instead of destroying the organisational structure and rebuilding it, BPR2 suggests giving each of the existing departments ‘a new identity and responsibility’ to provide specific products/services for the internal/external customers.

A survey has been conducted on the impacts of commitment to BE which resulted in proposition of the new ‘Organized Commitment Model’ presented in the third paper. This model provides a platform for top managers who want to establish commitment on highly important issues such as organisational values, strategies, customer relationship, and so on. The Model can be also used by academics who want to measure the impact of commitment to an issue such as commitment to strategies on another variable such as performance.

‘Aiming for Excellence’ is the central focus in the whole thesis. Although people present different definitions about excellence, overall understanding of people about this concept is very similar. Hence, ‘Aiming for Excellence’ can provide a shared vision that brings people together in difficult circumstances.

1 online resource (viii, 191 pages) diagrams, tables

Advisors/Committee Members: Macquarie University. Department of Marketing and Management.

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Existe uma tendência entre as organizações por optarem pela abordagem de gestão por processos no lugar da abordagem funcional tradicional, porém a falta de integração dos projetos de gestão por processos leva a desperdícios de recursos e diminuição no retorno sobre o investimento. Os Escritórios de Processos podem ser uma proposta de resposta à falta de integração dos projetos de gestão por processos. Em contrapartida, as Instituições de Ensino Superior (IES) necessitam ampliar sua eficácia gerencial e a gestão por processos pode ser uma solução. A oportunidade de investigação relacionando os temas levou a seguinte pergunta de pesquisa: \"O que propor em um Escritório de Processos para uma Instituição de Ensino Superior?\". Para responder a essa pergunta o objetivo geral deste trabalho era propor um Escritório de Processos em uma Instituição de Ensino Superior. Para alcançar o objetivo principal, foram traçados dois objetivos específicos: desenvolver um framework para propor um Escritório de Processos e desenvolver uma proposta de um Escritório de Processos em uma IES. Para atender a estes objetivos, este trabalho combina a utilização de duas abordagens metodológicas: revisão bibliográfica e estudo de casos. Como resultados da pesquisa foram desenvolvidos o framework para propor um Escritório de Processos e a proposta do Escritório de Processos para um IES. A pesquisa contribuiu para o estado da arte sobre o assunto Escritório de Processos. A proposta do Escritório de Processos e framework foram inovadores do ponto de vista bibliográfico, uma vez que trouxeram um modelo de Escritório de Processos que a literatura não aborda. Esse estudo auxiliou à referida IES a iniciar a constituição de seu Escritório de Processos. Dentre os interessados no estudo, destacam-se IESs, organizações de um modo geral, responsáveis por processos de negócios, pesquisadores e consultores.

There is a tendency among organizations opt for a Business Process Management approach instead of the traditional functional approach. BPM Center of Excellence can be a proposed answer to the lack of integration of process management projects. In contrast, the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) need to broaden their managerial effectiveness and process management can be a solution. The opportunity to research relating the themes led to the following research question: Ẅhat proposing in a BPM Center of Excellence for an Institution of Higher Education ? .̈ To answer this question the overall goal of this work was to propose an BPM Center of Excellence in a Higher Education Institution. To achieve the main objective, two specific objectives were set: to develop a framework to propose a Process Office and develop a proposal for an Center of Excellence in an HEI. To meet these objectives, this paper combines the use of two methodological approaches: literature review and case studies. The results of the research framework were developed to propose a BPM Center of Excellence and the proposal of the Office of Proceedings for IES. The research…

Advisors/Committee Members: Pádua, Silvia Inês Dallavalle de.

▼  Industries that are traditionally technical and hierarchical present a variety of challenges for today’s leaders, particularly given the rapidly evolving, technology-driven global business environment. In addition, the movement toward more collaborative and horizontal work environments encourages a uniquely collective perspective comprised of individuals who are expected to continually shift between innovation and conformance. Success in the contemporary business environment largely depends on a firm’s speed and efficiency in relation to its competitors, which challenges leaders to not only remain on the cutting edge of their respective industries, but also stay “in tune” with the inner workings of their organizations in terms of culture, climate, and vision. If the pursuit and implementation of operational excellence demands a commonality or unified vision, employee perception is a critical component of this process. This study focused on a single division within a global energy company that was seeking to identify and evaluate employee perceptions with respect to a corporate vision that emphasized operational excellence (OE). The study administered a survey instrument to which 204 of the division’s 300 employees responded and the subsequent analysis used a series of linear regressions to measure the degree to which each demographic variable was associated with, and could ultimately predict, OE comprehension and engagement. The data showed that business unit and field of study (engineering or construction management) were both positively associated with several of the model’s dependent variables; however, employment tenure, role within the company, and level of educational attainment were not statistically significant predictors. The data also showed that employees from the Public Sector (the business unit with the largest number of employees) were less likely to perceive that current managers actively set and communicate OE expectations. Subsequent phases of this analysis will help identify organizational structures and management styles that might contribute to (or detract from) this process. Finally, by involving key partners and potential clients in future studies to ascertain the external value of this vision, the organization will be able to shed valuable light on not only the culture of the firm itself, but also its market position within a highly competitive industry.

Abstract is available

Bibliography p. 226 - 289, Appendix p. 290 - 325

Advisors/Committee Members: Ahuja, Inderpreet Singh.

▼ This master's thesis is focused on conducting a performance evaluation of a particular company using the EFQM Excellence Model. The theoretical section of this thesis introduces the primary theoretical basis for company performance measurement with a focus on the EFQM Model of Excellence. The analytical section contains an evaluation of the selected company‘s current situation using the Excellence Model's methodology to identify weaknesses. The output from the analysis is then used in the subsequent section of the thesis, where these weaknesses are transformed into suggestions for improving the company's performance so it can proceed further on its path to excellence. Advisors/Committee Members: Kocmanová, Alena (advisor), MBA, Antonín Smrček, (referee).

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Z magistrskim delom smo želeli osvetliti pomembnost zaposlenih v modelu poslovne odličnosti EFQM glede na dejstvo, da slovenska podjetja v povprečju zaostajajo za evropskimi po merilih EFQM. Pri tem pa je največja razlika prav pri merilu zaposlenih, kar nakazuje potrebo po tem, da podjetja naredijo določene spremembe v načinu vodenja in upravljanja človeških virov. Osredotočili smo se na zavzetost zaposlenih, ki je po vseh raziskavah povezana z učinkovitostjo zaposlenih in dolgoročno uspešnostjo organizacij. Tudi pri številu zavzetih zaposlenih evropske organizacije dosegajo povprečno nižje rezultate kot organizacije drugih regij. Za dvig zavzetosti zaposlenih smo proučevali dejavnike dveh pristopov upravljanja človeških virov. Ta pristopa sta interni marketing in blagovna znamka delodajalca. Uporabili smo empirične podatke, pridobljene s pomočjo ankete, opravljene med zaposlenimi v slovenskem podjetju, ki je del mednarodne skupine. Za proučevanje vpliva dejavnikov internega marketinga in blagovne znamke delodajalca na zavzetost zaposlenih smo uporabili eksplorativno faktorsko analizo in večkratno regresijsko analizo. Naredili smo tudi samooceno po modelu poslovne odličnosti EFQM, pri čemer smo uporabili vprašalnik, ki so ga izpolnjevale odgovorne osebe posameznih področij v podjetju. Rezultati so pokazali, da dva dejavnika internega marketinga statistično značilno vplivata na zavzetost zaposlenih, to sta empatija in pozornost pri vodenju ter kakovost dela in nagrade. Pri ugotavljanju dejavnikov blagovne znamke delodajalca so rezultati pokazali, da interno komuniciranje blagovne znamke delodajalca statistično značilno vpliva na zavzetost zaposlenih. Prav tako smo dokazali, da tako zavzetost zaposlenih kot pripadnost blagovni znamki delodajalca statistično značilno vplivata na zadovoljstvo zaposlenih, ki je eno izmed ključnih meril modela poslovne odličnosti EFQM 2013. Ugotovitve magistrskega dela dajejo tako prispevek k literaturi kot prispevek k praksi. Ključen prispevek k literaturi je preverjanje modela po Jou et al. (2008), kjer se je pokazalo, da le dva (empatija in pozornost pri vodenju ter kakovost dela in nagrade) od predlaganih šestih dejavnikov internega marketinga statistično značilno vplivata na zavzetost zaposlenih. Pri blagovni znamki delodajalca, kjer smo preverjali model po Burmannu in Zeplinu (2005), pa se je pokazalo, da le eden od treh dejavnikov ključno vpliva na pripadnost blagovni znamki delodajalca, in sicer vodenje z blagovno znamko delodajalca. Ugotovitve dajejo tudi smernice za prakso, kjer naj bi organizacije dajale poseben poudarek vodenju, ki temelji na empatiji in pozornosti ter ustvarjanju delovnega okolja, ki posamezniku omogoča rast, razvoj in dobro počutje. Hkrati pa se morajo podjetja zavedati, da ni dovolj le ustvariti dobro blagovno znamko delodajalca, temveč da je prav interno komuniciranje le-te ključno pri dvigu zavzetosti zaposlenih.

The purpose of the master’s thesis is to highlight the importance of employees within the EFQM business excellence model given the fact…

Advisors/Committee Members: Maletič, Matjaž.

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Pri izpolnjevanju vedno zahtevnejših želja kupcev ter doseganju večje prepoznavnosti na današnjem trgu se je kot uspešna izkazala metoda Six Sigma. Mnogo podjetij je z njeno pomočjo doseglo kakovost blizu popolnosti in večje zadovoljstvo zunanjega ter notranjega kupca zaradi učinkovitejših procesov ob hkratnem povečanju dobička. Podjetjem omogoča stalno izboljševanje kakovosti, ki je pogoj za doseganje poslovne odličnosti. V magistrskem delu smo raziskali njen vpliv na kakovost proizvoda in procesa ter na zadovoljstvo notranjega in zunanjega kupca v dveh različnih podjetjih ter jih med seboj primerjali. V podjetju Šumer d.o.o. so z metodo Six Sigma razvili kakovost proizvoda na nivo 6 sigma. V podjetju BSH Hišni aparati, d.o.o. so z metodo Six Sigma zmanjšali obseg in skrajšali obrat zaloge. Optimizirali so tudi proces notranje logistike in skrajšali odzivni čas skladišča. V obeh podjetjih so z metodologijo Six Sigma dosegli povečano kakovost in zadovoljstvo kupca ter posledično večjo poslovno odličnost podjetja.

The Six Sigma method was proven successfull to fulfil ever more demanding customer's demands and to achieve higher level of recognition at nowadays market. With this method a lot of companies achieved quality close to perfection and greater internal and external customer satisfaction, because it improves processes to be more effective and achieves greater profits at the same time. The Six Sigma method enables constant improvement of quality, which is a condition to achieve business excellence. In this asignment we studied the influence of Six Sigma method to quality of a product and process, the influence to internal and external customer satisfaction of two different companies and compared their results. At company Šumer d.o.o. they developed a quality of a product at level 6 sigma with this method. At company BSH Hišni aparati, d.o.o. they reduced the extent and the turning cycle of supplies. They also optimized the process of internal logistics and reduced the response time of the warehouse. Both companies achieved better quality and greater customer satisfaction with Six Sigma method and therefore greater business excellence.

Advisors/Committee Members: Orbanić, Josip.

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Namen magistrskega dela je raziskati povezanost dimenzij dejavnika »voditeljstvo« z dimenzijami dejavnika »zaposleni«

omenjena dejavnika sta ključna za vse dogajanje v katerikoli organizaciji, ne glede na to, ali ta deluje v zasebnem ali javnem sektorju. Raziskava temelji na anketnem vprašalniku, s pomočjo katerega smo zbrali podatke na vzorcu zaposlenih na Zavodu Republike Slovenije za transfuzijsko medicino (ZTM). Pridobljene podatke smo analizirali s pomočjo opisnih statistik, kanonične korelacije, t-testa ter enojne analize variance (ANOVA). Rezultati so pokazali, da ima dejavnik voditeljstvo zelo velik vpliv na dejavnik zaposleni, saj znaša koeficient kanonične korelacije kar 0,926. Anketiranci menijo, da je najpomembnejša naloga vodstva doseči fleksibilnost, s katero bi lahko zavod obvladoval spremembe. Visoko postavljajo tudi primerne motivacijske metode in priznanje, da se ceni vse zaposlene. Od vodstva nadalje pričakujejo ustvarjanje pozitivnega vzdušja, v katerem bi zaposleni dobili občutek, da vsi delajo za isti cilj, in v katerem bi bila prepoznana inovativnost in razmišljanje. Kot pomembno štejejo tudi stalno spremljanje poslovanja in izboljševanje sistema managementa. Na drugi strani anketiranci na najvišje mesto postavljajo kadrovsko politiko in nagrajevanje zaposlenih ter skrb zanje. Kot pomembne faktorje štejejo usposobljenost zaposlenih za opravljanje delovnih nalog in prenos znanja med sodelavci (1), odprto in pozitivno komunikacijo, kjer se konflikti odpravljajo z dialogom (2), in obveščanje ter pretok informacij, ki tečejo nemoteno v vse smeri oziroma med vsemi organizacijskimi enotami (3). Testi skupin so dokazali, da demografski dejavniki, ki opredeljujejo anketirance v naši raziskavi, to so spol, starost, izobrazba, staž na ZTM in nivo na ZTM, na rezultate raziskave niso imeli vpliva. Na osnovi rezultatov raziskave smo podali smernice za zboljšanje obeh dejavnikov. Na prvo mesto postavljamo spremembo organizacijske kulture, ki lahko že sama po sebi prinese spremembe tudi na drugih področjih. Nadalje predlagamo izobraževanje vodstvenega kadra za vodenje, zavezo vodstva k organizacijskim spremembam, ustanovitev strateške pisarne in uvedbo ključnih kazalnikov poslovanja. Vodstvo bi moralo promovirati timsko in projektno delo ter z ustreznimi ukrepi izboljšati komunikacijo. Pomembno se nam zdi tudi, da bi se na ZTM izgradila kadrovska politika in ustvarilo okolje, kjer bi se z ustrezno motivacijo, prenosom znanja med sodelavci in pooblaščanjem zaposlenih ustvarila primerna organizacijska klima, v kateri bodo zadovoljni zaposleni prispevali k boljšemu delovanju ZTM.

A purpose of master thesis is to investigate the relationship between leadership dimensions and people dimensions, which are key for all activities in any organization, regardless if it works in a public or a private sector. A research is based on a questionnaire, with which we collected data an employee pattern of Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia (i.e. Zavod RS za transfuzijsko medicino

ZTM). Obtained data we analyzed…

Advisors/Committee Members: Maletič, Matjaž.

▼  This study is concerned with the identification of the factors in management systems which contribute to business excellence in an organisation. Considering that every organisation regardless of sector and size want to achieve business excellence, and every organisation is made up of multiple clusters of management systems, this is a highly interesting topic for the researchers and the case company, Veoneer Sweden AB. However, despite the prominence in the importance of a management system and goals to achieve business excellence, there is a lack of contemporary research on how management systems contribute to business excellence. To fill this gap, a case study was conducted identifying factors of management systems through benchmarking three organisations that have achieved business excellence and conducting interviews at Veoneer Sweden AB. Through drawing upon data from the interviews with 14 people at Veoneer, it was found that management systems contribute to business excellence through systemic and cultural factors. A mix of cultural and systemic factors was found to be important in a management system’s contribution to business excellence. Additionally, feedback systems and a diverse management system team were identified to be important for the implementation of a management system.

▼ This Master‘s thesis deals with a performance evaluation of a selected business. The first part of the thesis is focused on basic terms and theoretical introduction related to the tools for measuring and evaluating company performance. The next part contains an introduction of the company, a current state assessment and a practical application of theoretical findings. The final part of the thesis includes suggestions for performance and current situation improvement. Advisors/Committee Members: Žižlavský, Ondřej (advisor), Šauerová, Lucie (referee).

▼ The current study focuses on professional excellence. In the present moment, excellent achievement is necessary but also hard to obtain. In this context, some studies have tried to explain excellence, surpassing some gaps in the national research concerning this topic. Combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies, this study aimed to identify personal and contextual variables present in the training and professional lives of a group of business managers with excellent performances. In the literature chapters, we highlight the contributions from three main conceptual frameworks (giftedness, expertise and wisdom), analyzing the convergent and divergent points of these approaches. As we acknowledge the great complexity in the study of excellence and the need to use validated assessment measures for business management environments, we conducted previous studies to adapt and validate a group of scales for the assessment of Portuguese business managers (the Core Self-Evaluations Scale, Judge, Erez, Bono, & Thoresen, 2003; the Political Skill Inventory, Ferris et al., 2005; Passion Toward Work Scale, Vallerand & Houlfort, 2003; and the Satisfaction With Life Scale, Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). The final study, with an integrated design, combines data from semi-structured interviews and the managers’ responses to the four scales. Participants were 14 managers or business managers distributed in three groups: junior managers (with less than 10 years of management experience), senior managers (managers with an experience ranging from 11 to 24 years of management), and senior managers at the end of their career (with over 25 years of management experience), which allowed to describe the managers’ professional paths from the beginning until retirement. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative analysis with the NVivo data analysis software. The results support prior literature in the field, showing that there is not one single, but an array of personal and contextual factors that explain excellent performances. Concerning contextual factors, the role of the family, friends and peers is consistently pointed as relevant for personal achievement, as are other macro-system variables, such as the sociopolitical environment and market dynamics. Regarding the personal factors, our study shows the importance of personality traits, such as self-confidence, openness to experience, adaptation competencies and an interest in challenges, analytical and problem solving skills, creativity and innovation, self-efficacy, as well as motivation and passion toward work, and in the interpersonal domain characteristics such as strong leadership, interpersonal influence, networking, and altruism. Finally, we present the main contributions of this work and the limitations and constraints in this study. Advisors/Committee Members: Almeida, Leandro S. (advisor), Azevedo, Fernando (advisor).

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V doktorski disertaciji obravnavamo temeljne komponente, ki vodijo k doseganju poslovne odličnosti organizacij. Glavni namen raziskave je, pokazati, kako načrtno, sistematično vlaganje v razvoj človeškega kapitala in spodbujanje stalnih izboljšav vpliva na poslovno odličnost organizacije. V začetnih poglavjih smo podrobneje predstavili temeljne pojme, nadaljevali pa s pregledom literature ter z izsledki predhodnih relevantnih raziskav, ki proučujejo vpliv spodbujanja stalnih izboljšav in vpliv razvoja človeškega kapitala na management kakovosti in poslovne odličnosti v organizacijah. Pri proučevanju povezav med vlaganjem v razvoj človeškega kapitala, v stalne izboljšave in poslovno odličnostjo organizacij, smo se osredotočili predvsem na eno vrsto organizacij v zasebnem sektorju, na velika slovenska podjetja. Podatki za raziskavo so bili zbrani s pomočjo anketnega vprašalnika in intervjujev, ki so potekali od junija 2007 do septembra 2007. Skupno smo proučili rezultate sto desetih slovenskih velikih organizacij. Proučili smo značilnosti celotnega vzorca podjetij ter znotraj le-tega obravnavali razlike med tremi skupinami po finančnih kazalcih najboljših slovenski podjetij, t. i. »top podjetij«, in kontrolno skupino podjetij, ki je bila naključno izbrana, ter skupino podjetij, ki se je prijavljala na tekmovanje za slovensko nagrado za poslovno odličnost »Priznanje Republike Slovenije za poslovno odličnost — PRSPO«. Na podlagi pridobljenih rezultatov celotne raziskave smo z uporabo faktorske analize in analize hierarhičnega združevanja oblikovali model stanja in modelno rešitev vpliva managementa stalnih izboljšav in človeškega kapitala na poslovno odličnost organizacije. Izsledki raziskave kažejo znatno boljše rezultate pri Skupini organizacij 1 (ki vsebuje 59 % PRSPO prijaviteljev, od tega vse finaliste in zmagovalce PRSPO, ki so v raziskavi sodelovali) v primerjavi z drugimi organizacijami. Rezultati naše raziskave so pokazali, da model obstoječega stanja uporabe orodij za stalne izboljšave v slovenskih organizacijah temelji pretežno na vplivih orodij za spremljanje in merjenje kakovosti poslovanja, manjši vpliv pa imajo komponente, povezane z managementom zaposlenih. V doktorski disertaciji smo dokazali, da v organizacijah, kjer načrtno, sistemsko spodbujajo proces stalnih izboljšav in hkrati vlagajo v človeški kapital, dosegajo višjo raven poslovne odličnosti. Zaključki raziskave potrjujejo, da je za doseganje poslovne odličnosti v organizaciji poleg orodij in pristopov za merjenje in spremljanje poslovanja, bistven človek, njegovo edinstveno znanje, ustvarjalnost in potencial, ki s pravim načinom vodenja lahko naredi razliko, ustvari dodano vrednost in tako pripomore k dvigu konkurenčnosti.

The doctoral thesis addresses the fundamental components that lead to the achievement of business excellence in organisations. The main focus and purpose of the research was to show how planned, systematic investment into human capital development and into promoting continuous improvement affects an organisation's…

Advisors/Committee Members: Gomišček, Boštjan.

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V Republiki Sloveniji se vse bolj ukvarjamo z izboljšanjem izobraževalnega procesa oziroma sistema, vendar pa se v današnjih časih pojavljajo afere, ki pa kažejo javnosti in odjemalcem javnih univerz prav nasprotno (opis afer sledi v naslednjih poglavjih). V tem delu smo se ukvarjali z ocenjevanjem poslovne odličnosti javnih univerz v Republiki Sloveniji s pomočjo EFQM modela. Analizirali smo vseh osem področij, ki jih ta model obsega. Odjemalcem teh ustanov smo dali v izpolnjevanje vprašalnik, s katerim smo merili, kakšno je njihovo mnenje o poslovanju slovenskih javnih univerz. S pomočjo analize in sinteze ter s pomočjo EFQM modela smo preučili, na katerem izmed osmih področij so potrebne izboljšave javnih univerz. Glede na pridobljene podatke ugotavljamo, da odjemalci javnih univerz (0,21% celotne populacije študentov in 0,18% populacije delodajalcev) še vedno verjamejo v izpolnjevanje nalog javnih univerz v RS.

In the Republic of Slovenia we are increasingly involved with the improvement of the educational process/system, but scandals are common these days which lead the public to believe the contrary (description in the following chapters). In this thesis we graded professional excellence of public universities in Slovenia with the help of the EFQM model. We analyzed all of the eight areas the model covers. We gave a questionnaire to the clients of these institutions asking them about their opinion on the institutions' operations. Using analysis, synthesis and the EFQM model we studied in which of the areas improvement is needed. According to the collected data the clients of public universities (0,21% of the entire student population and 0,18% of the employers population) still believe the (public) universities are fulfilling their responsibilities.

Advisors/Committee Members: Ivanuša, Teodora.

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The aim of the dissertation is the development of an integrated system of business excellence which can be applied to any environment (geographical sector economical) by adopting Quality Management principles, Systemic Theory and System Dynamics. An impact of the dissertation is the adjustment and exploitation of the proposed system in the Hellenic Economy since there is a substantial need for the creation of the Hellenic Business Excellence model, as this has been clarified by the National Council of Quality for Development of the Hellenic Ministry of Regional Development & Competitiveness. Towards the above aim there are identified the following targets: Firstly, a review of the bibliography to search for: - Philosophical approaches to identify the scope of excellence, - international European and Hellenic trends of business excellence models, - Critical factors etc. Secondly, the development of the proposed system, as far as its elements, characteristics, the functions causing change and its comparison to other similar models or systems. In this view, the adaptation of the system, to the current needs of the Hellenic Industry, is proposed. Emphasis is given in the field of Telecommunications specifying the elements of the proposed system. Thirdly, in the proposed system the statistical correlation of its elements is analyzed by exploiting the Correlation Analysis methodology. A similar methodology, Structured Equation Modeling (SEM) is also referred in cases where the initial data is quite a lot. A methodology for decision making is developed concerning the strengths of excellence which should be prioritized after the assessment of an organization. In addition a simulation is given at the level of the National Business Excellence Model (subsystem of the proposed model) in order to identify the correlations of the variables of the system and justify how the improvement of a given variable can impact on the others. Fourthly, the proposed system is modeled, by the principles of the Systemic Theory and Dynamic Systems, in order to clarify the dynamic features (time, interactions, and culture) and to specify the performance of the system. For this reason, System Dynamics provides useful functions and means to visualize these interactions and an interface between the user and the system so to make possible “what if” tests (software used is iThink 9.1.2 /ISEE).

Σκοπός της διατριβής είναι η ανάπτυξη ενός δυναμικού συστήματος επιχειρηματικής αρίστευσης, το οποίο μπορεί να εφαρμοστεί σε οποιοδήποτε περιβάλλον (γεωγραφικό, κλαδικό, οικονομικό), υιοθετώντας αρχές της Ποιότητας, της Συστημικής Προσέγγισης και των Δυναμικών Συστημάτων. Ως αντίκτυπος της διατριβής είναι η προσαρμογή και αξιοποίηση του προτεινόμενου συστήματος στην Ελληνική οικονομία δεδομένης της ανάγκης για την υιοθέτηση ενός μοντέλου επιχειρηματικής αριστείας, όπως έχει διατυπωθεί και στη σύσταση του Εθνικού Συμβουλίου Ποιότητας για την Ανάπτυξη, του Υπουργείου Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης & Ανταγωνιστικότητας. Για την επίτευξη του ανωτέρου σκοπού ορίζονται ως…

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There is no doubt that Business Excellence Models and Performance Management Frameworks, such as the European Business Excellence Model (EBEM) and their basic characteristics are in the focal point of many studies and applications. The European Business Excellence Model is nowadays a familiar framework, used for a spectrum of purposes, with the most frequent aim from its full deployment being the attainment of organizational success. The EBEM’s requirements, however, involve abstruse management concepts and thus, there is, frequently, a significant variety within the suggested approaches to face the criteria requirements. Although, such integrated business excellence models should not necessarily be of a very prescriptive nature, allowing for deployment latitude among sectors and types of businesses, a more homogeneous understanding of the suggested approaches to the requirements might be a welcome basis by both academics and business professionals. Nevertheless, specific frameworks of suggested approaches for the well known EBEM’s requirements have not, as yet, been made available in the literature. Therefore, through this research a methodological approach is suggested, aiming at higher effectiveness in deploying EBEM’s Criteria. The methodology suggested requires:1.An ongoing refinement of the available literature, effective deployment of the lessons learned from business best practices, thorough explanation and appreciation of the criteria requirements, as well as a business culture for the systematic refinement and adoption of the emerging ‘Areas for Improvement’2.‘Operational-ization’ of EBEM’s requirements, so to have a common understanding among academics and practitioners and to develop specific EBEM’s Criteria implementation pathways3.A thorough explanation and understanding of the RADAR logic, which is the framework used for assessing and evaluating EBEM’s criteria development and implementation / satisfaction4.Recognition of possible gap between academic, sound approach and empirical implementation / satisfaction of EBEM’s requirements, through a survey into Greek and Cypriot Organizations with EFQM Recognition Schemes (three different levels, i.e. Committed to Excellence, Recognized for Excellence, European Quality Award).

Η πιο αποτελεσματική μέτρηση της επίδοσης και απόδοσης, οι παράγοντες που συνηγορούν προς αυτή, και η Επιχειρηματική Αριστεία αποτελούν από τις πιο σύγχρονες συνδυασμένες τάσεις της Διοίκησης Επιχειρήσεων και της ΔΟΠ. Ολοένα και μεγαλύτερο είναι το ενδιαφέρον για τα διαθέσιμα / εφαρμόσιμα Πλαίσια / Μοντέλα Αποτίμησης και αποτελεσματικής προσέγγισης της επιχειρηματικής Επίδοσης και Απόδοσης, τα οποία θα αποτελέσουν την απαρχή μίας περισσότερο μεθοδευμένης προσέγγισης για την επίτευξη και διατήρηση του ανταγωνιστικού πλεονεκτήματος και τελικά την Επιχειρηματική Αριστεία. Ένα από τα πιο γνωστά και πλέον χρησιμοποιούμενα Μοντέλα είναι και το Ευρωπαϊκό Μοντέλο Επιχειρηματικής Αριστείας (ΕΜΕΑ), το οποίο αποτελεί και το αντικείμενο μελέτης της παρούσας έρευνας. Γίνεται, όμως, αντιληπτό ότι…

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O objetivo deste trabalho é avaliar a influência dos critérios do Modelo de Excelência em Gestão® (MEG) no desempenho as micro e pequenas empresas (MPEs) brasileiras e obter informações sobre o estágio atual da gestão nestas empresas, comparando-as ao proposto pelo MEG como gestão classe-mundial. Justifica-se este trabalho pela relevância do uso dos modelos de gestão no mundo corporativo, pelo reconhecimento do MEG como modelo de gestão classe-mundial, também pela importância econômica e social das micro e pequenas empresas no Brasil e pelas lacunas acerca da realidade da adoção dos critérios do MEG nas MPEs brasileiras. Utilizou-se um questionário baseado nos critérios do MEG para coleta de dados (survey), em que se obtiveram 602 questionários respondidos por completo, empregados neste estudo. Para a análise dos resultados, foi adotada a análise fatorial confirmatória como técnica multivariada. Foram definidas e testadas 07 hipóteses a partir dos critérios do MEG (liderança, estratégias e planos, clientes, sociedade, conhecimento e informação, pessoas, processos). Como decorrência, foram confirmadas seis das sete hipóteses e verificado que os critérios, conhecimento e informações, clientes, liderança e pessoas possuem forte influência no desempenho organizacional dos MPEs, enquanto os fatores processos e estratégias e planos possuem influência moderada, sendo também adotados pelas MPEs. Assim, esta pesquisa contribui para o preenchimento da lacuna de trabalhos utilizando pesquisa empírica, com um número grande de MPEs multissetorial e faz a confirmação da importância dos critérios preconizados pelo MEG para o desempenho organizacional nas MPEs brasileiras.

This research aims to evaluate the influence of the criteria of the Management Excellence Model (MEG) in Brazilian small business (SMEs) and get information on the current state of management in these companies, comparing them to that proposed by MEG as world-class management. This work justifies by the relevance of the use of management models in the corporate world, the recognition of MEG as world class management model, also for the economic and social importance of micro and small companies in Brazil and the gaps about the reality of adoption the criteria of MEG in Brazilian SMEs. We used a questionnaire based on the MEG for data collection (survey), in which obtained 602 questionnaires altogether employed in this study. For the analysis of the results, it was adopted confirmatory factor analysis and multivariate technique. Were defined and tested 07 hypotheses from MEG criteria (leadership, strategies and plans, customers, society, information and knowledge, people, processes) and the influences were confirmed in organizational performance factor. As a result, six of the seven cases were confirmed and verified that MEG criteria knowledge and information, customers, leadership and people are adopted by SMEs and have a strong influence on performance, while the processes and strategies and plans factors have moderate influence, and adopted by SMEs. Thus,…

Advisors/Committee Members: Cacsire Barriga, Gladys Dorotea [UNESP], Salgado, Manoel Henrique [UNESP], Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP).