Robin Mann

Centre for Organisational Excellence Research

Purpose The aim of the study is to identify best practices from Business Excellence (BE) award-winning organizations on the use of their BE self-assessment (internal assessment) and third-party assessment (external assessment including BE award assessments) for organizational improvement. Design/methodology/approach An explanatory sequential mixed...

Purpose The purpose of this study is to address a critical gap in the existing literature on business excellence implementation. While various studies have examined different aspects of business excellence, there is still a lack of comprehensive research on the optimal organizational excellence architecture (OEA) for an award-winning business excel...

This research was undertaken to investigate how Business Excellence (BE) Custodians (BECs) within a country or region, promote BE. A review of the literature revealed a gap in the understanding of how BECs promote BE and that there is limited data on the popularity of BE worldwide. To address these issues a survey and structured interview was desig...

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how business excellence (BE) custodians (BECs) design, develop and modify their BE frameworks (BEF’s) and to provide a general framework for reviewing BEFs. The design process is important to understand as these BEFs are used to help organisations understand the components of BE to guide them towards world-cla...

Investigates the strengths and opportunities for improvement (OFIs) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) Baldrige Performance Excellence Program (BPEP) in relation to designing a Business Excellence Framework (BEF) and deploying it within the United States. The deployment includes promoting the BEF, facilitating its use,...

The book describes 10 case studies from the Dubai Government where benchmarking was used to improve performance. The benchmarking methodology used was the TRADE Best Practice Benchmarking Methodology.

This paper presents a bibliometric and thematic review of journal papers specifically related to BE frameworks (BEFs) that are used for national BE awards and advocated by the Global Excellence Model (GEM) Council. The paper will help researchers and practitioners locate relevant BE data and information more easily, and guide them on which journals...

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the mechanisms for managing coordinated benchmarking projects and the outcomes achieved from such coordination. While there have been many independent benchmarking studies comparing the practices and performance of public sector organisations, there has been little research on initiatives that involve coordina...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a benchmarking project carried out by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) as part of a structured benchmarking initiative. The project was based on the TRADE benchmarking methodology and this paper examines the tools, activities and outcomes that relate to each stage of the adopted m...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the activities of the Asian Productivity Organisation (APO). The study identifies the various roles and activities of the APO and evaluates how well it performs in these roles. The study also investigates the impacts of the APO on the productivity initiatives of National Productivity Organisations...

This book is one of a few that presents actual case studies showing how benchmarking projects have been undertaken and the results achieved. It presents a summary of the Excellence Makers Program which is one part of the Dubai Government Excellence Program's Dubai We Learn Initiative. The Excellence Makers Program runs on a one year cycle offering...

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 descr...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of how organisations successfully deploy business excellence (BE) by comparing the tools and strategies implemented by organisations at different levels of BE maturity. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a combination of a questionnaire, discussion groups and interviews...

This guidebook on Business Excellence Models and Awards for the Public Sector has been developed through workshops organized by the Asian Productivity Organization’s (APO) Centre for Excellence for business excellence. This guidebook aims to assist national productivity organizations (NPOs) that are: • Considering whether to introduce a business ex...

The aim of this study was to investigate the different tools and techniques used by organizations at different levels of business excellence (BE) maturity. Organizations across the five Asian countries of China, India, Japan, Singapore and Thailand participated in a survey, discussion groups and interviews. The results suggest that organizations wi...

Research (COER) and Co-Founder of BPIR.com Limited explains the past, present and future of benchmarking. This article provides an overview of how benchmarking has evolved over time, and its growing importance. It includes a description of the different types of benchmarking, success stories and services available to support benchmarking endeavours...

This study explores the use of improvement tools between public and private sector and manufacturing and service organizations. In total 453 organizations across 8 different countries responded to a questionnaire with the data being analyzed through use of the IBM SPSS Statistics software package. The results revealed a number of differences betwee...

This paper investigates the awareness, use and effectiveness of improvement initiatives in organisations of different sizes and in different countries. In particular, comparisons are made between large firms and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), between organisations in the developing and developed worlds and between organisations in China and I...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness, usage, perceived effectiveness and potential future use of improvement tools and techniques via two sets of comparisons: between public and private sector organisations, and between manufacturers and service organisations. The need for the study was driven by the current lack of understand...

Business Excellence Models (BEMs) are used by organisations to assess and improve their work practices and performance. The authors’ research identified that there are currently 94 national Quality/Business Excellence (BE) Awards used in 83 countries. While the use of BEMs is widespread, it was identified that many organisations wanted guidance in...

The primary objective of this research was to investigate the use of business excellence (BE) in Asian organisations. The study examines the drivers of implementation of BE, levels of awareness of BE in Asian organisations as well as the impact of its adoption. A questionnaire survey of 74 organisations in five Asian countries was carried out and,...

This paper explores the use of Business excellence (BE) within Asian organisations. The paper observes the relative effectiveness of BE in Asian organisations as well as the organisations' attitudes towards BE awards. 74 organisations from five Asian countries were surveyed and 21 discussion groups were also conducted in all five countries. 13 inte...

Purpose The purpose of this research is to investigate the use of business excellence in Asian organisations. The study examines the effectiveness of business excellence in the organisations that adopt it as well as the approaches used to deploy business excellence. Finally, the study investigates the attitudes of organisations with respect to busi...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test empirically two key measurement perspectives – measurements in the context of a theoretical model that predicts/explains results, and measurements in the context of generating an overall score on performance excellence – of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence (BCPE) using data from Austral...

This report shows the key findings and actions that resulted from a research project to identify the value and impact of business excellence frameworks (also known as quality award frameworks). The research aimed to identify the relevance of business excellence for long-term competitiveness and sustainability in Asia, and to determine what, if any,...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use survey data collected from 453 respondents, from over 40 countries, to determine the current levels of use of benchmarking as an improvement technique. It identifies where and how benchmarking is implemented within organisations and compares the popularity of benchmarking against other improvement tools....

There is a myriad of improvement initiatives that can be used to continually improve an organisation's performance. `Improvement initiatives' refers herein to approaches, systems, tools and/or techniques and include, for example: Six Sigma, Lean, Business Process Reengineering, ISO9001, Balanced Scorecard or benchmarking. Unfortunately, there is a...

This study, conducted by the Global Benchmarking Network, identified the current and future trend of business improvement tool use and clarified the critical success factors for benchmarking. More than 450 responses from 44 countries were collected.

SME present unique challenges to canonical Quality Management practices since they have distinct characteristics which distinguish them from large businesses. Being resource constrained by nature, they usually can not invest in formal certifications and establishment of Quality Management systems. Particularly, the performance and business practice...

The validity of three key Business Excellence (BE) models used in the Asia Pacific Region – the Australian Business Excellence Framework (ABEF), the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence (BCPE), and the Singapore Quality Award Criteria (SQAC) – was studied based on data (item scores) of past applicants of national quality/BE awards. This stu...

This paper examines the field of strategy deployment in relation to its connection with quality management. It surveys literature from the two fields to strengthen the validity of a framework for implementing strategic initiatives in a business excellence (quality management) environment. The framework of seven constructs, which emerged from an emp...

This paper shares findings from a major study focusing on how Business Excellence Frameworks (BEFs) are designed, reviewed, promoted and deployed within and across nations. This paper presents a general overview of the study. The project was commissioned and funded by SAI Global, the present custodians of the Australian Business Excellence Framewor...

Purpose Recent operations management research suggests that adopting and implementing the right practices are essential to attaining “world‐class” performance. The purpose of this paper is to report the leading operations management practices and the strategy deployment framework that emerged from a qualitative study that addressed the question of...

Purpose To examine the processes used by custodians of business excellence frameworks (BEFs) internationally to review and revise their frameworks, and to present the findings of a review of the design of the Australian business excellence framework (ABEF). Design/methodology/approach A literature review, three surveys, and a series of focus group...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the international use of business excellence (BE) models and the practices used by BE framework (BEF) custodians to encourage use. Design/methodology/approach A literature review, three surveys, a series of focus groups and key informant interviews were conducted. The study involved input from 16 cou...

To celebrate the 70th birthday and achievements of Professor Gopal Kanji, the author revisits the state of TQM at the time Gopal founded the Total Quality Management & Business Excellence journal in 1990. The author provides a commentary on the quality movement of this period, and shares findings from his doctoral research project into TQM, which w...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically assess the validity of Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence (CPE) for New Zealand organisations and to identify methodological gaps. Design/methodology/approach By means of data collected from a sample of 91 New Zealand organisations, through a self‐assessment instrument (as a proxy for t...

Purpose This paper aims to share findings from a major international study, focusing on how custodians of business excellence (BE) frameworks promote and create awareness of frameworks at the national level. Design/methodology/approach The project was commissioned by the present custodians of the Australian Business Excellence Framework (ABEF), wi...

Purpose: To examine the sustainability of benchmarking networks in order to analyse challenges faced with respect to their management. Methodology: Case studies of three benchmarking networks in the UK and New Zealand were carried out. The three networks had experienced differing degrees of success with respect to long-term sustainability. The case...

Managers and Human Resource professionals are constantly seeking answers to the issue of how best to reward and recognize (R&R) the innovations and achievements of their employees. Whilst there is a raft of international information the need for New Zealand-based research and answers has been identified. The focus of this study is on current activi...

This article shares selected findings from a major international study focusing on how business excellence (BE) awards are administered across nations. In this article, the authors present findings related to the recognition and awards process, namely the BE awards themselves. The methodology they used consisted of a literature review, three survey...

The report presents some of the most commonly used techniques for each of the six Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence (CPE) enabler categories. Examples are given of tools, measures and competencies for each of the techniques and they are linked to CPE scoring bands where this is valid. By understanding the scope and limits of the techniqu...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how managers from a network of organisations formed and operated as a team to work on a benchmarking project. The project had the dual purpose of enabling learning for the participants, and identifying leading practices in strategy deployment. Design/methodology/approach The participants were manage...

Purpose This paper aims: to provide practical insights into how organisations can become more customer‐focussed; to share with researchers and organisations a framework that can be used to research “customer focus culture” and assess an organisation's level of customer focus; to describe how New Zealand's first consortium approach to benchmarking w...

1 SUMMARY 1.1 General This publication presents findings from a study aimed at determining organisational best practices in relation to obtaining employee ‘buy-in’ when implementing quality systems. In carrying out the study, a survey was undertaken of 82 organisations throughout New Zealand, and four best practice companies were selected from the...

Purpose The New Zealand Benchmarking Club (NZBC), a multi‐organisational network, aimed to improve the performance of member organisations through best practice benchmarking. The purpose of this paper is to critique the NZBC self‐assessment process, report the scores for self‐assessments from 2000‐2002, and present an analysis of the 2001 self‐asse...

This paper describes an innovative approach to fast–tracking a group of organizations towards world-class performance. The New Zealand Benchmarking Club, formed in May 2000, currently comprises 18 organizations that are striving to achieve an ambitious vision of ‘World- class performance by members and widespread adoption of excellent business prac...

This paper describes recent developments in organisational performance measurement and improvement, and the New Zealand response to these developments. The paper begins by providing an overview of the movement towards business excellence and benchmarking, and summarises the research evidence showing that the Baldrige framework has considerable vali...

Describes the aims, reasons for development, key features, and uniqueness of an online benchmarking and performance improvement resource. The paper begins by describing the historical context within which the Web site has been developed. It describes the growth in the use of business excellence, benchmarking and performance measurement, and how the...

The ability to forecast consumer demand accurately is of great importance to companies in the consumer market. The food industry, in particular, views consumer availability as the cornerstone of their business. However, many companies concede that their forecasting process does not perform as well as they would wish. A group of forecasting and dema...

Presents an innovative approach used by one company to integrate its ISO 9000-certified management system with a recognised TQM framework (the Baldrige model). The company concerned developed its ISO 9000 system to address all elements of the Baldrige criteria. Of particular note is its process improvement approach that prioritises improvement proj...

In June 1996, Leatherhead Food Research Association launched the “Food and Drinks Industry Benchmarking and Self-Assessment Initiative” with the support of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. As part of this initiative, nine food companies that excel in terms of the European Business Excellence...

The findings of a study investigating the performance of the UK food and drinks industry against the European Business Excellence Model are presented. The study involved 50 food companies assessing themselves (by questionnaire) against the nine criteria of the model. The major finding of the study was that, on average, food and drinks companies hav...

In June 1996, Leatherhead Food Research Association launched the “Food and Drinks Industry Benchmarking and Self-Assessment Initiative” with the support of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. As part of this initiative, nine food companies that excel in terms of the European Business Excellence...

The importance of tailoring TQM to the specific needs of organizations is well known. Shows the findings of a research programme that investigated which organizational factors are important to consider when implementing TQM. Questionnaires and structured interviews, involving the participation of over 200 companies, were used as the main tools for...

Research was undertaken on the effects of quality improvement activities on business performance. The investigation began by developing a classification system to ensure all business performance benefits (tangible and intangible) were included for analysis. Questionnaires and structured interviews, involving the participation of over 200 companies,...

There are numerous quality improvement initiatives that can be used by organisations to improve quality, productivity and sustainability towards achieving excellence, such as Six Sigma, Lean, Business Process Reengineering, ISO9000, and Benchmarking. Nevertheless, in reality, no single initiative can solve all problems effectively in the organisati...

This paper describes the development of a web-based resource (www.BPIR.com) designed to facilitate organisational improvement by providing quick access to a range of benchmarking information, including tools, measures, and best practice case studies. The paper discusses the role of the resource in the context of knowledge management (KM) theory. Th...

Executive Summary • Benchmarking is much more than a comparison of performance. • Benchmarking focuses on learning from the experience of others and can be defined as "identifying, adapting, and implementing the practices that produce the best performance results." • Benchmarking is a powerful method for breakthrough thinking, innovation, and impro...