Mid Sweden University

Purpose

Adapting to continuously changing environments is a challenge facing todays organisations (Fundin et al., 2018). A way to meet this challenge is by working systematically with Quality Management (QM) e.g., having a focus on the customer, empowering the co-workers, and having a committed leadership (Mohammad and Rad, 2006). The culture within an organization is pointed out as a crucial factor as the organization’s existing culture could hinder or help QM implementation (ibid). According to Ingelsson et al. (2018) the culture that needs to be created should promote a more holistic view on the organization and society as well as continuous work with improvements. Moreover, due to the demanding and complex nature of today’s organisations working in teams becomes more relevant than ever as working in teams makes both co-workers and organizations more effective, flexible, and adaptable for solving complex problems (Kozlowski and Ilgen, 2006).

Leaders, and management teams, influences both the organisation’s culture and teams and team performance. According to Schein and Schein (2016), creating, developing, and maintaining an organisational culture is the main task for leaders as their behaviours and attitudes have a great impact on the culture. The same goes for team effectiveness and performance where the leadership is an important element (Colbert et al., 2014). However, working systematically with the culture in an organization is not an easy undertaking (Ingelsson et al., 2018; Sten et al., 2021) and in order to know what to do there is a need to find out where we are, i.e. assessing and monitoring the culture (Bäckström et. al., 2016).  

In QM research the purpose is often to create value for both organizations and the research community and one research approach aiming at achieving this in cooperation is interactive research. Two basic ideas for interactive research identified by Ellström (2008) are: 1) the triple task of interactive research; contribute to practical results, create scientific knowledge, and develop the competencies of the involved parties, and 2) creation of knowledge by co-operation between practitioners and researchers. He proposes a model in an attempt to describe the interactive part of the research process as “a two-way flow of problems and knowledge between research and practice” (Ellström, 2008, p. 6).

The purpose of this paper is to present the design of an interactive research project aiming at changing the culture through the development of teams and teamwork. The purpose is also to present the result from the baseline measurement of quality culture and teamwork. 

Method

The presented research project is a collaboration between a municipality and the university with the purpose to develop and improve team-based ways of working and methods to create functional teams and a sustainable quality culture. The participants from the organisation are co-workers from two departments with assumed different cultures and the management team heading both departments. The intention is to develop an interactive project design that it will be developing the management team in parallel and in cooperation with the co-workers. 

To assess the quality culture, a previously developed and tested questionnaire will be used on both co-workers and leaders and to assess the level of teamwork additional factors will be developed and tested based on previous research (see e.g., Sten et al., 2023). The result from the questionnaire will be analysed using SPSS to examine the baseline as well as any differences or similarities between the groups. 

Findings

The first assessment of quality culture and teamwork both from co-workers and the management team will be carried out and analysed during the first quarter and presented in the full paper, as will the generic research process developed in the beginning of the project. The model is inspired by Ellström’s (2008) model of “Knowledge Creation Through Interactive Research” but also incorporates the challenge of working with both co-workers and leaders in parallel.

Relevance/contribution

The use of interactive model, such as the one developed and used in this project, can benefit both the research community as well as practice as a way to actively co-create and build culture and develop teamwork in an organization.

Developing ways of working with teamwork in management teams in parallel with co-workers organization can accelerate the work with building a sustainable quality culture. 

References

Bäckström, I., & Ingelsson, P. (2016). Measuring appreciative inquiry, lean and perceived co-worker health. Quality Innovation Prosperity, 20(2), 105-118.

Colbert, A.E., Barrick, M.R. and Bradley, B.H. (2014), “Personality and leadership composition in top management teams: implications for organizational effectiveness”, Personnel Psychology, Vol. 67, pp. 351-387

Ellström, P.-E. (2008). “Knowledge creation through interactive research: a learning approach”, The European Conference on Educational Research, Gothenburg, September 10–12.

Fundin, A., Bergquist, B., Eriksson, H. and Gremyr, I. (2018), “Challenges and propositions for research in quality management”, International Journal of Production Economics, Vol. 199, pp. 125-137

Ingelsson, P., Bäckström, I., and Snyder, K. (2018), “Strengthening quality culture in private sector and health care.” Leadership in health services, 31(3), pp. 276-292.

Kozlowski, S.W.J. and Ilgen, D.R. (2006), “Enhancing the effectiveness of work groups and teams”, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 77-124,

Mohammad, A. and Rad, M. (2006), “The impact of organizational culture on the successful implementation of total quality management”, The TQM Magazine, Vol. 18, No. 6, pp. 606-625.

Schein, E.H. and Schein, P. (2016), Organizational Culture and Leadership, 5th ed., Wiley, NJ.

Sten, L. M., Ingelsson, P., Bäckström, I., and Häggström, M. (2021), “The development of a measurement instrument focusing on team collaboration in patient transfer processes”. International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 45-62.

Sten, L. M., Ingelsson, P., and Häggström, M. (2023), “The development of a methodology for assessing teamwork and sustainable quality culture, focusing on top management teams”. The TQM Journal, Vol. 35, No. 9, pp. 152-172.

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how leaders can develop value-based leadership for sustainable quality development in Lean manufacturing.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative meta-analysis was conducted using data from a three-year study of Lean manufacturing in Sweden using the Shingo business excellence model as an analytical framework.

Findings

This study demonstrates that leaders can develop value-based leadership to support Lean manufacturing by defining and articulating the organization’s values and accompanying behaviors that are needed to support the strategic direction; creating forums and time for leaders to identify the why behind decisions and reflect on their experiences to be able to lead a transformative process; and using storytelling to create a coaching culture to connect values and behaviors, to the processes and systems of work.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes insights for developing value-based leadership to support a systemic approach to sustainable quality development in lean manufacturing. Findings are based on a limited case sample size of three manufacturing companies in Sweden.

Originality/value

The findings were derived using a unique methodological approach combining storytelling, appreciative inquiry and coaching with traditional data collection methods including surveys and interviews to identify, define and shape value-based leadership in Lean manufacturing.

The purpose of this paper was to explore the concept of emotional commitment and its relationship to real teamwork and quality culture. Results from a literature review showed that most of the reviewed articles had quantitative design, were produced during the last ten years and that the concept of commitment was described in various ways. Research indicated a relationship between emotional (affective) commitment and real teamwork and quality culture. However, qualitative, and empirical research is needed. Such research could deepen knowledge about different types of commitment and their relationships to real teamwork and quality culture, aiming to achieve organizational success. 

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the perception of real teamwork and sustainable quality culture as well as success factors for achieving a sustainable quality culture within an organisation, focusing on top management teams (TMTs). An additional purpose is to explore the relationship between real teamwork and sustainable quality culture. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-methods design focusing on TMTs was used. Four TMTs were open-sampled and located in different parts of Sweden. The data were collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions between April 2022 and December 2022. Follow-up meetings were thereafter held with the participants. A meta-analysis was conducted of the data from the four TMTs. Findings: Two overarching conclusions of this study were: to follow the developed methodology can be one way to increase TMTs' abilities for real teamwork alongside a sustainable quality culture, and the results also showed the importance of a systems view, emotional commitment and continuous improvement for improving real teamwork and creating a sustainable quality culture. Practical implications: Practical implications were suggestions on how to increase the TMTs' abilities for real teamwork alongside a sustainable quality culture. A deepened understanding of real teamwork and a sustainable quality culture was also achieved by the participants. Originality/value: The novelty of this paper is the use of a new methodology for assessing teamwork and sustainable quality culture. To the authors' knowledge, no similar research has previously been performed to investigate teamwork alongside a sustainable quality culture, focusing on TMTs. 

There are challenges faced by many countries around the world related to an increasing number of elderly people and a shortage of health care personnel. The purpose of this paper was to explore the extent to which the magnet model and core values of TQM offer complementary perspectives with the intention of providing a good working environment for health care professionals and better quality of care for elderly people. The magnetic forces were analysed versus the core values/cornerstones of TQM. The results show similarities that reinforce the quality of care and a good working environment for health care professionals.

Förstudien tog sin utgångspunkt i utmaningen att kunna utvärdera (mäta och förstå) effektiv verksamhet i de kommunala bolagen. Förutom att en effektiv verksamhet är viktig för bolagskoncernen själv, så ställer kommunallagen, aktiebolagslagen och årsredovisningslagen på olika sätt också det kravet på organisationen. Planen för förstudien var att utveckla och testa en modell som beskriver och utvärderar effektiviteten i ett kommunalt koncernbolag.

En gemensam definition av effektiv verksamhet har tagits fram genom delaktighet från både koncernövergripande nivå och på djupare nivå inom pilotbolaget Miljö och Vatten i Örnsköldsvik AB (Miva). Även förutsättningar för en effektiv verksamhet har identifierats genom att fokusera på framgångsfaktorer. Detta gjordes genom ett antal workshops med representanter från koncern- och bolagsledningar, samt medarbetare hos Miva.

I arbetet med att ta fram en modell har tidigare forskning, behov från Örnsköldsviks bolagskoncern och behov från piloten Miva beaktats. De utgångspunkter som beaktats är systemtänkande/tillitsbaserad styrning och ledning, att modellen ska omfatta hela verksamhetsuppdraget samt synliggöra kopplingen mellan målstyrning och processtyrning.

Ett utkast på modell för utvärdering av effektiv verksamhet har tagits fram, som behöver testas och utvärderas innan ett beslut om införande i koncernen kan tas. Många värdefulla resultat, lärdomar och insikter har vunnits under resan vilka legat till grund för förslagen utvärderingsmodell och idéer till fortsatt arbete.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore existing and desired methodologies for systematic quality work to promote quality in preschools from the principal’s perspective. Design/methodology/approach: A collaborative approach was used in this research project, and principals were asked to complete portfolio assignments. Their answers to those portfolio assignments were analysed by the research team and subsequently compared to total quality management values. Findings: Existing and desired methodologies for systematic quality work are presented and sorted into 13 and 17 groups, respectively. The principals desire four times more methodologies than they are presently using to promote systematic quality work, and the results show that they must extend their methodologies to support TQM values. Research limitations/implications: This research is based on answers collected from 18 principals in one municipality in Sweden. Practical implications: The use of the cornerstone model provides a framework to illustrate the application of TQM in preschools. Originality/value: Principals struggle to find time for systemic quality work. The presented results can be used to work systematically with quality in preschools and other organizations. 

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to develop a model describing different factors that affect quality andefficiency in transitional care.

Design/methodology/approach – A meta-synthesis focusing on the transitions between wards wasconducted within a research project. The results from eight studies within that research project have beencombined and analysed from a holistic view.

Findings – The findings are a model with a description of seven different categories consisting of the identifiedfactors affecting quality and efficiency in transitional care. Those categories are (1) learning organisation,(2) standardising and structuring, (3) applying a holistic view, (4) understanding organisational culture in ahealth care context, (5) management and leadership, (6) for whom value is created and (7) working together. The results from the study have been verified in previous research.

Research limitations/implications – The result of the completed meta-synthesis is based on studiesconducted at two medium-sized hospitals in Sweden. The developed model can be used in a similar context toimprove quality and efficiency in patient transfers by management and employees working based on thevarious factors.

Originality/value – This model describes factors (success factors, prerequisites, conditions and lack thereof) affecting the ability to achieve quality and efficiency in transitional care that can be used in future research aswell as for practical improvements.