Does soft and hard TQM practices impact operational performance? A conceptual model

Abstract

The current paper aims to develop a conceptual model for examining total quality management (TQM) (Soft and Hard practices) and their effect on operational performance. The TQM philosophy and Recourses Based View theory (RBV) provide starting points for developing the conceptual model. Based on the systematic literature review, two main groups of TQM practices, namely, soft and hard, were identified and connected to operational performance. The TQM model concerning soft and hard practices was assessed against operational performance. The in-depth discussion we made on using different aspects of soft/hard TQM should be retained or revised. This literature suggested that TQM must be practiced with a clear sense of the impact on operational performance. The paper has some essential discoveries since it is appropriate for management to invest effort and time in analyzing the effect of soft/hard TQM practices implementation on operational performance. Moreover, the conceptual model provides an insightful platform for assessing the impact of TQM practices on operational performance.