Achieving Sustainable Performance Through TQM and Market Orientation: A Proposed Framework for Empirical Investigations

Dr. Idris Ashari, Associate of The European Centre for TQM

and

Professor Mohamed Zairi, Juran Chair in TQM, European Centre for TQM. University of Bradford. UK

Abstract

TQM and market orientation as strategic initiatives have been associated to improved organisational effectiveness and financial performance. However, each orientation is often discussed as a separate discipline in the literature. This paper integrates these orientations into a conceptual model of coherence business practises. It highlights the critical components of the model in relation to firms’ efforts to sustain high performance through delivering superior customer value for the end customers - the basis for sustainable performance. An empirical investigation is proposed to operationalise this market-based quality orientation.

Key Words: Sustainable performance, market orientation, Customer Value Chain, TQM, Performance, Competitiveness