مدل معادلات ساختاری مدیریت کیفیت زنجیره تامین و عملکرد سازمانی

In this paper, we identify through the use of empirical data collected from Taiwan and Hong Kong, the factors that influence supply chain quality management. The data was collected from practicing managers. The findings for the two sets of data were consistent. The data showed that Quality Management (QM) practices are significantly correlated with the supplier participation strategy and this influences tangible business results, and customer satisfaction levels. The data also showed that QM practices are significantly correlated with the supplier selection strategy. The empirical results presented could be used to improve the management of supply chain networks in the economies studied.

There is a growing attention on global supply chain management. Supply chain management is a holistic and a strategic approach to demand, operations, procurement, and logistics process management (Kuei et al., 2002). Cross-country activities are normal and to be expected. These activities are often influenced by a supply chain's social and technical components. Traditionally, the focus of supply chains was on specific functionalities such as purchasing, manufacturing, and shipping to support logistics operations. The competitive environment of the 21th century requires the delivery of cost, efficiency, high service levels, rapid response, and high quality of products and services. The effective management of technology and quality is the key to increased quality and enhanced competitive position in today's global environment. Kuei et al. (2002) suggest that supply chain quality management should be distinguished from supply chain technology management. The former deals with the social components of the supply chain while the latter addresses concerns of technical systems in managing supply chains. Of interest in this study is the influence of competitive factors in supply chain quality management. Supply chain quality is a key component in achieving competitive advantage. Kuei and Madu (2001) defined supply chain quality management (SCQM) with three simple equations where each equation represents the letters that make up SCQM. The definition is as follows: • SC=a production–distribution network; • Q=meeting market demands correctly, and achieving customer satisfaction rapidly and profitably; and • M=enabling conditions and enhancing trust for supply chain quality. Although there has been a trend towards SCQM, the essential features that lead to achieving it have not been fully explored. A conceptual framework is developed in this study to postulate causal links between SCQM and organizational performance. This enables the use of statistical models to evaluate and identify SCQM factors or activities that may influence organizational performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques are used to test the framework. Implications for successful SCQM are derived from the statistical applications.

There are some important conclusions that can be drawn from this study. First, the results showed that key QM practices could be integrated in the supplier participation programs to provide needed collaboration, which in turn would result in improved organizational performance. This finding supports the view that SCQM programs should include traditional QM practices with special attention paid to operational items. In other words, the SCQM process incorporates not just the participation of suppliers but also, the relevant TQM practices in their environment. Second, organizational performance can be optimized when the organization considers its suppliers as important trading partners and members of the value chain. Third, quality also continues to be an important attribute in any relationship between the company and its suppliers. In summary, these results are noteworthy in that similar outcomes were obtained with two independent data sets collected from two different regions. The outcomes could provide a valuable guide in the practice of global SCQM. Our intent is to see how global supply chain factors react to different environmental settings. It appears, based on this study, that the demand for SCQM is the same irrespective of the environment. However, more research is needed before this conclusion can be generalized to other countries or regions.