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- Service Quality Strategy: Implementation in Algarve HotelsPublication . Candido, CarlosThis chapter addresses the problem of service quality strategy implementation and undertakes a tentative validation of three models. The first focuses on service quality, as a function of quality gaps, while the second and third ones examine strategy implementation. The models aim to help to explain how to implement a service quality strategy that simultaneously avoids quality gaps and resistance to change. Sample data has been collected through questionnaires distributed within the population of four- and five-star hotels of the Algarve, Portugal. Descriptive statistics and statistical tests do not provide evidence against the models and thus support their validity, but raise concerns about some possible inconsistent management practices during the implementation of a quality strategy.
- A importância da avaliação da qualidade percebida em radiologia e o impacto dos fatores sociodemográficos num hospital público portuguêsPublication . Tinoco, Paulo; Candido, Carlos; Feliciano, Isabel Maria Pereira LuísContexto: A avaliação da qualidade percebida é uma peça fundamental para a gestão da qualidade em saúde. Este estudo recorre ao SERVQUAL para avaliar a qualidade percebida pelos utentes da radiologia de um hospital público português e o impacto que os fatores sociodemográficos exercem sobre a mesma. A radiologia do hospital não possuía uma avaliação recente da qualidade, nem conhecia o impacto dos fatores sociodemográficos. Também não existem estudos com aplicação do SERVQUAL em radiologia e os resultados de estudos existentes sobre o impacto dos fatores sociodemográficos na qualidade percebida são controversos. Objetivos: Avaliar (1) a qualidade percebida pelos utentes, (2) a relação entre a qualidade percebida e os fatores sociodemográficos dos utentes, (3) a relação entre a qualidade percebida e estado de saúde subjetivo dos utentes e (4) a relação entre a qualidade percebida e a qualidade da informação recebida pelos utentes. Materiais e métodos: Estudo quantitativo e transversal tendo como instrumento de recolha de dados uma versão modificada do SERVQUAL. Resultados: Os resultados obtidos mostraram que os índices da qualidade percebida dos utentes da radiologia são apenas correlacionados com o grau de escolaridade e com a qualidade da informação recebida. Conclusão: Os resultados sugerem que os utentes esperam mais da radiologia, uma vez que as suas perceções da qualidade do serviço não atingem o nível das expetativas. Os resultados sugerem também uma influência positiva significativa da qualidade da informação recebida sobre a qualidade percebida do serviço e uma influencia negativa significativa da escolaridade sobre a qualidade percebida. Os resultados sugerem ainda que monitorizar a qualidade do serviço percebido pelos utentes permitiria não só planear estratégias precisas de intervenção de alta efetividade no departamento de radiologia, como também monitorizar a resposta a essas ações, trazendo deste modo benefícios para a melhoria da qualidade dos cuidados prestados.
- Firm preparation for ISO 9001 certification: the case of the hotel industry in PortugalPublication . Esgarrancho, Sandra; Candido, CarlosThe purpose of this study is to assess whether companies conduct preparations, such as managing culture, before starting to implement an ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS). Based on a literature review, the paper develops a model of firm preparation for ISO 9001 certification and several research hypotheses. The survey research method adopted consists of data collection through questionnaires – sent to hotels of four and five stars, in Portugal, in two different moments (2012 and 2014) – and of a longitudinal data analysis based on non-parametric statistical tests. Results show that the majority of companies conduct preparations before starting to implement an ISO 9001 QMS. However, most companies do not assess their initial situation, nor do they plan for the preparations. One of the significant implications from this research is that a more coherent and integrated approach in ISO 9001 preparation is required. Other implications for practice and for research are also noted. This is the first study, as far as the authors are aware of, that addresses the topic of planning for the preparations that a company can make before starting to implement an ISO 9001 QMS.
- Implementation obstacles and strategy implementation failurePublication . Candido, Carlos; Santos, SérgioPurpose – The paper addresses the following question: How do strategy implementation obstacles relate to each other and affect strategy implementation? Method – The research methodology is qualitative and based on an extensive review of the literature and on an in-depth case study analysis. Findings – This paper draws two main conclusions. The first is that the many obstacles that impact the strategy implementation process can interact and be strongly interrelated in dynamic and complex manners. The second is that obstacles can lead to and reinforce other obstacles, eventually forming long chains of blockages. Originality – Strategy implementation remains a difficult task with improbable success. This paper provides a contribution to an explanation on why so many strategy implementation efforts fail. It is one of the very few papers addressing the issue of the relationships between strategy implementation obstacles.
- Determinants of expected performance after ISO 9001 certification withdrawalPublication . Candido, Carlos; Ferreira, Luís M. F. R.ISO 9001 certification impact on firm performance has been extensively researched. However, despite the high number of firms withdrawing from this certification, the impact of decertification has not received much research attention. This study contributes to filling this gap by analysing the factors that influence the expected performance after decertification (EPAD). The study reviews relevant literature and develops a structural equation model (PLS-SEM) with data from 231 certified organisations. Results reveal that the main factors influencing EPAD are external decertification motivations and internal certification benefits. Internal benefits have a U-shaped relationship with EPAD and external decertification motivations a positive linear relationship. Results show also a negative direct impact of external benefits on EPAD, which is counterbalanced and cancelled by a positive indirect impact from the same variable. Certification barriers and internal decertification motivations have no significant effect. This study is the first to identify and analyse the factors affecting EPAD and, as such, the study findings constitute innovative contributions to the literature. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for (1) the estimation of EPAD, (2) the decision to renew (or not) the certificate, and (3) further suggest that EPAD is a better predictor of decertification than past certification benefits.
- Why firms lose their ISO 9001 certification: evidence from PortugalPublication . Candido, Carlos; Coelho, Luís; Peixinho, RúbenMore than one million certified companies must choose, every three years, whether to renew or to withdraw from ISO 9001 certification. This paper investigates whether ISO 9001 decertification decision is driven by economic motivations. Using standard event-study methods, the paper looks into this question by comparing the abnormal performance of a sample of Portuguese firms that lose their certification with that of similar, non-event, firms. The paper finds no statistically significant differences in the economic performance of these two sets of firms in their post-ISO certification period. Such evidence suggests that economic underperformance is not the reason why companies are ISO decertifying and further suggests that the decision to decertify is economically irrelevant. The study advances possible explanations for this (ir)relevancy and puts forwards implications for theory and for the ISO 9001 governance system. The governance system must change in order to increase the economic benefits that organisations can expect to gain from ISO (re)certification. This is the first study assessing the impact of ISO 9001 certification on firms that subsequently lost the certificate.