The effects of soft total quality management on the sustainable development of SMEs

Bibliographic Data

ID12306368
AuthorsKari Lepistö (0000-0003-2448-1403, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management LUT University Lahti Finland), Minna Saunila (0000-0001-8952-6102, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management LUT University Lahti Finland, corresponding author), Juhani Ukko (0000-0002-9256-1555, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management LUT University Lahti Finland)
Year2023
Volume31
Issue4
Pages2797-2813
Publication date2023-03-20
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSustainable Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0968-0802 • E-ISSN: 1099-1719
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/sd.2548
OpenAlexW4327967085
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited81

This study investigates the soft total quality management (soft TQM) dimensions that affect the environmental and social sustainability of Finnish small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), considering the company‘s business, size, and possible certificates as control variables. Sustainable business has been found to be key to the success of companies, so investing in it is essential for companies. With the help of extensive literature research, the TQM dimensions covering the entire business activity were determined, from which detailed issues were identified. To ascertain the level of implementation of detailed issues, the survey was constructed and sent to 6889 randomly selected CEOs in autumn 2020. A total of 271 responses were received. Based on prior literature and studies, 10 hypotheses were proposed. The collected data were analyzed using regression analysis. The results reveal that two practices—business management systems and human resources (HR) practices—were related to environmental sustainability, while only business management system was related to social sustainability. None of the control variables affected environmental sustainability; however, the industrial sector influenced social sustainability. The study presents recommendations for company managers and the government to support sustainable development, especially in Finnish SMEs. As a practical contribution, the study demonstrates the importance of designing and implementing business management systems for enhanced sustainability. Management should also appreciate that sustainability will not automatically be set at a high level upon certification; thus, the performance of operations and processes should be monitored

Business · Certification · Control (management · Economics · Environmental economics · Environmental resource management · Government (linguistics · Management · Process management · Quality (philosophy · Quality management · Quality management system · Sustainability · Sustainable Business · Total quality management · Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Sustainable Supply Chain Management · Marketing

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Open DOIOpen Access