Key Learning Points
The study conducted by the group of researchers was aimed at investigating the issues of the business excellence model and its application to the Arabic companies operating in the public sector. Importantly, the research dwells upon the comprehensive set of administration techniques and methods of their application in an enterprise that operates in the UAE market. According to the article, the business excellence model evaluates the way companies implement TQM principles and methods in their work. Importantly, the research focused on the DGEP approach for self-assessment on both levels – the management and the staff (McAdam, Keogh, El Tigani, & Gardiner, 2013). It should be noted that the key point of the article comes from the actual research results, which is the significance of cultural factors in the implementation of the excellence model. The authors hypothesized that the peculiarities of the Arabic culture would be reflected in the way national companies perform (McAdam et al., 2013). That is to say, the company that has mostly indigenous workforce would have drastically different performance indicators that an enterprise with culturally diverse employees and leadership (Mousavi, Hosseini, & Hassanpour, 2015). This assumption has been verified in the course of the case study.
Key Learning Points and Statements
Notably, the research results have revealed the following similar cultural issues to consider in the context of self-assessment and business excellence model (McAdam et al., 2013):
- The leadership is delineated from the staff especially at the senior and middle levels;
- The employees working at lower levels are not empowered by the management (especially non-native staff workers);
- Due to insufficient empowerment, the employees are incapable of improving their performance based on the self-assessment;
- TQM is applied within the company; nevertheless, the cultural factor minimizes its effectiveness.
The authors of the article stated that “in attempting to understand the application of business excellence and self-assessment in a UAE case study the prevailing country culture should be examined (McAdam et al., 2013, p. 429)”. Thus, the writing, as well as the unit, raised an important issue, which is the influence of Arabic mentality and perceptions on company performance assessment and improvement (Zairi & Alsughayir, 2011). It can be stated that despite the widely accepted domains of business excellence, its implementation would be ineffective if it is not adapted to the UAE business setting.
Critical Analysis and Practical Implementations
It should be stressed out that the findings of the case study reflect the actual business context in the public sector in the country. Researchers and theorists stressed out that such characteristics as the dominance of the male workforce in companies, strict subordination of leadership and staff, weak coordination, and lack of commitment are still experienced by many indigenous enterprises in the UAE (Garad, 2016). This evidence should encourage leadership to promote employee engagement and empower the staff at lower levels to contribute to the company’s performance to a greater extent (Kassem, Ajmal, & Ajmal, 2016). As it comes from the evidence, public companies and organizations will be able to exhibit better performance indicators in terms of business excellence only when the discussed guidelines are accepted and acknowledged by the senior management (Alonso-Almeida & Fuentes-Frias, 2012).
Reflection and Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that the research has revealed the dominance of the cultural aspect among all the other factors influencing the successful implementation of the business excellence model. Therefore, it is essential that Arabic public companies promote employee and managerial self-assessment and further align their strategies with these results to be able to track the advancement made. Managers of all levels should assist both indigenous and non-native employees in this process and encourage cooperation to achieve higher performance. In that case, the business excellence model would be efficient for the planning processes.
References
Alonso-Almeida, M. M., & Fuentes-Frias, V. G. (2012). International quality awards and excellence quality models around the world. A multidimensional analysis. Quality & Quantity, 46, 599-626.
Garad, A. (2016). Investors in people and business excellence in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of HRD Practice, Policy and Research, 1(2), 83-92.
Kassem, R., Ajmal, M., & Ajmal, M. (2016). The relationship between organizational culture and business excellence: Case study from United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Information Systems in the Service Sector, 8(3), 16-35.
McAdam, R., Keogh, W., El Tigani, A., & Gardiner, P. (2013). An exploratory study of business excellence implementation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) public sector: Management and employee perceptions. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 30(4), 426-445.
Mousavi, S. A., Hosseini, S. Y., & Hassanpour, N. (2015). On the effects of organizational culture on organizational performance. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 81, 97-116.
Zairi, M., & Alsughayir, A. A. (2011). The adoption of excellence models through cultural and social adaptations: An empirical study of critical success factors and a proposed model. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 226, 641-654.