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This paper examined the effect of TQM on environmental performance (EP) and the mediating role of innovation (INN) in this relationship. We employed a quantitative research method and collected cross-sectional data from 320 SMEs in the food and beverages manufacturing industry OF Ghana. We further utilised PLS-SEM to analyse the data collected. The main results revealed that TQM has a favourable and substantial impact on EP (β = 0.812, p-value = 0.000) and on INN (β = 0.771, p-value = 0.000). Additionally, INN has a favourable and substantial impact on EP (β = 0.163, p-value = 0.000), and, finally, INN partially mediates the direct link between TQM and EP (β = 0.126, p-value = 0.000). However, this mediating effect was strongly influenced by continuous improvement, employee involvement and product innovation. Therefore, SMEs in the food and beverages manufacturing sector should consider investing more in continuous improvement and employee involvement initiatives. Also, pay close attention to and adapt to changes in taste and market trends related to their products.

This study seeks to examine the impact of quality control techniques on operational efficiency in manufacturing organisations, specifically identifying the most successful practices that foster long-term success. The research employs a twofold approach: it first analyses current literature on the incorporation of quality principles in diverse manufacturing companies, identifying shortcomings.  Secondly, employing quantitative methodologies through surveys directed at South African manufacturing experts. This study utilised a purposive sample method to choose participants from the available population.  Purposive sampling is a nonprobability sampling technique that involves gathering data from designated target groups or individuals according to a defined criterion. The results indicate that employee training, ongoing improvement, and internal audits are the paramount quality control techniques, substantially promoting a culture of quality and advancing operational development. Employee engagement, proactive strategies, and remedial actions are seen as essential components for maintaining enduring operational performance. The incorporation of supplier quality management and control charts improves decision-making and guarantees product uniformity. The research highlights that organisations can enhance competitiveness, operational efficiency, and customer happiness through the implementation of good quality control practices. These methods result in enhanced production, decreased operational expenses, and increased market sustainability. Organisations must prioritise staff training, ongoing enhancement, and supplier quality control to maintain a competitive edge. This study enhances the existing information by emphasising the essential quality control techniques that affect operational efficiency in manufacturing entities. It offers significant insights into the execution of quality control techniques and their influence on business performance, presenting pragmatic recommendations for managers aiming to enhance operational efficiency.

The sustainability of South African automotive component suppliers faces increasing pressure due to global supply chain disruptions and heightened buyer demands. Within this competitive environment, traditional differentiators such as price and product quality are largely prescribed by buyers, leaving suppliers with limited strategic levers. Relationship quality has therefore emerged as a crucial factor in building trust and securing long-term customer retention. The central research question is: What is the correlation between trust and relationship quality in buyer-supplier exchanges within the automotive supply chain? This article reports on a quantitative study that examined the relationship between supplier–buyer relationship quality and the development of trust. A directional linear relationship between these constructs was tested to determine the extent to which relational factors contribute to sustainable partnerships. The findings indicate a strong and significant correlation, suggesting that supplier actions during sourcing interactions can meaningfully influence levels of trust. Trust, in turn, enhances perceived customer value and contributes to customer retention in an industry where competitive advantages are narrow. The study underscores the need for South African automotive component suppliers to prioritise strategies that strengthen relationship quality with their buyers. By fostering trust through relational practices, suppliers may achieve more resilient business outcomes and sustain their market position within a challenging global supply chain environment.

This article investigates the impact of Supply Chain Relationship Management (SCRM) on operational efficiency, with a specific focus on the mediating role of information sharing. SCRM has been widely recognized for promoting collaboration and improving operational outcomes in supply chains. However, the effectiveness of SCRM practices is significantly enhanced when accompanied by robust information-sharing mechanisms. The study utilizes Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze data collected from 108 supply chain professionals in the Sunyani Municipality, Ghana. The results show that information sharing plays a critical role in mediating the relationship between SCRM and operational efficiency, highlighting its importance as a mechanism for facilitating better coordination, reducing operational costs, and improving lead times. These findings offer valuable insights into how inter-organizational collaboration and effective information exchange contribute to operational improvements in supply chains, particularly within the pharmaceutical sector in developing economies. The study contributes both theoretical and practical perspectives on supply chain management.  

Customers’ demand for printing industry to be more productive and compete globally in relation to delivery, cost, quality and use of technological factors is one of the factors which have a possible impact on productivity. Printing establishments through the South African printing industry have a major role to play in the country’s economy. Printing industry is characterised by overloading, inefficiency and ineffectiveness affecting overall organisational performance. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing productivity improvement practices and develop productivity improvement model to improve printing division. This study follows a qualitative research approach as it is an exploratory research technique used to understand the underlying reasons, perceptions and motivations of individuals in solving a problem. A sample of Government Printing Works’ (GPW) employees directly involved in the printing, finishing and packaging of Higher Education and Training examination question papers located in Pretoria, City of Tshwane municipality participated in this study. A number of critical success and barriers to productivity improvement practices are identified.  Barriers factors include poorly designed process; poorly designed layout; poor quality materials; lack of effective maintenance plans; unsatisfactory planning; supplier inefficiencies and customer inefficiencies were the major causes of low productivity in the GPW. This comprehensive and holistic framework can assist government printing employees’ and lean practioners’ in their lean manufacturing implementation journey systematically and improve the organisation’s performance.

The performance of productivity has garnered significant interest among economists, with a prevalent discussion affirming the crucial role of productivity enhancement in fostering and sustaining growth. This necessitates businesses to recognise manufacturing excellence in their operations.  Manufacturing excellence is a non-prescriptive paradigm for organisational management aimed at enhancing competitiveness.  The processes established for consistent delivery must yield products with minimal variance and no flaws.  This study investigates the impact of manufacturing excellence strategy on workforce productivity in South African automobile parts manufacturing firms.  The study employed a quantitative methodology to investigate production and associated experiences within an automobile parts manufacturing organisation that implemented a manufacturing excellence strategy for enhancing productivity.  The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model, employing the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), was utilised for data analysis.  The corporation functions within the eThekwini Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa.  The study was conducted by gathering pre- and post-quarterly data on absenteeism, spoilage, and labour productivity.  The findings demonstrate that manufacturing excellence affects labour productivity.  Nonetheless, neither absenteeism nor spoilage correlates with worker productivity following the introduction of manufacturing excellence.  This study reveals the strengths and shortcomings of manufacturing excellence and its impact on workforce productivity in automobile parts manufacturing firms in South Africa. 

Efficient supply chain management is essential for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana to guarantee a dependable flow of products and services, sustain competitiveness, and promote growth and job creation. The objective of this study is to analyse the current supply chain models utilised by manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. Additionally, it intends to propose a prototype model that will aid manufacturing SMEs in achieving sustainability, growth, and future expansion in Ghana and other regions. The Conceptual framework was developed by examining variables identified in the existing literature on supplier management practices in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as inventory management approaches that are relevant to SMEs. A structured questionnaire was employed to collect data from the main source. This study employs a mixed method approach, which includes the participation of 363 respondents. Interviews and surveys were carried out with small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) owners and managers. The data was analysed using the SPSS (v 27.0) computer application, which involved both inferential and descriptive statistical analysis. The findings revealed essential components of the prototype, such as the implementation of supply management (SM), proficient information management (IM), streamlined distribution strategies, and strong marketing and sales strategies, in addition to customer relationship management (CRM) and effective post-sales services. Implementing these supply chain management (SCM) principles effectively can guarantee the sustainability, growth, employment generation, and overall performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana.

In general, this research aims to analyze and determine the effect of the application of lean manufacturing which is focused on eliminating waste and the influence of the physical work environment on labor productivity. This research used primary data through the distribution of questionnaires conducted to employees of Company X with a total of 230 respondents from sections in departments directly related to research variables. Data analysis methods using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) measured by the Partial Least Square (PLS) model, and data processing using SmartPLS 4.0 Software. Based on the results of calculations, data analysis shows that the application of principles related to lean manufacturing, which in this research is focused on the process of eliminating waste has a positive effect on the productivity of the workforce. The creation of a physical work environment that meets standards also positively affects the productivity of the workforce.

The first objective of this study is to analyze the effect of external supply chain flexibility (inbound supplier flexibility and outbound logistics flexibility) on product innovation performance. The second objective is to analyze the effect of external supply chain flexibility on product innovation performance with the lead supplier influence and normative integration as moderating variables. There are six hypotheses in this study: 1) the inbound supplier flexibility affects the product innovation performance, 2) the outbound logistics flexibility affects the product innovation performance, 3) the lead supplier influence moderates the relationship between the inbound supplier flexibility and the product innovation performance, 4) the lead supplier influence moderates the relationship between the outbound logistics flexibility and the product innovation performance, 5) the normative integration moderates the relationship between the inbound supplier flexibility and the product innovation performance, and 6) the normative integration moderates the relationship between the outbound logistics flexibility and product innovation performance. The sample of this study is one hundred fashion SMEs in Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This study uses census as the sampling method. This study uses primary data obtained by distributing questionnaires to the respondents. The researchers analyzed the data with PLS. The results show that inbound supplier flexibility and outbound logistics flexibility positively affect product innovation performance. The lead supplier influence negatively moderates the effect of inbound supplier flexibility on product innovation performance in fashion. The lead supplier influence does not moderate the effect of outbound logistics flexibility on product innovation performance. Normative integration does not moderate the relationship among the variables of the study.

This study aims to review values congruence in supply chain management. Values congruence, commonly described by researchers as the sameness of object, idea, and people, are challenging to identify, measure and prove because values are inherent intangibles in people and only seen in one’s behaviour. As an exploratory study, this paper concentrated on the supply chain management process critical path identified as specifications, sourcing, evaluation, adjudication, contract management, and administration. The study also aims to investigate the extent of values congruence at every supply chain management critical path stage.  The data were coded, organized, and analyzed by applying the principles of the content analysis method. The main findings in this study revealed that Value congruence increased performance and projected profits, the environment, and society on the one hand. On the other hand, values incongruence contributed to poor organizational performance, malpractices, corruption, bankruptcy, and liquidations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of strategic supplier relationship on the performance of the devolved system of government in Kenya, the study adopted a cross-sectional survey design using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The target population for this study was all employees working in finance and procurement departments in 10 counties namely; Garissa, Kisii, Nyamira, Narok, Marsabit, Murang’ a Bomet, Nairobi, Kiambu and Homa Bay. We study used stratified random sampling to pick 186 respondents from finance and procurement department. Data was collected by using questionnaires Descriptive and inferential statistics were used aided by Statistical Packages for Social Sciences version 24 to compute percentages of respondents’ answers.  Hypothesis testing was carried using multiple regression analysis and standard F tests. We found out that a positive and significant relationship between strategic supplier relationship and performance of devolved systems of government. We recommend that devolved systems of government should conduct jointly product development with suppliers and involve suppliers directly or indirectly in their strategic plans. Suppliers’ involvement would support the company’s development innovation and capabilities thus increasing the benefits perceived by the company’s customers. Finally, we recommend that management should implement strategic supplier relationships practice within the frameworks of public procurement acts and regulations.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) includes management of materials, products, services, information and financial flows which network of consisting suppliers, manufacturers, logistics service companies, and clients. The individual elements of this chain with coordination and integration of each element to perform themselves ensure successful of SCM. Information technology has a very important role in activities for coordination and integration of supply chain. Acceleration of sharing information, simplification and increasing of reliability provide effective use of time in logistics companies, cost savings like effective management ways. In this prepared study which taking into account the positive impact on supply chain of information technologies, it was investigated on the effectiveness of sharing information of supply chain by examining infrastructure of the information technology, ranging from the production of raw materials to the end user in SCM. The results of the analyses by using the structural equation model indicate that the use of information technology in supply chain management enhances the relationship between buyer-supplier; the enhancement of such relationship improves the quality, safety, and flexibility of products and reduces the cost of products; as a result, it increases firm performance.

The concept of globalization inherently necessitated knowing management technics that could adapt to fast changes. Assuming all other financial aspects are almost equal for companies, the only factor “that can create difference” within the global competition environment is “the human factor”. It draws attention in the way that among companies who set out with the same technical equipment, the companies who are successful in customer relations are able to render the global competition sustainable through approaches that are based on the human factor. In this area, the constructive influences of total quality management on the human, which is the main source that can manage information and turn it into speed and strength, positively reflect on companies and translate into advantages. Placing human at the center of the business, these approaches add new dimensions to changes and developments that will create differences in the global market in line with the versatile structure of business management and contribute to earnings that support economic growth.