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in the Malaysia setting is still limited. Addition-
ally, despite numerous studies that have been con-
ducted, concentration on operational employee
perspectives regarding quality practices and qual-
ity implementation are less known especially within
hotel industry context (Sumarjan, et al., 2013).
Gaining employee commitment is critical to ensure
the success of quality implementation in organiza-
tions (Demirbag & Sahadev, 2008; Jackson, 2004).
Therefore, this study proposes to investigate the
relationship between quality practices and qual-
ity implementation from employee perspective.
Operational employees have been chosen as they
have direct contact with customers. Furthermore,
employee involvement in quality management
practices will reduce stress levels and resistance to
change (Jarrar & Zairi, 2002) and affect employee
commitment (Howard & Foster, 1999).
were having a significant effect on TQM practices.
Thus, to investigate the relationship between qual-
ity practices, this study will use the seven MBNQA
criteria: strategic planning; leadership; business
results; process management; workforce focus;
customer focus; and measurement, analysis and
knowledge management (National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST), 2014). This
MBNQA criterion is comprehensive and has been
frequently cited in the literature to measure quality
endeavor (Khoo & Tan, 2003; Lau, Zhao & Xiao,
2004; Prajogo & McDermott, 2005; Sumarjan,
et al., 2013).
2.2 Employee involvement in quality
implementation
According to Pun and Gill (2002), the implementa-
tion of quality management practices that involve
employee comes in many different approaches.
One of the approach is Malcom Baldrige National
Quality Award (National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST) (2014)), which come out
with seven criteria: leadership; strategic planning;
process management; workforce focus; customer
focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge; and
business results, that can investigate the integration
of employees participation and total quality man-
agement (TQM) (Sumarjan, et al., 2013).
Sumarjan et al. (2013) who conducted a study to
compare perceptions of Malaysian employee and
Hotel Quality Managers (HQMs) in three- and
four-star hotels by using two Malcolm Baldrige
National Quality Award (MBNQA) criteria (lead-
ership and workforce focus), found that failure to
develop explicit quality objectives and policies by
the management team and inefficient communica-
tion system as the main contributor for perceptions
incongruence between managers and employees.
Yeh (2003) conducted a study to investigate
the implementation of sustainable total quality
management (TQM) implementation from the
employee perspectives in a United States. This
study used critical factors such as job character-
istic, individual training and project involvement,
social support, employees' self-efficacy, and organ-
izational structure, found that organizational inter-
personal support, employees' self-efficacy, and
standardized organizational structure were factors
that critically predicted employee's involvement in
total quality management (TQM). On the other
hand, factors like training and individuals' project
involvement did not have direct effect employees'
practices of total quality management. The author
also revealed individuals' project involvement and
training had indirect effect to employees' practices
of quality management as they believe workloads
increased as quality management is implemented.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Quality practice
Stories about the successful implementation of
TQM practices have been frequently highlighted
and published (Arumugam, et al., 2008; Gustafs-
son, et al., 2003; Karia & Asaari, 2006; Lagrosen,
2003; Miller, et al., 2009; Prajogo & McDermott,
2005; Pun, 2003; Sila, 2007; Yoo, et al., 2006).
Arumugam et al. (2008) who conducted a study
in 122 Malaysia organizations certified with ISO
9001:2000 found TQM practices such as continual
improvement, customer focus, process manage-
ment, information analysis, people involvement,
quality system improvement, supplier relationships
and leadership, partially influenced quality per-
formance. Gustafsson et al. (2003) found that even
though TQM practices such as process orientation,
customer satisfaction and employee management
can improve firm performance, the relationship
between quality practices and firm performance is
dependent on firm size.
Karia and Asaari (2006) conducted a study to
examine the impact of TQM practices on employ-
ees' work-related attitudes and found that quality
practices such as customer focus, empowerment
and teamwork, training and education, as well as
continuous improvement and problem prevention
improve the level of career and job satisfaction,
enhance job involvement and promote greater
organizational commitment. Miller et al. (2009)
carried out an assessment of quality management
practices in healthcare industry found eight quality
practices: role of management leadership; customer
focus; role of the physician; training; quality data
reporting; employee relations; process manage-
ment/training; and the role of quality department
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