Dr Michael Sony

In the past decade, the concept of “smart cities” has gained popularity as a way to address and manage challenges and complexities in urban areas. Different smart city frameworks have been proposed and the term “framework” has been defined, examined and proposed in various ways, with each interpretation taking a distinct approach. From a different angle, some frameworks highlight how the smart city concept is implemented, while others concentrate on assessing the initiatives’ level of success. An additional collection of frameworks concentrated on the essential elements needed to make up a smart city. This research explicitly analyses frameworks concentrating on fundamental components to identify and suggest essential elements for developing an adaptable, sustainable smart city structure. Using a methodological approach that focused on the core elements of smart city structure, the research comprised of conducting a systematic literature review (SLR), and carrying out an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of existing frameworks. Based on the area of focus, the analysed frameworks were grouped into four categories: human-centric, techno-centric, integrated human-techno-centric and environmental-focus frameworks for easy SWOT analysis. The findings revealed that cyber-security issues pose threats to all frameworks and there are technological dependency vulnerabilities. This shows that technology is the driver/enabler of achieving smart city status. In addition, with the help of proper governance and effective management, involving citizens is key to releasing the potential for sustainable smart forms. Hence, the authors believe that technology, good governance, environmental concerns and citizens are essential components of an adaptable, sustainable smart city framework. A framework built on these crucial components is unique because it can be customised to fit any city. Management, infrastructural development and degree of public participation depend on different city configurations.

Purpose: Quality Management (QM) plays a pivotal role in driving organizational efforts to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. This study aims to explore the most important themes in QM over the past three decades, identifying and analysing the top ten key themes that have shaped the field during this period. This study, involving leading academics and industry practitioners, lays the groundwork for a three-to-four-year exploration of the most influential QM themes worldwide.

Method: The authors conducted a comprehensive review of QM literature over the last three decades from top specialist journals on QM. This is followed by conducting a global pilot survey with leading academics and practitioners to pinpoint the top ten dominant themes of QM for organizations to leverage in gaining and maintaining a competitive edge.

Key findings: The top ten themes of QM, as identified by authors through input from academics and practitioners worldwide, offer valuable insights for companies of all sizes and sectors. These themes serve as a guide for the successful and sustainable implementation of QM practices and continuous improvement strategies.

Limitations: Despite a limited sample size, the initial findings provide a glimpse into critical themes. Over the next three years, as the study progresses, we anticipate potential changes in the results. Notably, the comparison of themes between manufacturing and services, as well as large and small enterprises, remains unexplored in the current investigation.

Originality/Value: The authors of this study assert that their research will pave the way for future themes in the digitalization era. Moreover, this research stands out as one of the most exhaustive examinations from both academic and practitioner viewpoints, offering a unique perspective not commonly found in existing literature. 

Abstract Purpose: This study aims to fully assess the readiness for Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Quality Performance Improvement (QPI) in an Italian Public Healthcare ecosystem. Design/Methodology/Approach: Drawing from previously established survey development and adaptation protocols, a replication study was carried out; on Lean, Six Sigma and QPI were has been extracted and validated through confirmatory factor analysis in an the Italian Public Healthcare setting, with a sample of health professionals from the Campania region.

Findings: This study successfully reports the adaptation of an existing scale for measuring LSS and QPI in an Italian y’s public healthcare organisation s. This analysis extracts six conceptual domains and constitutes an original adaptation of an existing scale to assess the readiness to adopt Lean, Six Sigma, and Quality Performance in Italian Public Health Organizations. The constructs show strong levels of internal consistency, as demonstrated by each item factor loading and each subscale reliability.

Practical Implications: Managers, policymakers, and academics can employ the proposed tool to assess the public healthcare ecosystem’s capability to implement LSS initiatives and strategies to improve quality performance. Originality/Value: This is one of the first studies to assess cross-regional organisational readiness for LSS and QPI in an Italian Public Healthcare environment at this scope and level. Keywords: Lean Six Sigma, Quality Performance Improvement, Healthcare Organisation, Lean Management, Public Health, Italy

This article presents the findings of an exploratory survey conducted among 256 experts engaged in German manufacturing firms to explore practices related to integrating Lean with Industry 4.0. Using the Dynamic Capabilities framework as a theoretical lens, the study validates 43 practices organised into six dimensions: ‘initiating’, ‘sensing’, ‘seizing’, ‘transforming’, ‘resources’, and ‘capabilities’.  Theoretically, the research contributes by concretising the classical dimensions of Dynamic Capabilities and proposing the novel dimension of ‘initiating’, enhancing the theory's holism and applicability in the context of LM and I4.0 integrations. Managerially, the study provides a practical framework for self-assessment and strategic planning, emphasising the critical importance of early-stage practices related to ‘change’, ‘resources’, ‘capabilities’, and ‘initiating’. These elements are crucial for triggering subsequent integration phases and ensuring successful execution. The framework addresses technology adoption, organisational culture, process optimisation, and workforce engagement, offering comprehensive guidance for integrating LM and I4.0. The contributions of this research hold value for the field of Operations Management as it provides empirical evidence on essential practices for effectively integrating Lean with Industry 4.0. Additionally, the study highlights the significance of Dynamic Capabilities as a means to comprehend and manage the complex interplay between these two approaches.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This research conducted a global survey to identify the critical success factors, benefits, and common challenges in using FMEA in the higher education sector.

Purpose: While educators impart FMEA instruction, its practical implementation within the educational sector remains limited. This study investigates the application of FMEA within higher education institutions. Implementing FMEA in these institutions is difficult due to statutory requirements, schedule restrictions, and stakeholder participation challenges. Moreover, higher education institutions struggle with preserving education quality, faculty training, and resource management, complicating organised methods such as FMEA.

Findings: The outcomes highlighted that lack of awareness regarding the tools’ benefits is the primary barrier to FMEA implementation. However, respondents perceive that FMEA can improve process reliability and quality in higher education institutions. Further, the analyses found that knowledge about the FMEA tools is the prime critical success factor, and the lack of time due to other priorities in the organisation is a significant challenge in tapping the potential of FMEA.

Research Limitations/Implications: A limitation of the study is the relatively low number of HEIs surveyed globally. Further, the study provides a broad perspective rather than a focused study on one HEI. Practical Implications: This study addresses this gap by exploring the potential benefits, challenges, and factors associated with the successful adoption of FMEA in academic settings. Using this information, HEIs can become more successful in applying FMEA.

Originality/Value: This study is unique in its exploration of the application of FMEA with higher education institutions for service quality improvement

Purpose: Many organizations currently transition towards digitalized process- design, execution, control, assurance and improvement, and the purpose of this research is to empirically demonstrate how data-based operational excellence techniques are useful in digitalized environments by means of the optimization of a Robotic Process Automation deployment. Design: An interpretive mixed-method case study approach comprising both secondary LSS project data together with participant-as-observer archival observations is applied. A case report, comprising per DMAIC phase (1) the objectives, (2) the main deliverables, (3) the results and (4) the key actions leading to achieving the presented results is presented. Findings: Key findings comprise (1) the importance of understanding how to acquire and prepare large system generated data and (2) the need for better large system-generated database validation mechanisms. Finally (3) the importance of process contextual understanding of the LSS project lead is emphasized, together with (4) the need for LSS foundational curriculum developments in order to be effective in digitalized environments. Originality: This study provides a rich prescriptive demonstration of LSS methodology implementation for RPA deployment improvement, and is one of the few empirical demonstrations of LSS based problem solving methodology in industry 4.0 contexts. Keywords: Robotics, RPA, Industry 4.0, Lean Six Sigma,Case Study

Purpose: Operational Excellence (OpEx) is a proven philosophy focusing on continuous improvement in processes and systems for superior performance and efficiency. It plays a crucial role in the energy sector, acting as a catalyst for safety, customer satisfaction, sustainability, and competitiveness. This research assesses OpEx methodologies in Oman's energy sector, examining methods, approaches, motivations, and sustainability.

Methodology: This study applies qualitative analysis methodology, involving interviews with 18 industry experts, from the energy sector in a sizable energy country.

Findings: The analysis revealed a growing demand, particularly in the oil and gas industry, driven by emerging business needs. Qualitative data analysis has identified 10 themes such as implemented methodologies, motivation drivers, deployment approaches, sustainability factors, benefits, and challenges. Additionally, new themes emerged, including influencers to start OpEx, resource requirements, enablers for successful OpEx, and system. Implications These findings contribute to understanding OpEx dynamics in the Omani energy sector, offering valuable insights for effective utilization and organizational goal achievement. Furthermore, the study offers valuable insights on how to effectively employ OpEx initiatives in the energy sector to achieve their goals and create value. It is addressing the lack of knowledge, offers a framework for successful OpEx implementation, bridging the theory-practice gap and providing insights for optimal utilization. Originality: This is the first empirical study on assessing OpEx methodologies in the energy sector, and therefore it serves as a foundation for many future studies. The study provides a theoretical foundation for the OpEx methodologies in terms of organizational readiness for successful OpEx implementation.

limitations: This research was limited to Oman and the findings drawn from Omani energy companies may have limited applicability to energy companies in other regions. Therefore, if these findings were to be used, the validation of the findings in relation to other countries should be conducted, to ensure the validity of the context and outcome.

Purpose: Education 4.0 (E 4.0) represents a new paradigm in the field of education, which emphasizes a student-centric approach that allows learners to access education anytime, anywhere, tailored to their individual needs through modern-day technologies. The purpose of the study was on unearth the critical success factors (CSFs) essential for the successful implementation of E 4.0.

Methodology: The CSFs were unearthed using a literature review and further the interrelationships were analysed using multicriteria decision making (MCDM) approach.

Findings: The study unearthed 15 CSFs for the successful implementation of E 4.0. The most important factor for the successful implementation of E 4.0 was personalised learning which was found to be the casual factor. The other causal CSFs were clear vision and leadership for E 4.0, Stakeholder involvement, Data analytics in teaching & leaning, Inter disciplinary learning and Blended Learning Environments. The effect factors were digital citizenship-based education, teacher training and development for E 4.0, supportive environment, curriculum redesign for E 4.0, open educational eesources, digital technologies, formative assessments, infrastructure for E 4.0 and sustainability in education.

Implications: This study unearthed the CSFs and found the interrelationships among them, thus contributing to the theory of technology organization environment.

Originality: This study represented a pioneering effort in understanding the CSFs underpinning the successful adoption of E 4.0, paving the way for a more personalized, techsavvy, and effective education system. Keywords:

Education 4.0, Critical Success Factors, Personalised learning, Digital Technologies, DEMATEL

The integration of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) with Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has numerous advantages for the organization such as enhancement of product and service quality, accurate forecasting in complex processes, and significant cost reduction. LSS and I4.0 integration in manufacturing environments face some challenges, including data integration, a lack of understanding of the strategic implications of integrating LSS and I4.0, security and data privacy issues, return on investment, and a shortage of consultants and trainers. In this context, this paper aims to analyse the barriers and their interrelationship that could hinder the manufacturing organisation from embracing LSS with I4.0. 15 potential barriers were identified from the literature review and by taking the opinion of experts and decisionmakers. The grey decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method was applied to find the influence of each barrier on other barriers. The cause-effect relationship between the barriers was identified and later validated by experts. Using a single case study methodology, this study prioritises the identified barriers that hinder the automotive component manufacturing industry from integrating LSS with I4.0. The top three barriers were “lack of long-term vision”, “timely and accurate data availability”, and “lack of automation”. This paper will help the managers to better understand which barriers could affect the integration of LSS with I4.0. The identification and understanding of the relationship between LSS barriers is a novel contribution by offering a holistic perspective, synergy identification, mitigating risk of failure, and enhancing decision-making capabilities for LSS with I4.0 implementation.

Keywords: Industry 4.0; Lean six-sigma; Barrier; Grey-DEMATEL; Smart manufacturing; Automotive Industry

Purpose: The purpose of this global study is to investigate the critical failure factors (CFFs) in the deployment of Operational Excellence (OPEX) programs as well as the key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be used to measure OPEX failures. The study also empirically analyses various OPEX methodologies adopted by various organizations at a global level.

Methodology: This global study utilized an online survey to collect data. The questionnaire was sent to 800 senior managers resulting ultimately in 249 useful responses.

Findings: The study results suggest that Six Sigma is the most widely utilized across the OPEX methodologies, followed by Lean Six Sigma and Lean. Agile manufacturing is the least utilized OPEX methodology. The top four critical failure factors (CFFs) were poor project selection and prioritization, poor leadership, lack of proper communication and resistance to change issues. Implications: This study extends the current body of knowledge on OPEX by first delineating the CFFs for OPEX and identifying the differing effects of these CFFs across various organizational settings. Senior managers and OPEX professionals can use the findings to take remedial actions and to improve the sustainability of OPEX initiatives in their respective organizations.

Originality: This study uniquely identifies critical factors leading to OPEX initiative failures, providing practical insights for industry professionals and academia, fostering a deeper understanding of potential pitfalls. The research highlights a distinctive focus on social and environmental performance metrics, urging a paradigm shift for sustained OPEX success, differentiating itself in addressing broader sustainability concerns. By recognizing the interconnectedness of 12 critical failure factors, the study offers a pioneering foundation for future research and the development of a comprehensive management theory on OPEX failures

This paper presents a comprehensive meta-analysis examining the relationship between Quality Management (QM) and innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Through a statistical synthesis of the findings of 31 empirical studies published between 2008-2022, this meta-analysis reveals a significant positive correlation between QM and diverse innovation types in SMEs. More specifically, the results show that total quality management, soft and hard quality management practices, and quality management systems all positively correlate with technological, non-technological, and green innovations. Importantly, the results underscore the pivotal role of leadership styles—charismatic, team-oriented, participative and autonomous—in enhancing the QM-innovation relationship, while human-oriented and self-protective styles appear to diminish it. The findings offer strategic insights for SMEs managers to optimize innovation through tailored quality initiatives and leadership style.

Purpose: In a highly competitive and globalised era, agile organisations proactively steer towards sustainability. This situation persuaded the organizations to align Quality Management (QM) initiatives to achieve sustainable outcomes. This study aims to explore qualitysustainability linkage, explicitly focusing on attaining the prestigious IAQ Quality Sustainability Award. Further it investigates, the impact of QM as a strategy for promoting Sustainability to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs). Methodology: Due to the lack of substantial literature connecting QM to Sustainability, the current research adopted an explanatory multiple-case study.Six cases were purposively chosen for the study. Three cases of those who have achieved the prestigious IAQ Quality Sustainability Award and remaining have been selected that have fallen short of receiving the award. A detailed within-case and cross-case examinations involving six cases that reported their QM achievements aligned with SDGs. Findings: The findings demonstrate the significant role of QM adoption in achieving positive results from the perspective of SDGs, such as reduced environmental impacts, improved operational efficiency and enhanced quality of life. Effective stakeholder collaboration, proficiency in analytical tools and strategic alignment with SDGs emerged as critical success factors. Conversely, weak linkage with sustainability and unclear approaches were crucial challenges in attaining the IAQ Quality Sustainability Award. Implications: This paper outlines essential commandments for organisations actively seeking to promote Sustainability. It offers valuable insights for decision-makers, facilitating a profound understanding of the challenges and opportunities in pursuing sustainable performance. Originality: The distinctive nature of this study lies in its dedicated exploration of the intricate relationship between QM deployment and its true impact on the achievement of the SDGs.

Purpose – This research aims to establish the applicability of the ISO 18404 standard to the service sector, identify any required amendments, and identify the critical success factors and barriers to deploying the standard within the service sector. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a qualitative approach by interviewing operational excellence (OPEX) professionals who work in the service sector. Findings – The findings indicate a significant lack of knowledge about the existence of the standard and a general scepticism regarding the applicability of the current ISO 18404 standard to the service sector. Research limitations/implications – Limited examples of the application of ISO 18404 in organisations exist, as only a few organisations have adopted the standard. Therefore, the research focused on the challenges and obstacles that experienced OPEX professionals perceived could be an issue. Originality/value – The study will aid service sector organisations in understanding the standard and, subsequently, determine whether to pursue it as part of an OPEX program. This research is the first study on the application of ISO 18404 to the service sector

Purpose: This study investigates the readiness for and understanding of Industry 4.0 in a Pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Utilizing qualitative interviews within a single-site case study in a Pharmaceutical organization, the understanding of Industry 4.0 and the challenges, benefits, and critical success factors for Industry 4.0 readiness therein and applications of Industry 4.0 are assessed.

Findings: The research findings found that Industry 4.0 implementation has implications for regulatory compliance and enhancing operational excellence on the site. The Pharma site is embracing Industry 4.0 technologies, particularly for paperless systems and data collation and analytics, but the site is somewhat of a late adaptor of Industry 4.0 implementation and is on a path towards increased digitalization.

Practical Implications/Limitations: A limitation of the study is that it is a single-site case study, but the results can be generalizable in demonstrating how Industry 4.0 is being deployed and its challenges and benefits.

Originality/Value: This study is unique and novel because to the authors knowledge it is one of the first studies on Industry 4.0 readiness and status in an Irish Pharma site within a single Pharmaceutical organization. This study can be leveraged and benchmarked by all Pharmaceutical organizations as it demonstrates the complexity of Industry 4.0 deployment from a highly regulated and complex Pharmaceutical manufacturing and processing viewpoint.

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the adoption of Quality 4.0 (Q4.0) and assess the critical failure factors (CFFs) for its implementation and how its failure is measured. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with quality managers and executives was conducted to establish the CFFs for Q4.0. Findings – The significant CFFs highlighted were resistance to change and a lack of understanding of the concept of Q4.0. There was also a complete lack of access to or availability of training around Q4.0. Research limitations/implications – The study enhances the body of literature on Q4.0 and is one of the first research studies to provide insight into the CFFs of Q4.0. Practical implications – Based on the discussions with experts in the area of quality in various large and small organizations, one can understand the types of Q4.0 initiatives and the CFFs of Q4.0. By identifying the CFFs, one can establish the steps for improvements for organizations worldwide if they want to implement Q4.0 in the future on the competitive global stage. Originality/value – The concept of Q4.0 is at the very nascent stage, and thus, the CFFs have not been found in the extant literature. As a result, the article aids businesses in understanding possible problems that might derail their Q4.0 activities. Keywords Quality, Industry 4.0, Quality 4.0, Critical failure factors Paper type Research paper

Purpose. 
This paper gives the background to the ISO 18404:2015 standard and explains its rationale. It aims to rebut the Oudrhiri et al. (2022) paper. Furthermore, this paper adds further evidence of the misplacement and unfitness for use of the standard, as evidenced in the previous work by Antony et al. (2021, 2022).

Design/methodology/approach. 
A point-counterpoint methods approach with a literature review of studies available on ISO 18404:2015 to respond to the Oudrhiri et al. (2022) study.

Findings. 
The findings indicate that Oudrhiri et al.'s (2022) work is not open minded in relation to ISO18404. Each point raised in the Oudrhiri et al. (2020) study has been answered and counter argued.

Research limitations/implications. 
Other than Antony et al.'s three studies (2021 and 2022) and Oudrhiri et al.’s (2022) study empirical studies looking into the impact of the ISO 18404 standard in the literature were limited. As the literature has shown, many companies are not utilising the standard given its current format; hence, a lack of information relating to the practical implementation is sparse.

Practical implications. 
The findings indicate that Oudrhiri et al.'s (2022) work can be answered and counter argued.

Originality/value. 
This study consolidates and strengthens the findings from the three studies by Antony et al. (2021 and 2022) and acts as a rebuttal to the Oudrhiri et al. (2022) study.

Purpose. 
This study aims to investigate how early and late adopters of Quality 4.0 (Q4.0) differ in terms of organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach. 
The authors employed a grounded theory approach for interviewing 15 senior managers from diverse organizational contexts throughout the globe as part of their qualitative research methodology.

Findings. 
The research's findings were analyzed based on four types of performance: operational, financial, environmental and social. It was clear that early adopters of Q4.0 were sustaining superior performance in quality over time, even though their investment was significantly higher than that of late adopters. From a financial viewpoint, it was evident that early adopters had a competitive edge over their rivals compared to late adopters. Late adopters have utilized the notion of the circular economy (CE) more effectively than many early adopters in the context of environmental performance in order to establish a green economy and sustainable development.

Research limitations/implications. 
Although the results of the interview indicate that Q4.0 is having some positive effects on social performance, in the authors' view, it is still least understood from an empirical standpoint.

Originality/value. 
The study's findings assist organizations in comprehending the performance differences between Q4.0 early adopters and late adopters.

Purpose – The use of quality management (QM) to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) is a topic of growing interest in academia and industry. The IAQ (International Academy for Quality) established Quality Sustainability Award in 2020, a testament to this growing interest. This study aims to investigate how QM philosophies, methodologies and tools can be used to achieve sustainable development in organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Five large manufacturing organizations – three from India and two from China – who reported their achievements about using QM in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were studied using multiple sources of data collection. A detailed within-case and cross-case analysis were conducted to unearth this linkage’s practical and theoretical aspects. Findings – The study finds that QM methodologies effectively met the five organizations’ UNSDGs. These organizations successfully used OPEX (Operational Excellence) methodologies such as Lean, Kaizen and Six Sigma to meet UNSDGs 7, 11, 12 and 13. Moreover, UNSG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) is the most targeted goal across the case studies. A cross-case analysis revealed that the most frequently used quality tools were Design of Experiments (DoE), Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), C&E analysis and Inferential statistics, among other essential tools. Research limitations/implications – The study’s sample size was limited to large-scale manufacturing organizations in the two most populous countries in the world. This may limit the study’s generalizability to other countries, continents, or micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Additionally, the study’s conclusions would be strengthened if tested as hypotheses in a follow-up survey. Practical implications – This practical paper provides case studies on how to use QM to impact SDGs. It offers both descriptive and prescriptive solutions for practitioners. The study highlights the importance of using essential QM tools in a structured and systematic manner, with effective teams, to meet the SDGs of organizations. Social implications – The study shows how QM can be used to impact UNSDGs, and this is very important because the UNSDGs are a set of global objectives that aim to address a wide range of social and environmental issues. This study could motivate organizations to achieve the UNSDGs using essential QM tools and make the world a better place for the present and future generations. Originality/value – This case study is the first to investigate at a micro-level how QM can impact UNSDGs using live examples. It uses data from the IAQ to demonstrate how QM can be integrated into UNSDGs to ensure sustainable manufacturing. Keywords Quality management, United Nations sustainable development goals, International academy of quality, Operational excellence

Paper type Case study

Purpose.
Entering a new era of digital transformation, Industry 4.0 (I 4.0) promises to revolutionize the way business has been done, providing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. This study aims to investigate empirically and comparatively analyse the benefits, challenges and critical success factors (CSFs) of Industry 4.0 across four continents and developing and developed economies.

Design/methodology/approach.
This study used an online survey to explore the benefits, challenges and CSFs of developed and developing economies. In order to ensure the validity of the survey, a pilot test was conducted with 10 respondents. A total of 149 participants with senior managerial, vice-presidential and directorial positions from developed and developing economies spanning four continents were invited to take part in the survey.

Findings.
The study ranks benefits, challenges and CSFs across economies and continents. Further, the benefit of Industry 4.0 helping to achieve organizational efficiency and agility differed across the developing and developed economies. Furthermore, the benefit improves customer satisfaction significantly differed across continents; in terms of challenges, Employee resistance to change had a higher proportion in developing economies. The future viability of I 4.0 also differed across the continents. Regarding CSFs, there was no difference across the developing and developed economies. Finally, change management and project management vary across the continents.

Research limitations/implications.
This study contributes to a balanced understanding of I 4.0 by providing empirical evidence for comparative analysis. Moreover, it extends the concept of resource dependence theory to explain how organizations in developing economies and developed economies deploy resources to manage external condition uncertainties to implement I 4.0. Furthermore, this study provides a structural framework to understand the specific benefits, challenges and CSFs of implementing I 4.0, which can be utilized by policymakers to promote I 4.0 in their economies or continents.

Originality/value.
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no studies have empirically demonstrated the comparative analysis of benefits, challenges and CSFs across economies and continents and distinguish an original contribution of this work.

Purpose:
Entering a new era of digital transformation, Industry 4.0 (I 4.0) promises to revolutionize the way business has been done, providing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. This study aims to investigate empirically and comparatively analyse the benefits, challenges and critical success factors (CSFs) of Industry 4.0 across four continents and developing and developed economies.

Design/methodology/approach:
This study used an online survey to explore the benefits, challenges and CSFs of developed and developing economies. In order to ensure the validity of the survey, a pilot test was conducted with 10 respondents. A total of 149 participants with senior managerial, vice-presidential and directorial positions from developed and developing economies spanning four continents were invited to take part in the survey.

Findings:
The study ranks benefits, challenges and CSFs across economies and continents. Further, the benefit of Industry 4.0 helping to achieve organizational efficiency and agility differed across the developing and developed economies. Furthermore, the benefit improves customer satisfaction significantly differed across continents; in terms of challenges, Employee resistance to change had a higher proportion in developing economies. The future viability of I 4.0 also differed across the continents. Regarding CSFs, there was no difference across the developing and developed economies. Finally, change management and project management vary across the continents.

Research limitations/implications:
This study contributes to a balanced understanding of I 4.0 by providing empirical evidence for comparative analysis. Moreover, it extends the concept of resource dependence theory to explain how organizations in developing economies and developed economies deploy resources to manage external condition uncertainties to implement I 4.0. Furthermore, this study provides a structural framework to understand the specific benefits, challenges and CSFs of implementing I 4.0, which can be utilized by policymakers to promote I 4.0 in their economies or continents.

Originality/value:
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no studies have empirically demonstrated the comparative analysis of benefits, challenges and CSFs across economies and continents and distinguish an original contribution of this work.

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a rigorous, data-driven, and results-oriented process improvement philosophy. To date, there is no evidence of a study of the application of LSS in a diamond plant. One of the most common recovery methods in the diamond industry has been dense medium separation (DMS), also known as heavy medium separation (HMS). The main purpose of the study is to investigate how to implement LSS to improve the dense medium separation performance at a diamond plant. Further, we investigate the factors impacting DMS by finding the most relevant factor/s and applying the principles of Lean and Six Sigma to improve the performance of dense medium separation (DMS) at a diamond plant in Namibia. The research found out that factors affecting DMS include cyclone pressure, medium density, viscosity, and worn cyclone parts and maintaining these parameters within narrow limits in relation to the correct set points is beneficial. Also, the study established that, operational conditions (cyclone pressures and medium densities) are the topmost factors affecting DMS followed by viscosity and lastly, equipment dimensions. The application of LSS reduced downtime delays and boosted the associated production, thus achieving cost-efficiency, improved DMS performance and reducing waste. Diamond mines are found in large numbers in Africa, and this study will help the mines to improve their efficiency. Further, using the lens of theory of swift and even flow, the LSS is applied in the diamond company to streamline the DMS performance. Further, it poses key implications for future LSS research.

Purpose
Quality 4.0 incorporates the role of automation and digitization and provides competitive advantage for organizations by enhancing customer experience and increase profitability. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the organizational readiness factors for the successful implementation of Quality 4.0 implementation and assess their importance.

Design/methodology/approach
This study applies a quantitative research methodology to examine readiness factors of Quality 4.0 in organizations by 147 senior management professionals in various organizations including manufacturing and service companies in America, Asia and Europe participated through an online survey.

Findings
The readiness factors for Quality 4.0 were critically ranked amongst manufacturing and service organizations by senior management professionals from three continents. Five significant reasons for non-adoption of Quality 4.0 were lack of resources, inability to link Quality 4.0 with the corporate strategy and objectives, lack of understanding of benefits, high initial investment and the current quality management strategy and methods are already delivering good results hence unsure of the need for Quality 4.0. The handling of big data in quality management was the most important factor for adopting Quality 4.0, irrespective of the size and nature of the organization. More accuracy and less errors and improved decision-making the factors of adopting Quality 4.0 in service sector were not significant for manufacturing sector. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) reported that costs and time savings over the long run were not so significant.

Practical implications
This study is focussed on the significance of pros and cons of adopting Quality 4.0 in organizations. Senior managers in both large and SMEs can benefit immensely from understanding before investing heavily towards implementing Quality 4.0. The importance of identified organizational readiness factors for the successful adoption of Quality 4.0 can be used as indicators to understand how ready an organization is to implement Quality 4.0. The top three readiness factors for the successful adoption of Quality 4.0 were identified as: top management commitment, leadership and organizational culture. Improved understanding of the readiness factors can be highly beneficial to senior quality professionals in both manufacturing and service companies in the journey towards successful implementation of Quality 4.0.

Originality/value
This is the first empirical study on assessing Quality 4.0 readiness factors at an intercontinental level and therefore serves as a foundation for many future studies. The study provides a theoretical foundation for the Quality 4.0 in terms of organizational readiness for successful adoption and overcoming implementation challenges. During the planning, implementation and progress review of Quality 4.0, review the readiness factors while planning and resourcing a Quality 4.0 implementation strategy to ensure effective performance.

Purpose
The paper aims to investigate the pros and cons of having a standard for lean six sigma developed in 2015. The study follows up on a previous study by Antony et al. (2021) in more depth and aims to provide a more detailed investigation of various aspects of the standard.

Design/methodology/approach
A sequential mixed methodology was utilised by interviewing a panel of leading academics and practitioners familiar with lean six sigma followed by distributing a survey questionnaire to continuous improvement and operational excellence (OPEX) personnel.

Findings
The findings indicate that continuous improvement and OPEX professionals have conflicting views of International Standards Organisation (ISO) 18404. A majority of the participants of the qualitative study suggested, whilst supporting the requirement for a lean sigma standard, voiced concerns about the auditability of the standard and whether it is currently “fit for purpose” and proposed that it needs to be revised. Within the quantitative survey, 42% had never heard of the standard, and of the 58% who had heard of it, 90% had read it. Just 10% stated that they had or would apply the standard within their organisations. Just fewer than 50% felt that the standard was fit for purpose which suggests for further refinements of the standard in the future. Finally, 85% of respondents of the quantitative survey suggested for the revision of the standard whilst just 15% felt it should be removed.

Research limitations/implications
Other than a previous study by Antony et al. (2021), implementation of ISO 18404 in organisations and its benefits as well as empirical study looking into the impact of the standard on corporate performance in the literature were limited. An opportunity to review lessons learnt from a case study on the ISO 18404 standard implementation within an organisation would further enhance the research.

Originality/value
The paper provides a valuable resource for organisations to obtain insight into a standard in lean six sigma and whether to implement it or not. Furthermore, the results can form the basis of a case for the future revision of the standard by consolidating and strengthening the findings from the first study with more detailed quantitative and qualitative study.

Purpose
Industry 4.0 is a new trend among organizations. Some organizations have been early adopters or later adopters of Industry 4.0. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how performance effects vary between early and late adopters of Industry 4.0.

Design/methodology/approach
This study applies a qualitative research methodology using grounded theory. 14 senior management professionals who have implemented Industry 4.0 participated in this study through a theoretical and snowball sampling approach. These professionals were from manufacturing and service sectors, from North America, Europe and Asia. The study used semi structured open-ended interviews to capture the organizational performance on operational, financial, environmental and social dimensions.

Findings
The findings were analyzed in terms of four broad themes which emerged from the interviews. In operational performance the operational and implementation cost will be higher for early adopters. The late adopters may enjoy the advantage in terms of improved business models. In terms of financial performance, the early adopters may see a marginal increase in profit and increased stock price compared to late adopters. The performance on the environmental dimension will see early adopters enjoying material efficiency, energy savings and an improved image of the company compared to late adopters. In social performance, the early adopters will provide a better quality of work life, safer manufacturing environment. However, the resistance from labor unions will be higher for early adopters compared to late adopters.

Practical implications
Organizations must decide the timing of implementation of Industry 4.0. This study will act as a guide wherein they can decide to be an early adopter or late adopter based on knowledge of the resulting performance consequences.

Originality/value
This is the first paper that studies the performance effects of early versus late adopters of Industry 4.0.

Critical failure factors (CFFs) are the key factors, where ‘things must go wrong’ for the I4.0 implementation to be failure or does not meet the intended objectives. CFFs provide a set of indicators or identifiable conditions, so that problems can be identified and addressed before it fails. This study uses an exploratory sequential mixed method design to investigate the CFFs for I4.0. In the first explorative qualitative phase one, 26 senior managers participated through a purposive sampling frame. The study finds 10 CFFs lack of I4.0 strategy, absence of well-designed smart product / service systems, lack of digital Supply Chains, leadership is not supportive for I4.0, poor human resource management for I4.0, absence of I4.0 technology transformation management plan, I4.0 is not implemented totally, lack of Top management support for I4.0, poor change management strategies in place and inadequate consideration of sustainability in I4.0 initiative. In the second quantitative phase, 156 senior managers participated in an online survey. EFA, CFA and ranking of CFFs were carried out. The findings on CFFs will help the practitioners and organizations to identify, monitor and control these factors while implementing I4.0. Moreover, a good understanding of the failure factors will help organizations to avoid the failure in the implementation of I 4.0.

Covid-19 has forced most educational institutions around the world to migrate to online learning in an emergency mode to protect students from the pandemic. This sudden migration to online learning has created multi-dimensional demands on students. Therefore, student workload needs to be measured during online learning. The purpose of this study is to measure the student workload from student perception by evaluating online learning in terms of Mental demand (MD), Physical demand (PD), Temporal demand (TD), Effort (EF), Performance (PE) and Frustration (FR). This study through a cross-sectional survey analysed 223 student’s workloads on six dimensions using a NASA -TLX scale. The study finds all six components of workload significant for student assessment during online learning. Besides, the NASA-TLX scale was tested using confirmatory factor analysis for its ability to assess student workload for online learning. This is the first study to assess the student workload for online learning and hence contributes to the theory of measurement of workload assessment for online learning. The educational institutions can use this study to measure the student workload assessment for various courses offered by them using this simple tool.

This study aims to investigate the barriers that exist when implementing continuous improvement methodologies, such as Lean Six Sigma (LSS), within the Irish Pharma industry. The main finding of this study is that 45% of participants perceived that a highly regulated environment could be a barrier to continuous improvement implementation, while 97% of respondents utilised Continuous improvement (CI) methods, such as Lean, Six Sigma, and LSS, within their organisations. While the International Conference of Harmonisation integrates CI into its Pharmaceutical Quality Systems (PQS) regulations, the highest motivation for CI implementation amongst the Irish Pharma industry is to improve Productivity and Quality. The main obstacles highlighted for CI implementation in Pharma attributed to stringent regulatory regimes were fear of extra validation activity, a compliance versus quality culture, and a regulatory culture of being “safe”. Another relevant finding presented in this paper is that participants CI LSS tools are very strongly integrated into the pharma industries corrective and preventative action system, deviations, and internal audit systems. Limitations of the research are that all the data collected in the survey came from professionals working for multinational Pharmaceutical companies based in Ireland. The authors understand that this is the first research focused on the barriers and status of CI initiatives in the pharmaceutical industry. The results of this study represent an important step towards understanding the enablers and obstacles for the use of continuous improvement methodologies in pharmaceutical manufacturing industries on a global scale.

Purpose
Quality 4.0 is managing quality during the fourth industrial revolution. It is used by modern-day organizations as a strategy to compete and thrive in the marketplace. The purpose of this study is to analyze the potential impact of Quality 4.0 on organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach
This study through an integrative literature review critically analyzed 41 previous literature articles to study the impact of Quality 4.0 on various metrics of organizational performance.

Findings
The results of the review suggest that Quality 4.0 may have an impact on financial performance, customer value proposition, internal business processes, learning and growth, environmental performance and social performance.

Research limitations/implications
This study is limited by the databases reviewed. The second limitation is that this study considered articles published in the English language. Therefore, articles published in other languages were not considered in this study.

Practical implications
Organizations can use the findings of this study to strongly leverage the implementation of Quality 4.0 to reach their strategic objectives and improve competitive advantage.

Originality/value
This is the first study to explore the impact of Quality 4.0 on organizational performance through an integrative literature review.

Purpose
This paper aims to present and summarise the arguments for and against the ISO 18404 standard and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of implementing it.

Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative interview approach was utilised by interviewing a panel of leading academics and practitioners familiar with Lean Six Sigma.

Findings
The results indicate that Lean Six Sigma professionals have conflicting opinions on ISO 18404. An overwhelming majority of the panel questioned the “quality” of the standard and whether it is “fit for purpose”, while others see the advantages of a common standard in helping continuous improvement deployment.

Research limitations/implications
As the standard has not been widely adopted, there were limited examples on ISO 18404 discussion in the literature. Much of the current literature focuses on the theoretical application of the standard, with sparse practical examples providing case study deployment. Also, the interviews were short and at a high level. There is an opportunity for further study and analysis. It was difficult to find qualified interviewees who were familiar with the standard. A very real constraint when conducting research into ISO 18404 is to obtain a balanced view of the standard from those who have a vested interest in its continuation and evolution, or not.

Originality/value
The paper provides a resource for people to obtain insight into the value or non-value add of a standard in Lean Six Sigma and the appropriate details of such a standard. These results can form the basis of a case for the implementation of the standard for those organisations currently trying to decide whether to implement it or not.

Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to revisit Dr. Ishikawa's statement: “95% of problems in processes can be accomplished using the seven quality control (QC) tools” from his book “What is Quality Control?”. The authors are interested in critically investigating if this statement is still valid nowadays. It involves the analysis of the usage of the seven QC tools in the manufacturing and service sectors and the benefits, challenges and critical success factors (CSFs) for the application of the seven QC tools.

Design/methodology/approach
In order to evaluate Kaoru Ishikawa's statement and how valid his statement is for manufacturing and service industries nowadays, an online survey instrument was developed, and data collection was performed utilising a stratified random sampling strategy. The main strata/clusters were formed by senior quality professionals working in operational excellence, quality consultants, quality directors, quality engineers, quality managers and quality supervisors working in both manufacturing and service sectors from South American companies. A total of 97 participants from different countries in South America responded to the survey.

Findings
The main finding of this study is that only about 20% of respondents felt that the original seven basic tools of QC can solve above 80% of quality related problems in their businesses. This is quite different from the findings reported by Dr Ishikawa in his work in between 1970 and 1980s. Another relevant finding presented in this paper is that Pareto analysis, histograms and cause and effect analysis are the most used tools in both manufacturing and service sectors. This paper also revealed that the seven QC tools proposed by Dr. Ishikawa were least used by human resources (HR), information technology (IT) and finance functions. This work presents a list of critical success factors required for the proper application of the seven QC tools.

Research limitations/implications
All data collected in the pilot survey came from professionals working for South American companies. So, this paper does present limitations in terms of generalisation of the results. Also, data were collected at an individual level, so parameters such as the inter reliability of judgements on a particular survey item could not be evaluated. It is important to highlight that n = 97 is a low sample size, enough for a preliminary survey but reinforcing the limitation in terms of generalisation of the results.

Originality/value
Authors understand that this is the very first research focused on challenging Dr. Ishikawa's statement: “95% of problems in processes can be accomplished using the seven quality control (QC) tools” from his book “What is Quality Control?”. The results of this study represent an important first step towards a full understanding of the applicability of these tools in manufacturing and service industries in a global scale.