Decision Sciences Journal
Volume 31, Number 2
Spring 2000
An Empirical Investigation of the Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award Causal Model
Darryl D. Wilson
CISQA Department, Sam M. Walton College of Business Administration,
University of Arkansas, Fayettevillle, AR 72701
David A. Collier
Faculty of Management Sciences, The Ohio State University, 2100
Neil Ave.,
Columbus, OH 43210-1144, e-mail: collier.4@osu.edu
ABSTRACT. The objective of this research is to test
the theory and causal performance linkages implied by the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA). The survey instrument
used a comprehensive set of 101 questions that were directly
tied to specific criteria in the 1995 MBNQA Criteria. Results
reported here represent the first published article that tests
the MBNQA performance relationships and causal model using comprehensive
measurement and structural models.
In general, our research concludes that (1) The underlying
theory of the MBNQA is supported that “leadership drives
the system that causes results”; (2) Leadership is the most
important driver of system performance; (3) Leadership has no
direct effect on Financial Results but must influence overall
performance “through the system”; (4) Information and
Analysis is statistically the second most important Baldrige
category; (5) the Baldrige category, Process Management, is twice
as important when predicting customer satisfaction as when predicting
financial results; and (6) a modified “within system”
set of five Baldrige causal relationships is a good predictor
of organizational performance.
Subject Areas: Performance Measurement, Quality Management,
and Structural Equation Modeling. |