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This paper develops an instrument of organizational agility. The instrument is utilized to assess the extent to which Ras Al Khaimah government agencies have adopted agility and to examine its impact on the achievement of strategic outcomes and employee satisfaction.

The dimensions of agility are determined using factor analysis. The reliability of the dimensions is tested based on the Cronbach alpha coefficient, while the predictive validity of the instrument is assessed using correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The extent to which Ras Al Khaimah government agencies adopted the dimensions of agility is assessed using one-sided T-test, and the difference between the levels of adoption of the dimensions is determined using one-way ANOVA. The relationships between agility the dependent variables of achieving strategic outcomes and employee satisfaction are assessed using multiple linear regression.

The paper determined two valid and reliable dimensions of organizational agility, namely leadership and strategic sensitivity and resource fluidity. Culture, a third reliable dimension found through factor analysis was found to influence agility indirectly. Government agencies have adopted the two dimensions that are found to increase the achievement of strategic outcomes and employee satisfaction.

This paper provides a valid and reliable measure for assessing organizational agility. This measure includes both enablers and capabilities. It adds to the limited empirical research on agility, particularly in the Arab world. The paper focused on local government agencies and its findings may not be applicable in other sectors.

The measure can serve as an effective agility self-assessment tool for organizations, enabling them to identify areas for improvement and specific practices they need to adopt to enhance their agility. This, in turn, allows them to become more responsive to changes, achieve strategic outcomes and improve employee satisfaction.

This paper has important research and practical implications. It provides a valid and reliable measure of organizational agility with both enablers and capabilities. This measure can help organizations become agile and achieve higher strategic outcomes and employee satisfaction.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an excellence model that combines noble ends and noble means to achieve sustainable business excellence (SBE).

The general framework of existing excellence models is used to develop the new model. Relevant literature on business excellence and current business and economic trends such as constructive capitalism, conscious capitalism, shared value, values-driven organizations and corporate governance are used to develop the basic concepts of the model. The criteria and the assessment method of the model are then developed based on the basic concepts.

This paper proposes a model for SBE. This model is aligned with conscious capitalism, constructive capitalism, shared value, values-driven organizations and corporate governance. The paper includes a comparison between this model and the most popular excellence models.

This paper paves the way for more empirical and theoretical research on stakeholders’ business excellence models.

This model can be adopted by different national and international excellence awards. The adoption of this model can improve the benefits of shareholders, partners, customers, employees and the society at large. Implementing this model may be effective in transferring knowledge about conscious capitalism, values-driven organization and corporate governance to corporations worldwide.

This may contribute to protecting the environment and reducing economic inequalities that have caused political and social instability.

Excellence models have been widely used with significant success all over the world. Although these models paid attention to customers and employees, they still reflect traditional capitalism that focuses on shareholders’ value. This model is aligned to new economic trends that foster sustainability and improve benefits of all stakeholders.

TQM gurus have mentioned little about organization structure. We don’t even have a clear answer on whether a TQM organization is centralized or not. Many companies superimpose their TQM committees on their existing structures, overlooking the fact the success of any organization rests heavily on the compatibility between its strategy and its structure. Restructuring is absolutely necessary for a successful TQM implementation. This paper presents a review of the literature on restructuring for a successful TQM implementation.

While quality has been widely accepted as essential in today’s global competition, limited work has been conducted on the management processes that lead to it. This paper addresses the control processes in quality assurance and total quality management. The generic management control process is first presented and its deficiencies are highlighted. The paper then proposes control processes for quality assurance and total quality management. Finally, these two processes are compared.

The Islamic banking sector has been growing rapidly, particularly in the Gulf region. The purpose of this paper is to examine major barriers to service quality in Islamic banks in Qatar and the impact of demographic variables on the perceptions of these barriers.

A questionnaire based on the existing literature and particularly on the obstacles outlined by Jabnoun and the constructs influencing service quality gaps found by Parasuraman is developed and distributed to employees of Islamic banks in Qatar. Factor analysis is used to determine the dimensions of the questionnaire. One‐sample t‐test is then used to determine which of the resulting dimensions are significant barriers to service quality. Finally, one‐way ANOVA is used is to determine the impact of demographic variables on the perceptions of the barriers.

Factor analysis resulted in four dimensions: three of these dimensions, namely, lack of empowerment, centralization, and lack of transformational leadership, were found to be significant barriers to service quality in Islamic banks in Qatar while the “No” culture was not found to be significant. Expatriates perceived lack of empowerment to be a greater barrier to service quality than nationals did. This may be explained by the high power distance among nationals.

Conducting the study in more than one industry and more than one country would be desirable to determine common barriers to service quality.

Islamic banking has been growing steadily. Islamic banks currently operate in approximately 75 countries. This paper highlights barriers to service quality in Islamic banks in Qatar and provides practical recommendations to overcome these barriers. These recommendations can be useful to Islamic banks in general. The barriers found in this study happen to be related to the culture of power distance. The recommendations presented in this paper can therefore be useful in different service organizations where the culture of power distance is dominant.

This paper outlines barriers to service quality in Islamic banks in Qatar. These barriers are relevant to Islamic banks in other parts of the world, particularly in the Arab world. This paper contributes to the scant literature on barriers to service quality. It also suggests important future research on the relationship between barriers to service quality and national culture.

Organization structure has been rather ignored by TQM Gurus. It is not even clear whether a TQM organization is centralized or not. Many companies superimpose their TQM programs on their existing structures overlooking the fact that the success of any organization rests heavily on the compatibility between its strategy and its structure. The absence of a clear perspective on a TQM structure inhibits the effective use of information technology (IT) as a quality enabling factor. This paper presents the main characteristics of a TQM structure and delineates the enabling role of IT for each.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the organizational structure that supports the implementation of customer‐oriented total quality management (TQM).

Quality management has been developing through the interactive efforts of managers, academicians, and consultants. This paper surveys these groups of experts about the structure that supports the implementation of customer‐oriented TQM. A questionnaire including items related to TQM structure is developed. Respondents are asked to indicate to what extent the items support or impede the implementation of customer‐oriented TQM. Responses are analyzed to determine the dimensions of the instrument. Then, one‐sample t‐tests are used to determine which of the resulting dimensions support this implementation. Finally, ANOVA is used to determine the impact of the jobs of the experts and their nationalities on their perceptions of the role of the structural dimensions.

Factor analysis resulted in seven dimensions including process network, mechanistic structure, classic structure, formalization, risk aversion, organic structure, and complexity. Results show that the dimensions of process network and organic structure support the implementation of customer‐oriented TQM, while mechanistic structure risk aversion, and complexity impede it. Academicians valued the dimensions of process network and organic structure more than quality managers. Arabs and Far Easterners looked at mechanistic structure more positively than Australians, Western Europeans, and Americans. This difference may be explained by differences in national cultures.

The fit between strategy and organizational structure is essential for the success of any strategy. Many authors attributed the failures of TQM initiatives to the presence of organizational structures that are incompatible with TQM. This paper identified the structural dimensions that support customer‐oriented TQM and those that impede it. This result has important implications for managers who are planning to successfully implement a customer‐oriented TQM. This paper also has important research implications on the relationship between national culture and the structure of a customer‐oriented TQM.

The ranking of top universities in the world has generated increased interest in the factors that enhance university performance. The purpose of this paper is to identify economic and cultural factors that affect the number of top ranking universities in each country.

This paper first identifies the number of universities ranked among the first 300 in the world. Multiple regression is used to determine the relationship between the number of top ranked universities per country and the independent variables of gross domestic product (GDP), corruption perception, press freedom, and power distance.

Regression analysis revealed that the number of top ranked universities per country increased with GDP and lack of corruption, but decreased with decreased press freedom and higher power distance.

This paper paves the way for further research on cultural, social, economic and political factors that affect university excellence. Similar research can also be conducted to investigate the impact of cultural aspects such as power distance and attitudes towards freedom, not just on institutions of higher learning, but on learning organizations in different industries.

This paper draws attention to important external factors that affect university excellence and that are usually overlooked by managers and policy makers. These managers and policy makers may minimize the negative effects that limited GDP ‐ high corruption, reduced press freedom, and high power distance ‐ may have on university performance. Some recommendations are presented to achieve this objective.

The paper describes factors affecting university excellence beyond the internal environment and processes of the university. It considers the economic factors of GDP and other national factors such us corruption levels, power distance, and press freedom. It provides a good understanding of barriers to university excellence in many countries. These barriers may also be pertinent to other institutions where learning is highly significant.

This paper aims to explore the influence of wealth, transparency and democracy on the number of universities per million people ranked among the top 300 and 500. The highly ranked universities in the world tend to be concentrated in a few countries.

ANOVA was used to test the differences between the two groups in terms of three key national variables that are likely to affect higher education. These variables are gross domestic product per capita (GDPPC), transparency and democracy. Cluster analysis was used to find out if there were any groupings of countries based on the number of top-ranked universities and the above three variables. Correlation analysis was also used to confirm the relationship between the key variables and the number of universities among the top 500 and 300 universities per million people. Finally, partial correlations and linear regression were used to identify the most important factor(s) affecting the number of universities among the top 500 and 300 universities per million people.

ANOVA revealed that countries with top-ranked universities had higher GDPPC, transparency and democracy levels than countries with no top-ranked universities. Cluster analysis resulted in two groups of countries: one group of countries with a higher number of ranked universities, higher democracy level, higher transparency and higher GDPPC. The other group had lower values for each of the above variables. Pearson correlations confirmed that the number of top universities per million people is related to the three national variables. Partial correlation and regression revealed that transparency is the only significant factor that directly determines the number of universities among the top 500 in the world. On the other hand, both transparency and GDPPC are significant in determining the number of universities ranked in the top 300 per million people. This means that universities ranked among the top 500 are generally found in countries with higher transparency levels, while top 300 universities are generally found in countries that have both higher transparency levels and higher GDPPC.

This paper paves the way for further research on transparency and ethics in higher education. The impact of wealth, transparency and democracy can also be measured in other industries, and particularly those linked to learning and innovation.

This paper draws the attention to the fact that top universities are found in richer, more democratic and more transparent countries. It, however, indicates that the single factor associated with the number of universities ranked among the top 500 is transparency. Policy makers should therefore focus on increasing transparency to increase the likelihood of having top-ranked universities. Having universities ranked among the 300 is also linked to having higher GDPPC. This indicates that transparency can drive all other factors associated with having universities ranked among the first 500 in the world, but further improvement of university ranking to first 300 universities also requires greater financial strength. This is understandable given the expense associated with attracting first-class faculty members and having world-class research programs.

This is the first paper that researched the differences between countries having top-ranked universities and countries having no top-ranked universities. It also identified transparency as the single factor affecting the number of top 500 ranked universities per million people. It is also the first paper to have distinguished between having universities ranked among the top 300 in the world and universities ranked among the top 500. It showed that factors expected to be play a key role in determining higher education success such as democracy index and GDPPC were not significant in determining the number of top 500 universities per million people. This paper, however, showed that the number of top 300 universities per million per country depends not only on transparency but also on GDPPC. This paper provides a good understanding of barriers to university excellence in many countries. These barriers may also be pertinent to other institutions where learning is highly significant.

Quality awards played an important role in improving quality in private and public organizations. The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated four quadrant strategy adopted by Sheikh Saqr Program for Government Excellence (SSPGE) for improving government performance in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaima (RAK) in the United Arab Emirates.

The methodology of this case is unusual as it mixes the experience of the authors with theory and literature. The first and second authors are, respectively, the senior consultant and the director general of SSPGE. The authors hereby present the integrated strategy developed and implemented by SSPGE in order to improve government performance in RAK. This paper first presents this improvement strategy along with the relevant literature, and then it outlines the results of its implementation.

The use of the four quadrant strategy helped government organizations in RAK achieve as successful launching of the government department award based on the EFQM excellence model. The average total score for all government departments was 311.0 in 2008. This indicates a huge improvement from the self-assessment score in 2007. It was also 106 points higher than the initially projected score for self-assessment in 2008. The average score consistently increased and reached 414 in 2012 indicating a 33 percent increase from 2008.

This paper outlines a four quadrant strategy that was successfully implemented by a government excellence program. This strategy can be used in other government excellence programs. It may also be adapted for use in large public and private organizations.

Most researchers focus on excellence strategies in organizations while this case addresses the strategy of an excellence program. This case also shows the importance of integration between the various awards categories, projects, and activities organized by the program. It also presents a successful case of linking activities of the program to the theoretical concepts of quality and excellence.