Analyzing the impact of excellence practices on organizational performance: knowledge management as a mediator in mobile network operators

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of the EFQM excellence model in terms of the directional and executional excellence practices (the DEPs and EEPs) on organizational performance (OP). It also aims to analyze the mediation role of knowledge management processes (KMPs) between excellence practices and OP. A survey as an empirical data-collection instrument was deployed and distributed to mid and high-level management participants across four mobile network operators (MNOs) in Yemen. A dataset of 219 valid questionnaires were used for analysis. This paper employs the structural equation modelling (SEM) disjoint two-stage approach to validate the research model using SmartPLS software. The results showed a complementary mediation by KMPs in the relationship between the DEPs and OP, and interestingly, a full KMPs mediation between the EEPs and OP. The findings indicate that KMPs promote the impact of the DEPs on OP while they reduce the influence of the direct impact of the EEPs on OP. Furthermore, to the best of the authors knowledge, the study represents a distinctive investigation in the relationship between the DEPs, EEPs, and OP by inclusion of KMPs as a mediator in MNOs, which contributes to the underdeveloped literature pertaining to these constructs.