Purpose The Baldrige criteria for assessing business performance excellence (BCPE) suggests a relationship among seven self-assessment categories. The purpose of this paper is to take an in-depth look at the BCPE by testing the causal relationship among categories grouped into four basic dimensions - driver triad, work core, outcomes, and brain centre. Identifying meaningful interrelationships for leaders helps them transform their organisations to achieve performance excellence. Design/methodology/approach A systems perspective supports system mapping for understanding meaningful interrelationships among dimensions and mediating factors affecting business performance excellence. A 35-item questionnaire designed to measure seven categories of the BCPE (version 2022-2023) was administered to export and import (EXIM) businesses across Thailand. Valid responses (n = 290) were analysed through SPSS and AMOS via structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypotheses and explore the influencing factors. Findings A strong systems perspective focus is essential for high organisational performance. The result reveals that all seven BCPE categories are significantly linked. In addition, mediation analysis (taking selected mediators) proved hypothesised cause-and-effect relationship as significant. The results demonstrate that the brain centre plays a crucial role in driving business success promulgating its influence within the model. Research limitations/implications This study provides the necessary backgrounding in systems perspectives confirming that the BCPE premises on a set of four basic dimensions: driver triad (leadership, strategy, and customers category), work core (workforce and operations category), brain centre (measurement, analysis, and knowledge management category), and outcomes (results category). These four dimensions define the essentials of an integrated management system. Further, the study shows that measurement, analysis, and knowledge management directly influenced customer focus, the highest coefficient path among the criterion in the Baldrige framework. This is the critical driver in predicting performance outcomes via meaningful feedback. Practical implications From a managerial point of view, the structured system management framework proposed provides a specific guide for the alignment in quality management, which can change its practice in business management and award assessment. The results evidence a significant relationship among driver triad, work core, brain centre, and outcomes to propose a form of system management. The findings help award examiners or business practitioners provide system mapping for evaluation - i.e. how well organisations meet their goals and how best to prepare feedback reports to applicants that paint meaningful pictures. Originality/value This study promotes a systems perspective when approaching business performance excellence, whereas other studies provide evidence to individual relationships. Moreover, the examined interrelationship among dimensions - driver triad, work core, outcomes, and brain centre - provide novel system mapping to guide managers, practitioners, or award examiners in evaluating quality management practice.
