Quality management influences on logistics performance

The importance of quality management practices in the achievement of operational results and customer satisfaction in logistics has been asserted in many studies. However, though widely adopted, quality management does not have a uniformly accepted framework as a basis for assessment of improvement efforts. This study develops quality management constructs and a casual model based on the criteria utilized in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. Casual relationships between quality management factors and logistics outcomes, specifically logistics operational performance and customer service, are established. Implications of the findings for management are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.