Purpose: – This paper aims to advance in the knowledge of the EFQM model as a framework for implementing total quality management (TQM). To do so, the work identifies the soft-hard TQM factors in the EFQM model, investigates the relationships between these factors and analyses their influence on key business results.Design/methodology/approach: – The methodology used is factorial analysis and structural equations – specifically the partial least squares technique. The sample is made up of 116 private firms. TQM is an integral management philosophy which is based on a set of social and technical factors that must be put into practice through a reference framework, such as the one in the EFQM model.Findings: – The work empirically identifies three dimensions that correspond to the soft-hard TQM factors (management and human resources, strategic management of partnerships and resources and processes management). Furthermore, it shows how these dimensions make up a management system that has a significant effect on key business results.Research limitations/implications: – The main limitations are to be found in the sample used – private firms from a specific geographical context.Practical implications: – The research model facilitates the design of a management system for professionals and orientates them in its implementation and improvement with a view to influencing key results.Originality/value: – The data have been obtained from the scores of the processes of self-assessment and external assessment followed by firms that were candidates for excellence awards. The work empirically identifies the social and technical factors implied in the EFQM model and their relationships. Moreover, it presents the effect on a type of result that has not been analysed very much: key results (economic, financial, innovation or processes improvement).

In the literature on quality management it is necessary to undertake empirical studies that go further into the knowledge and understanding of the relationships between the key implementation factors and the results. This work falls within that context and its reference is the EFQM Excellence Model and the field of higher education. The structural equations method is used and, more specifically, the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. The results from the analysis of the measurement and structural model support the reliability and validity of the European Excellence Model as a reference framework for the implementation, evaluation and improvement of quality in the area of higher education. The need to consider the agents together as the determinants of the results is also revealed, as well as there being an internal logic that connects the model's results. Moreover, the analysis has allowed us to conduct an in-depth study of the causal structure of the EFQM Model. An understanding of this structure may allow centres of higher education to direct their management towards the achievement of excellent results.

Purpose – To analyse the implicit relationships among enabler agents of the European excellence model to serve as a framework for the management and improvement of the quality in higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses set out are based on the structure and meaning of the EFQM model and a review of the TQM literature. The empirical study was developed in 111 Spanish public university centres, and used the partial least squares (PLS) technique to test these hypotheses. Findings – The results achieved support the relationships hypothesized and indicate the role of enabler agents as a basis for establishing a management model that leads universities towards excellence. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation is related to the notion of causality. Our study has considered a soft modelling approach directed more towards prediction than causality. Practical implications – The role of senior management stands out among the key activities. The top management leads the excellence development of key processes in the university through appropriate leadership, strategy formulation, establishment of partnerships, resource allocation, and human resources management. Originality/value – The current work is one of the first studies dealing with the testing of implicit relationships set out by the EFQM model among enablers. The comprehension of these relationships provides a guide to implement, develop, assess and improve higher education institutions.

The purpose of the paper is to present the state of the art in quantitative research on the EFQM model that will guide future research lines in this field. For this, a systematic literature review from the period 1991–2015 is carried out in impact journals belonging to the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR). Finally, 53 papers were selected and aspects related to the purpose, nature and instruments of data collection, type of quantitative analysis employed, sector under study and main conclusions and contributions are analysed. As a result, the study presents more than a dozen lines of future research