Records the research on the relationship between TQM, ISO 9000 certification and business performance improvement. The research is based on a survey conducted in Norway. Finds that the TQM criteria (or enablers) such as quality leadership, human resource development, quality information, etc. contribute to the improvement of customer satisfaction and business performance. However, none of these TQM enablers can guarantee enhanced performance. It is these enablers as a whole that contribute collectively to the improvement of performance. The study also finds that ISO 9000 standards are partially related to the implementation of TQM and the improvement of business performance. The recommendation is that ISO 9000 should be incorporated with the philosophy and methods of TQM.

Purpose: Theory of planned behavior (TPB) has been used to study the impact of entrepreneurial education (EE) on entrepreneurial intention (EI) for more than 20 years, yet an intensive literature review reveals that there are gaps in both the conceptual models and the research methods. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of EE on EI with a view to address the gaps in previous research. Design/methodology/approach: This research proposes a conceptual model that links the entire antecedent variables of TPB and the elaborated four components of entrepreneurship education (Why, What, How, and Who). The model is tested by a structural equation modeling with the empirical data from 200 engineering students from three universities in Hong Kong. Findings: The empirical test reveals that the four components of entrepreneurial education do influence attitude, social norm, self-efficacy, and EI, correspondingly. Additionally, it also reveals that the four EE components and the three TPB antecedent variables are also interrelated with each other. Originality/value: This study bridges specific education components and EI, providing significant insight into how the key components influence the entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions of students. It fills the gap in the knowledge required for fostering EI through entrepreneurship education. It not only answers the question on whether EE influences EI but also on how to nurture the intention by designing a relevant EE course.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to formulate supplier integration strategy with the aim to eliminate Ohno's manufacturing wastes and empirically examines its influence on lean manufacturing adoption in electronic-enabled manufacturing supply chains (EMSC). Design/methodology/approach – The proposed theoretical model is tested with the survey data obtained from 558 manufacturers in 17 countries which is stratified into two groups of small/large firms for measuring the significance of measurements. Findings – The influential factors comprising the supplier integration strategy, i.e. information sharing, e-business systems and policy-based supplier selection, have positive influence on the long-term lean manufacturing adoption in small- and medium-sized firms. Besides, the results reveal that manufacturers may commit ongoing use of lean manufacturing only if it has been using regularly. Research limitations/implications – The study is conducted from the stand point of a manufacturing firm. Hence, the constructs are not appropriate for distributors and retailers. Besides, the concepts measured in the study can only be generalized to small- and medium-sized firms. Practical implications – Implementing supply strategy in practice requires the collaboration of manufacturers and suppliers, and manufacturers are in better position to select the suppliers in favor to the implementation of lean manufacturing in EMSC. Also, small manufacturers tend to adopt lean manufacturing along with relevant supplier integration tactics due to having less complex organizational structure. Originality/value – There is a scarcity of papers that study the impact of supplier integration on lean manufacturing through combining practitioner's lean implementation methodology and academia's decision theory. This paper is beneficial to manufacturers who intend to revise their e-supply strategy in coping with sustainable imitative in recessionary time.