International Journal for Quality Research

8

Authors: Wellington Alves, Paula Ferreira, Madalena Araújo, Júlio Souza

Mining industry is known for requiring energy-intensive processes with significant impacts on the greenhouse gas emissions, which represents a major concern to both economic competitiveness of the sector and climate change. Low carbon sustainable technologies as renewable energy sources (RES) are emerging as key opportunities to sustainable mining in tandem with climate change challenges. However, the use of RES on this sector is still scarce even in countries well known for their mining potential and availability of renewable energy resources, as is the case of Brazil. This research investigates the economic viability of a proposed renewable-mining model for a mining company in the Northeast region of Brazil. The case of photovoltaic is analyzed considering the avoided electricity grid costs as potential benefits. The results showed that this renewable-mining strategy is promising for both PV and storage-PV.

12

Authors: Luís Correia, António M. Brito, Luís Faria, Maria J. Félix, Gilberto Santos, Jorge Laranjeira, Ricardo Simoes

The plastics industry is continuously demanding for plastic parts with higher quality and improved mechanical properties. To meet these demands, companies depending on efficient and reliable flow simulation software. These simulation tools are valuable in optimizing the process parameters to obtain a plastic part with improved surface quality. This work studies the flow behavior on a plastic part with non-trivial model features, such as, holes, ribs, thin walls and zones with different thickness, using various injection point locations and different mold temperatures, under dynamic temperature control. Results have shown significant influence on the final process parameters, such as the injection pressure. A mold temperature increase from 40ºC to 160ºC and then to 200ºC, promoted by an external system heating the mold surface, resulted on reductions of 36% and then another 42% of the injection pressure, respectively. This will have a very positive effect on the surface quality of the part as well as potentially eliminating several aesthetic defects.

16

Authors: Rao Aamir Khan, Adnan Mirza, Muhammad Khushnood

The study examines the role of TQM practices in operational performance of hotels as one of the service industries. Hotels employees were surveyed for data collection through instrument. The reliability of measures was established before carrying out the causal analysis. Regression was used to analyze the hypothesis. The findings propose a positive relationship between TQM practices operational performance of hotels in the context of developing countries. TQM practice of Recruitment and selection has stronger impact on operational performance in comparison to the rest of practices. The invetigation may be triangulated with other research strategies and data collection methods. The findings are significant while implementing quality practices in the service industry. The study has considered specific context for use of TQM practices as a competitive strategy by hotels in developing countries.

16

Authors: Anna Skowrońska-Szmer, Violetta Węgrzyn

The efficiency of the operating ward has a significant impact on the financial condition of a hospital. It is estimated, that the operating department provides two-thirds of the income, while generating 40% of the costs. Any delay in the implementation of the operation plan leads to financial losses for the entire hospital. How can these delays be avoided or at least reduced? Using direct observation of the work day of the operating ward in a hospital in Southwest Poland, we have collected a unique dataset on the duration of individual activities. We have identified activities which do not bring any added value, but lie on the critical path of the process, posing a threat to its timely realization. Application of working day snapshot of the entire operating block staff, introduction of time management and implementation of other corrective actions has reduced the delays by 16 percent.

16

Authors: Mirza Pasic, Izet Bijelonja

Neural networks are important method of machine learning that can be used to predict air quality with high accuracy. Using NARX-SP neural network type, several neural network models are developed to predict concentration of air pollutants in Sarajevo for two prediction cases, for 24th and 48th hour ahead, with different combinations of inputs and outputs. The data used in this paper contain hourly values of meteorological parameters (air humidity, pressure and temperature, wind speed and direction) and concentrations of SO2, PM10, NO2, O3 and CO from 2016 to 2018. Optimal models are selected for both prediction cases. It is concluded that the optimal models have very good performances and can be used to predict concentration of pollutants in Sarajevo with great accuracy and contribute to improve quality of life. By adequate application of optimal models, concentration of air pollutants can be predicted for each hour over the next 48 hours.

18

Authors: Elena A. Bratukhina, Elena A. Lysova, Irina P. Lapteva, Natalia V. Malysheva

The purpose of the article is to determine the activity of marketing management of education quality in the process of reorganization of universities in Russia, to substantiate the influence of this management on effectiveness of universities' activities (as the secondary goal of quality management), and to develop recommendations for increasing the activity of marketing management of education quality based on new tools that are accessible in the conditions of Industry 4.0. The scientific and methodological provision of the article includes the method of trend analysis, which is used for evaluating the annual growth rate of values of the indicators of effectiveness of the activities of regional flagship universities by the example of regions of the Volga Federal District of the Russian Federation in 2018. The authors also use the method of assessment of marketing management of higher education quality in a university. The authors also use the method of regression analysis for determining the influence of marketing management of education quality on effectiveness of universities' activities as a result of their reorganization. As a result, it is substantiated that the processes of reorganization of universities during creation of regional flagship universities in modern Russia are accompanied by modern activity and efficiency of marketing management of education quality, which does not allow achieving significant growth of the values of the indicators of their effectiveness. An important reason of this problem is low effectiveness of the applied marketing tools. Effectiveness of universities' activities in the process of their reorganization during creation of regional flagship universities in modern Russia could be increased by the offered new tools of marketing management of education quality in the conditions of Industry 4.0 based on digital marketing.

18

Authors: M Thenarasu, K Rameshkumar, S P Anbuudayasankar, G Arjunbarath, P Ashok

A suitable sequencing and dispatching of jobs on machines is very much essential to improve the performance of any industry. Sequencing is the prioritizing of a set of jobs in a queue based on some decision rule to determine the order in which they will be processed. This paper aims at detailed study and analysis of hybrid rule selection to reduce lead time, waiting time and to increase machine utilization and throughput. In this study four static and eight hybrid dynamic rules were considered and prioritization of jobs is done using TOPSIS algorithm. The hybrid rules are obtained by combining certain dynamic rules. The data includes 47 jobs and 17 machines with different monthly order quantities. Discrete event simulation tool is used for the study and validation of actual data of a manufacturing plant. The results shows that the proposed hybrid dispatching rule, which is a combination of Earliest Creation time (ECT), Shortest waiting time (SWT) and Most work remaining time (MWRT) are very effective in minimizing lead time and maximizing throughput. The another hybrid dispatching rule, which is a combination of Longest Waiting Time (LWT), ECT and MWRT are effective in maximizing the machine utilization.

18

Authors: Monika Hamerka

The increasing role of science in creating social and economic development and its important role for knowledge-based economy has contributed to the development of the research on scientific productivity. A particularly important aspect of the research in this area is the analysis of determinants affecting the level of individual productivity, which is important not only in the context of scientists evaluation but also affects the evaluation of scientific units and their position in international rankings. The identification of the most important determinants of scientific productivity is the main goal of the paper. The productivity was expressed by various measures related to publication activity of the researcher from the Cracow University of Economics in the time period from 2004 to 2015. All calculations were performed with the use of R software.

22

Authors: Hadis Bajrić, Edin Kadrić

EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT OF MUNICIPAL COURTS IN FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA USING DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS Authors: Hadis Bajrić, Edin Kadrić Abstract: This paper deals with the assesment of municipal courts efficiency in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H). The aim of the study is to determine difference in efficiency between municipal courts, to identify ineficient courts, and to give recommendations for improvement of the efficiency of ineficient courts. Efficiency analysis was conducted on the data obtained through primary collection directly from 31 FB&H municipal courts, for time period 2014-2016. The method used for assesment of courts efficiency is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The paper gives a brief theoretical overview of the DEA method, a review of the DEA literature related to the efficiency assessment of the courts in the world, and the comparison of the methodologies used in the reviewed studies with the methodology used in this study. The results of the DEA analysis were used to identify the most efficient, as well as ineficient courts, and to identify potentials for improvement of courts efficiency. Suggestions for improvement of the data collection system related to the work of the courts are given in this paper in order to increase the relevance of the analysis. Comparison of the courts efficiency and ranking of the courts are performed according to the courts efficiency in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and an aggregate for three-year period 2014-2016. Based on the estimated efficiency, a projection of increased number of resolved cases has been estimated, provided that all courts are efficient.

26

Authors: T S Nanjundeswaraswamy, D R Swamy, P Nagesh

In the present competitive, technology-driven environment, maintaining a talented workforce is the big challenge to the firms irrespective of their size and type. Through the proper scientific and systematic humanized job design by making an allowance for Quality of Work Life (QWL) interventions, it is possible to enhance the Employee Commitment (EC) under effective leadership in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The extent of literature has explored the role of Quality of Work Life in increasing employee commitment, on the other hand, there is a lack of research to explore and describe the need for this relationship. This study examines the mediating effect of leadership style in the association between QWL and Employee Commitment. By collecting data through the structured questionnaires from 1092 of employees of mechanical manufacturing SMEs in Bangalore City, Karnataka, India. The data were analyzed using SPSS 20 by considering Baron and Kenny mediation analysis method and Sobel test. The results indicated that Leadership Styles act as a significant partial mediator between QWL and Employee Commitment relationship. Mediation study was also conducted for selected four dimensions of QWL, Employee Commitment and Leadership Style to strengthen the results. The research finding will help the policymakers to understand the importance leadership styles in SMEs to decide the policies on QWL and EC and also it will help in designing intervention program to improve EC and QWL in SMEs.