نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 گروه ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد علوم و تحقیقات تهران، تهران، ایران
2 گروه ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی، دانشکده کشاورزی و منابع طبیعی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی ، واحد علوم و تحقیقات تهران
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
Title: Evaluating Organizational Performance: An Analysis of Kowsar Agricultural Investment Company through the EFQM Excellence Model and Structural Equation Modeling
Abstract
In the contemporary era, characterized by rapid and continuous global transformation, the capacity to convert innovative ideas into tangible wealth through the application of technological principles has acquired paramount importance. This process is fundamental to sustaining competitive advantage and ensuring long-term organizational viability within dynamic economic landscapes. In alignment with this imperative, the present research is dedicated to a rigorous evaluation of the performance and efficacy of the Kowsar Agricultural Investment Company, utilizing the comprehensive framework provided by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model. This model serves as a holistic diagnostic tool for assessing organizational health and guiding strategic improvement.
The statistical population identified for this study encompassed the entirety of managers and employees within the Kowsar Agricultural Holding. To determine a representative sample size from this population, Morgan's table was employed, yielding a calculated sample of 350 individuals. This group provided the primary data necessary for a robust analysis. The methodological approach adopted for this inquiry involved the analysis and examination of the role of corporate excellence, grounded in a modeling approach utilizing the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method, a variant of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). This technique is particularly suited for predictive research models and situations where data may not adhere strictly to normal distribution.
The procedural and principled process of data analysis was executed through the integrated use of specialized statistical software packages, namely SPSS26 for preliminary descriptive and inferential statistical computations, and Smart-PLS3 for the more advanced path modeling and confirmatory analysis required by the PLS-SEM approach. Guided by the established theoretical framework and the selected methodology, the research was systematically conducted through a sequence of interconnected steps. The initial phase involved the processing and analysis of data collected from the distributed questionnaires within the subject company. This dataset underwent a two-tiered evaluative examination: first, through descriptive statistics to summarize and describe the basic features of the data, and second, through inferential statistics to draw conclusions and test hypotheses about the larger population based on the sample.
Furthermore, to gain a clear visual understanding of the company's performance profile across the various components of the EFQM model, the scores for these components were meticulously calculated and examined using a radar chart. This graphical tool effectively illustrated strengths and potential areas for improvement across different criteria. Subsequently, a more sophisticated analysis of the dimensions constituting the organizational excellence model was undertaken via second-order confirmatory factor analysis. This advanced statistical procedure served to validate the measurement model, confirming the latent constructs and their relationships as posited by the EFQM framework, thereby substantiating the research's conceptual model and ensuring the integrity of the measured variables.
Finally, grounded in the empirical results derived from this multi-stage analytical process, the study culminates in the presentation of actionable recommendations aimed at enhancing organizational performance. These proposals are designed to address specific gaps and leverage opportunities identified through the assessment. Key suggestions include a focused and strategic emphasis on investing in the core human capital dimensions of empowerment, cooperation, participation, responsibility, commitment, and employee loyalty. A second critical recommendation involves the concrete operationalization and institutionalization of practices related to the empowerment of both employees and specialists. This entails delegating meaningful responsibility to them, thereby creating a structured channel for the introduction and assimilation of new managerial ideas and theories into the organizational fabric. Such an environment fosters innovation and continuous improvement.
It is anticipated that this research, by furnishing a tailored diagnostic-analytical model rooted in the EFQM paradigm, will provide the company's leadership with a quantitative and qualitative mechanism to precisely identify the existing gaps between the 'Enablers' (leadership, strategy, people, partnerships, processes) and the 'Results' (people, customer, society, business) within their operations. This clarity will, in turn, enable a more efficient and targeted allocation of resources for improvement initiatives, directing efforts towards strategic weaknesses, particularly those evident in the realms of customer and personnel results. By doing so, the study aspires to contribute to a pathway of sustainable excellence for Kowsar Agricultural Investment Company in an increasingly competitive and technology-driven agricultural sector.
Keywords: Evaluation of Performance- EFQM- Agriculture Industry- Confirmatory factor analysis-Structural equation modeling (PLS)- Organizational excellence
کلیدواژهها [English]
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