Professor Roy Ramphal | University of South Africa (original) (raw)
Uploads
Papers by Professor Roy Ramphal
Six Sigma is a data driven process improvement methodology used to achieve stable and predictable... more Six Sigma is a data driven process improvement methodology used to achieve stable and predictable process results by reducing process variation and defects. Lean is a process improvement methodology used to deliver products. These approaches started in manufacturing organisations and gained popularity in service organisations, including hotels and lodging. Over time, organisations began to use the approaches in an integrated fashion and called it Lean Six Sigma. This paper explores the literature regarding these approaches and proposes a framework for the integrated Lean Six Sigma methodology and a template for the hospitality industry. The framework consists of four phases, initiation, data management, improvement and freezing. The principal means to achieve good Six-Sigma quality levels is to pro-actively eradicate the reasons of process related problems manifesting prior to them becoming huge shortcomings in a hotel operation. The emphasis of Six-Sigma is thus on seeking out pros...
University academic performance is normally measured against criteria for teaching and learning, ... more University academic performance is normally measured against criteria for teaching and learning, research output, academic citizenship and more recently community engagement. Academics spend a considerable portion of their time on administration matters – at the expense of teaching and learning, research and community engagement time despite having administrative support staff available to support them. This use of their time on administrative matters affects their performance and effectiveness on their core functions. This problem is also exacerbated by declining governmental funding and by pressures from university management to increase research output in terms of completed studies of masters and doctorate candidates and publications in accredited journals as a means of supplementing the university income. This study supports the view that academics prefer a structure in which there is increased quality and increased effectiveness of administrative support services resulting in d...
In all organizations there needs to be a steady commitment to doing the best job possible and mak... more In all organizations there needs to be a steady commitment to doing the best job possible and making the best decisions. Six Sigma requires that the hotel guest be prioritized as the first step to effectively restore an issue of defective service that has been created by a service provider. Six Sigma then is a process of reducing defects by analyzing the methods and business processes of hotels, which are defective in terms of efficacy, and then crafting high quality ideal products and services. Where there are defective processes and services, strategies for change and improvement should be introduced and endorsed, so as to meet and exceed customer needs towards excellence. Quality issues in hospitality can inter-alia arise from poorly trained or un-committed employees, defective equipment, ineffective management within a department, or the organization as a whole. Ethical issues can arise when Six Sigma is implemented and managed. Desired progress cannot be attained unless signifi...
Many South African organizations including those in tourism and hospitality sectors are aware abo... more Many South African organizations including those in tourism and hospitality sectors are aware about the launching of the revised ISO 9001:2015 and are concerned as to how the changes will affect them. Some of the reasons for these changes are due to the changing quality systems and technology, a more dynamic business environment, decrease emphasis on documented procedures, move to a culture of risk management, cater for the service industries, promote integration with other standards and ultimately increase value for the organization.Articles in various editions of Quality Progress have indicated that the revised standard will have ten major sections, seven principles of quality, simpler terminology, a more generic format to allow the alignment with other standards and attractive to service centered organizations. The implementation of the standard will include such processes as for risk management, change management, information management, innovation management and strategy manage...
The purpose of this paper is to identify related literature and cases regarding the management of... more The purpose of this paper is to identify related literature and cases regarding the management of quality in the hospitality industry. It appears that Parasuraman‟s gap model between expectations and delivery still appears to be the foundation of quality methodology in this sector. An understanding of the differences in the applied dimensions of quality between goods and services is critical. Quality in the service industry is highly employee centred and quality experienced at the point of consumption. The article concludes with how the popular quality frameworks could be used in the hospitality environment.
International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2019
The focus in this paper is on integration and combination, as two important concepts in managemen... more The focus in this paper is on integration and combination, as two important concepts in management systems. In this paper, a definition of integration and combination as related to business management is proposed. The lack of resolution can be extrapolated to basic dissimilarities in the competing resource-based perspectives on strategy and the application of strategy typologies based on those standpoints. A comprehensive literature review will be conducted. The authors identify a high-level meta synthesis of integration and combination definitions as related to business management. The findings argue that there are remarkable differences, but also similarities between the analyses of Schumpeter and Anderson's theories of integration and combination.
Fraud is a deliberate misrepresentation of evidence which causes another person or organisation t... more Fraud is a deliberate misrepresentation of evidence which causes another person or organisation to suffer damages, usually monetary losses. There are at least as many types of fraud as there are types of people who commit it. Fraud costs the economy an enormous amount. Fraud happens when somebody uses deception to obtain goods, services or money.
The hospitality and tourism industry is growing rapidly globally and will be faced with a huge in... more The hospitality and tourism industry is growing rapidly globally and will be faced with a huge influx of customers. Since this industry is also dependent on word-of-mouth and customer reviews to attract customers, it is important that visiting customers are satisfied with their experiences. On the flip side any public knowledge of bad experiences can damage the reputation of the organisation and this should be avoided at all costs. Some studies have suggested that companies that operate welldesigned complaints-handling processes may experience higher levels of customer retention and loyalty. Recent thinking suggests that organisations should encourage complaints as this first-hand information and experiences from the customer can add value to the organisation if it is managed efficiently and effectively. Such a system must firstly be supported with an appropriate culture, commitment, facilities and personnel open to managing complaints and secondly for ensuring customer centric proc...
International journal Productvity and Quality Management, 2020
The focus in this paper is on integration and combination, as two important concepts in managemen... more The focus in this paper is on integration and combination, as two important concepts in management systems. In this paper, a definition of integration and combination as related to business management is proposed. The lack of resolution can be extrapolated to basic dissimilarities in the competing resource-based perspectives on strategy and the application of strategy typologies based on those standpoints. A comprehensive literature review will be conducted. The authors identify a high-level meta synthesis of integration and combination definitions as related to business management. The findings argue that there are remarkable differences, but also similarities between the analyses of Schumpeter and Anderson's theories of integration and combination.
Drafts by Professor Roy Ramphal
Daily News, 2019
May 31, 2019 | Daily News (Durban, South Africa) | Page 10 ORGANISAT IONS that compete in complex... more May 31, 2019 | Daily News (Durban, South Africa) | Page 10 ORGANISAT IONS that compete in complex and tumultuous economies still believe quality remains an important aspect of competitiveness. T he conditions for managing quality, however, grow more difficult as organisations strive to meet customer and societal requirements in a fast, global and demanding environment while at the same time delivering value to shareholders. Yet the quest for quality may be nothing short of lip-service if the ability, capability, effectiveness and efficiency of the quality manager is not monitored. When there is a failure of quality management, the results can be disastrous for both the company and the public that consume or use products in good faith. Consumers might endure pain and suffering, injury or even death. Companies could lose millions in earnings through having to fend off lawsuits as well as suffering irreparable damage to their brand. Despite the obvious risks that poor quality management can play in corporations, the issue of how quality management is implemented and continually organised is not clearly articulated, nor who should be driving it. T here is a view that as society becomes increasingly dependent on technological systems to support daily activities, there will be an increasing need for dedicated quality managers to ensure the optimal performance of products and services. Research indicates that quality managers of the future should possess strong business acumen combined with an ability to build a customer-centric approach into the entire fabric of the organisation, and be adept at driving quality by leveraging customised business models. Quality managers must have in-depth and up-to-date knowledge, and tools to be effective and efficient. In South Africa there is only one formal university programme in quality management and is offered at postgraduate level. Informal programmes are generally held over a few days as part of a full-time class and are presented by trainers who have relevant quality management experience but may lack academic exposure. T here are just two private professional associations for quality managers, which are by necessity self-funded. T hese are the Southern African Society for Quality, which is able to assist companies in the evaluation and development of quality practitioners, and the Southern African Auditor and T raining Certification Authority-for management system auditors.
Six Sigma is a data driven process improvement methodology used to achieve stable and predictable... more Six Sigma is a data driven process improvement methodology used to achieve stable and predictable process results by reducing process variation and defects. Lean is a process improvement methodology used to deliver products. These approaches started in manufacturing organisations and gained popularity in service organisations, including hotels and lodging. Over time, organisations began to use the approaches in an integrated fashion and called it Lean Six Sigma. This paper explores the literature regarding these approaches and proposes a framework for the integrated Lean Six Sigma methodology and a template for the hospitality industry. The framework consists of four phases, initiation, data management, improvement and freezing. The principal means to achieve good Six-Sigma quality levels is to pro-actively eradicate the reasons of process related problems manifesting prior to them becoming huge shortcomings in a hotel operation. The emphasis of Six-Sigma is thus on seeking out pros...
University academic performance is normally measured against criteria for teaching and learning, ... more University academic performance is normally measured against criteria for teaching and learning, research output, academic citizenship and more recently community engagement. Academics spend a considerable portion of their time on administration matters – at the expense of teaching and learning, research and community engagement time despite having administrative support staff available to support them. This use of their time on administrative matters affects their performance and effectiveness on their core functions. This problem is also exacerbated by declining governmental funding and by pressures from university management to increase research output in terms of completed studies of masters and doctorate candidates and publications in accredited journals as a means of supplementing the university income. This study supports the view that academics prefer a structure in which there is increased quality and increased effectiveness of administrative support services resulting in d...
In all organizations there needs to be a steady commitment to doing the best job possible and mak... more In all organizations there needs to be a steady commitment to doing the best job possible and making the best decisions. Six Sigma requires that the hotel guest be prioritized as the first step to effectively restore an issue of defective service that has been created by a service provider. Six Sigma then is a process of reducing defects by analyzing the methods and business processes of hotels, which are defective in terms of efficacy, and then crafting high quality ideal products and services. Where there are defective processes and services, strategies for change and improvement should be introduced and endorsed, so as to meet and exceed customer needs towards excellence. Quality issues in hospitality can inter-alia arise from poorly trained or un-committed employees, defective equipment, ineffective management within a department, or the organization as a whole. Ethical issues can arise when Six Sigma is implemented and managed. Desired progress cannot be attained unless signifi...
Many South African organizations including those in tourism and hospitality sectors are aware abo... more Many South African organizations including those in tourism and hospitality sectors are aware about the launching of the revised ISO 9001:2015 and are concerned as to how the changes will affect them. Some of the reasons for these changes are due to the changing quality systems and technology, a more dynamic business environment, decrease emphasis on documented procedures, move to a culture of risk management, cater for the service industries, promote integration with other standards and ultimately increase value for the organization.Articles in various editions of Quality Progress have indicated that the revised standard will have ten major sections, seven principles of quality, simpler terminology, a more generic format to allow the alignment with other standards and attractive to service centered organizations. The implementation of the standard will include such processes as for risk management, change management, information management, innovation management and strategy manage...
The purpose of this paper is to identify related literature and cases regarding the management of... more The purpose of this paper is to identify related literature and cases regarding the management of quality in the hospitality industry. It appears that Parasuraman‟s gap model between expectations and delivery still appears to be the foundation of quality methodology in this sector. An understanding of the differences in the applied dimensions of quality between goods and services is critical. Quality in the service industry is highly employee centred and quality experienced at the point of consumption. The article concludes with how the popular quality frameworks could be used in the hospitality environment.
International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2019
The focus in this paper is on integration and combination, as two important concepts in managemen... more The focus in this paper is on integration and combination, as two important concepts in management systems. In this paper, a definition of integration and combination as related to business management is proposed. The lack of resolution can be extrapolated to basic dissimilarities in the competing resource-based perspectives on strategy and the application of strategy typologies based on those standpoints. A comprehensive literature review will be conducted. The authors identify a high-level meta synthesis of integration and combination definitions as related to business management. The findings argue that there are remarkable differences, but also similarities between the analyses of Schumpeter and Anderson's theories of integration and combination.
Fraud is a deliberate misrepresentation of evidence which causes another person or organisation t... more Fraud is a deliberate misrepresentation of evidence which causes another person or organisation to suffer damages, usually monetary losses. There are at least as many types of fraud as there are types of people who commit it. Fraud costs the economy an enormous amount. Fraud happens when somebody uses deception to obtain goods, services or money.
The hospitality and tourism industry is growing rapidly globally and will be faced with a huge in... more The hospitality and tourism industry is growing rapidly globally and will be faced with a huge influx of customers. Since this industry is also dependent on word-of-mouth and customer reviews to attract customers, it is important that visiting customers are satisfied with their experiences. On the flip side any public knowledge of bad experiences can damage the reputation of the organisation and this should be avoided at all costs. Some studies have suggested that companies that operate welldesigned complaints-handling processes may experience higher levels of customer retention and loyalty. Recent thinking suggests that organisations should encourage complaints as this first-hand information and experiences from the customer can add value to the organisation if it is managed efficiently and effectively. Such a system must firstly be supported with an appropriate culture, commitment, facilities and personnel open to managing complaints and secondly for ensuring customer centric proc...
International journal Productvity and Quality Management, 2020
The focus in this paper is on integration and combination, as two important concepts in managemen... more The focus in this paper is on integration and combination, as two important concepts in management systems. In this paper, a definition of integration and combination as related to business management is proposed. The lack of resolution can be extrapolated to basic dissimilarities in the competing resource-based perspectives on strategy and the application of strategy typologies based on those standpoints. A comprehensive literature review will be conducted. The authors identify a high-level meta synthesis of integration and combination definitions as related to business management. The findings argue that there are remarkable differences, but also similarities between the analyses of Schumpeter and Anderson's theories of integration and combination.
Daily News, 2019
May 31, 2019 | Daily News (Durban, South Africa) | Page 10 ORGANISAT IONS that compete in complex... more May 31, 2019 | Daily News (Durban, South Africa) | Page 10 ORGANISAT IONS that compete in complex and tumultuous economies still believe quality remains an important aspect of competitiveness. T he conditions for managing quality, however, grow more difficult as organisations strive to meet customer and societal requirements in a fast, global and demanding environment while at the same time delivering value to shareholders. Yet the quest for quality may be nothing short of lip-service if the ability, capability, effectiveness and efficiency of the quality manager is not monitored. When there is a failure of quality management, the results can be disastrous for both the company and the public that consume or use products in good faith. Consumers might endure pain and suffering, injury or even death. Companies could lose millions in earnings through having to fend off lawsuits as well as suffering irreparable damage to their brand. Despite the obvious risks that poor quality management can play in corporations, the issue of how quality management is implemented and continually organised is not clearly articulated, nor who should be driving it. T here is a view that as society becomes increasingly dependent on technological systems to support daily activities, there will be an increasing need for dedicated quality managers to ensure the optimal performance of products and services. Research indicates that quality managers of the future should possess strong business acumen combined with an ability to build a customer-centric approach into the entire fabric of the organisation, and be adept at driving quality by leveraging customised business models. Quality managers must have in-depth and up-to-date knowledge, and tools to be effective and efficient. In South Africa there is only one formal university programme in quality management and is offered at postgraduate level. Informal programmes are generally held over a few days as part of a full-time class and are presented by trainers who have relevant quality management experience but may lack academic exposure. T here are just two private professional associations for quality managers, which are by necessity self-funded. T hese are the Southern African Society for Quality, which is able to assist companies in the evaluation and development of quality practitioners, and the Southern African Auditor and T raining Certification Authority-for management system auditors.