Mediating role of learning organization on the relationship between total quality management and operational performance in Brazilian manufacturers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of learning organization dimensions on the relationship between the implementation of total quality management practices and companies' operational performance improvement. Design/methodology/approach The authors carried out a cross-sector survey with 135 Brazilian manufacturing companies that have been implementing total quality management as an organizational strategy for at least five years. Collected data were analyzed using multivariate data analysis techniques. Findings The findings provide guidelines for manufacturers to increase their learning capability by reinforcing the implementation of total quality management practices, whose synergistic effects may be currently neglected. Results show that an enhanced organizational learning capability can significantly impact the improvement level of operational performance through the application of total quality management practices. Originality/value Several authors have investigated the relationship between total quality management implementation and learning organization aspects. However, most studies examined their relationship from a narrow perspective or under specific contexts, lacking empirical validation of their concurrent effect on operational performance improvement. The study aims at bridging this gap.