Unveiling the impact of operational excellence practices on corporate performance: an exploratory research

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory research is to investigate the intricate relationship between hard and soft operational excellence (OPEX) practices within ten manufacturing organizations across diverse sectors, assessing their impact on various dimensions of corporate performance. Additionally, the study seeks to propose a structured theoretical framework. Design/methodology/approach: The study utilized a qualitative research design, incorporating multiple sources such as literature reviews, semi-structured interviews, organizational websites, internal documents, newspaper articles, social reports, relevant conference presentation booklets, business press and annual reports to gather data from manufacturing organizations. OPEX practices were collected from literature reviews and secondary sources. A cross-case comparison approach was employed using a 5-point Likert scale to analyze the data obtained from 45 semi-structured interviews with senior managers. Findings: The research identifies key OPEX practices and widely adopted performance metrics. It proposes a comprehensive theoretical framework for assessing the impact of OPEX practices on corporate performance, affirming that successful integration enhances competitiveness. The results establish a clear link between effective OPEX adoption and improved corporate performance across economic, operational, social, environmental and strategic dimensions. Practical implications: Through this study, researchers and project managers can benefit from a widely adopted list of OPEX practices, performance metrics and a proposed framework that will help them assess the impact of OPEX practices on different dimensions of corporate performance within their organizations. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this exploratory research is the first to identify and delve into the impact of OPEX practices across diverse organizations and sectors on various dimensions of corporate performance, including economic, operational, social, environmental and strategic perspectives.