A model for sustainable business excellence: implementation and the roadmap

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a holistic model for reviewing business excellence (BE) concepts from a systemic perspective and to propose an implementation guideline intending to fill the gap between theory and practice of systems thinking in quality management. Design/methodology/approach The research is an exploratory investigation into the business excellence implementation based on systems thinking. After an exhaustive review of literature about BE implementation frameworks, critical barriers and success factors, system‐based integration models and change management models, a methodology was developed which describes the process of designing and implementing a sustainable BE. Findings The outcome of this research is a roadmap of BE implementation for sustaining organizational excellence obtained from a meta‐model proposed in this study. Practical implications The findings of this study are relevant to all different sized organizations, in different sectors and industries, for managing dynamic and complex processes in order to guarantee a sustainable BE. Originality/value The paper presents a unique roadmap for implementing BE in the light of systems thinking; such a roadmap has not been addressed in previous publications. When used properly, this roadmap can direct organizations toward sustainable excellence.