Quality 4.0 practices and organizational performance: A meta-analysis from a dynamic capability perspective

Quality 4.0 reshapes quality management in the digital era. However, empirical findings on the relationship between Quality 4.0 practices and organizational performance are scattered and contradictory. To address this problem, this study aims to synthesize empirical evidence and clarify the strength and boundary conditions of the Quality 4.0–performance relationship. Drawing on Dynamic Capability Theory, we conducted a meta-analysis of 32 studies published between 2015 and 2025. The results show a significant positive correlation between Quality 4.0 practices and organizational performance, but this effect differs across practices and performance dimensions. Digital leadership and quality management digitalization appear to be the most stable drivers. Digital literacy has a significant influence on product quality, whereas quality big data and analytics do not have a significant direct effect on financial performance, suggesting delayed or indirect value realization. Most practice–performance relationships are subject to moderating factors. These results suggest that Quality 4.0 should be interpreted as a contingent system of dynamic capabilities facilitated by sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring microfoundations rather than as a set of digital practices that work universally. Researchers should explore moderators, mediating mechanisms, and practice complementarities, while managers and policymakers should prioritize digital leadership, workforce upskilling, capability assessment, and supportive quality infrastructure.