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Abstract
In this article, I present the rationale and evidence pertinent to the utility of the Cube One Framework for achieving organizational excellence. Three factors contribute to the uniqueness of the Cube One framework: (1) the reliance on measuring the frequency of enacted practices (as contrasted to the traditional emphasis on stated policies, leadership philosophies, and mission statements); (2) the empirical examination of practices directed toward satisfying the needs of three separate stakeholders—funders, customers, and employees–customers consistently being neglected from lists of High-Performance Work Practices which focus solely on productivity and employee satisfaction; and (3) the capability of performing an empirically-based diagnosis of organizational strengths and opportunities for improvement. I offer three types of evidence: survey data collected in four studies conducted in three countries–where results are (surprisingly) slightly stronger for organizations in the nonprofit/government sectors as compared to for-profit companies; longitudinal stock market valuations using a sample of America’s Most Admired Companies per Fortune Magazine; and seven case studies of prominent organizations such as Google, Four Seasons Hotels, and Mayo Clinic.
The Cube One framework posits that successful organizations enact practices that help accomplish the aims of three key stakeholders: investors/taxpayers, customers, and employees. The interests of these parties require organizations to be efficient (productive) with regard to the use of all resources, to provide goods/services which promote customer satisfaction and loyalty, and to enact human resource practices which sustain employee satisfaction/loyalty. In brief, as Tsoukas and Chia put it (2002: 577, emphasis in original), organizations do not simply work; they are made to work.