SUMMARY OF THE THESIS
Title: “Model of evaluation and diagnosis of management excellence based on the Balanced Scorecard and the EFQM Excellence Model®. Application to financial entities”
Author: 	Ana Mª Martínez-Vilanova Martínez
Director: Dr. D. Manuel Rodenes Adam
This thesis is part of the investigation project SOCOTE financed by CICYT under reference number DPI2002-04342-C05-5 and titled “Design and implementation of a decision support system of process management”. This project has been managed by the research group ITIO, which  belongs to the Department of Business Organization, and INECO (Centre of Economic  Engineering) of the Polytechnic University of Valencia in cooperation with AITEX  (Association of the Textile Industry), ITI (Institute of Information Technology), CONFEVAL (Confederación de Cooperativas de Valencia) and the Organization of the Rural Banks of the state of Valencia. Furthermore University of Murcia, University of Cantabria and Polytechnic University of Cataluña are involved.
This research develops a self-diagnosis tool based on the Balanced Scorecard Model and a modified EFQM Excellence Model® for small and medium businesses. The purpose is to identify and single out critical variables and thereby assist in making decisions in the managerial process. It is a  continuation of previous research projects to provide small and medium businesses with a tool for self-diagnosis of cause variables (Leadership, Policy and Strategy, Quality of Sales Management, People, Partnerships and Resources, Information Management, and Processes) and effect variables (Customer Results, Sales Management Results, People Results, Society Results  and Key Performance Results). 
A detailed revision of the bibliography on models and related projects has been made, adapting the research to financial entities. The field work has been carried out by an automated system using the Internet. Twenty five financial entities have participated in the survey. This tool provides immediately a diagnosis of each entity with respect to the Balanced Scorecard and the EFQM Excellence Model®.
The hypothesis of the relationship between cause and effect in both models were verified.
In addition the strategic profiles corresponding to the value proposal for the client (Operational Excellence, Product Leadership and Customer Intimacy) and the actual situation of the three strategies of each entity have been analysed.