Notes that quality management practices of leading firms have increasingly been considered benchmarks for other companies in quest of successful competitive technologies. Shares the most relevant findings of the authors’ study on key quality practices of leading firms in Brazil. Includes...

The resources department has introduced a wide range of initiatives to achieve quality management with the aim of delivering quality services to customers. Research has shown an improvement in quality management and a commitment to further improvement. Notable improvements include a change to...

Provides a case study of total quality implementation at a company which designs, manufactures and installs safety and control systems, employing over 1,000 staff worldwide. Reports on each stage of the implementation, noting the involvement of a university in the cultural analysis of the...

In today’s competitive environment, global competition has forced many companies to seek ways in which to improve their manufacturing performance. Describes a case study of a small/medium subcontract jobbing shop situated in the industrial heart of North West England, and explains how, despite...

Reward and recognition systems for individual employees remain one of the controversial areas of quality management. Previous discussions on this aspect of quality management, although recognizing their importance, often attribute failure of the system to the method of implementation. This...

It has been said sometimes in recent years that “quality assurance is the assurance of quality: quality management is the quality of management”. The key factors of success for the proper implementation of a quality management program in any organization lie within that statement. Quality...

This article explores the linkage between trust and quality in the modern, competitive organization. Essentially it brings out the point that quality and trust are inextricably linked with each other and that organizations should work on building cultures of trust, not cultures of distrust, for...

Conceptually argues that quality is a cognitive issue and a process of continuous innovation. Adoption of such innovations requires understanding of the nature of an organisation and its customers’ cognitive domains. The conceptual arguments presented in this paper illustrate that integration...

Looks at organizational culture in part 1 of a series on cultural change. Discusses how understanding the importance and dynamics of organisational culture is critical if a TQM initiative is to be successful. Asserts that senior officers who over‐emphasise the application of systems to the...

Explains how companies such as Milliken, have turned their minds to quality. Discusses how the inability to change basic assumptions guiding a company, helps explain why so many quality initiatives fail. Asserts the mindset challenge is to shift the focus of change from the manipulation of...