ISSUES IN QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Issues in Quality Management

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of “Quality Management” in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on the concept of Quality management and its relation with organizational performance and progression. The research also analyzes many aspects of quality management and tries to gauge its effect on the account of employee performance. Finally the research describes various factors which are responsible for quality management and tries to narrate to the readers regarding what measures should be undertaken in order to maintain the quality of the overall performance delivered by both the employees and the overall organization.

Table of Contents

Quality management: Issues & Resolutions

Introduction

Quality has been defined strongly for understanding and comprehending all avenues and areas of organizational development, creating substitutes and alternatives that would escalate organizational progression and at the same time make an effective team that shall be the unexpected levels and benchmarks set by renowned organizations around the world. Quality, in terms of definition, has been defined as the non-inferiority or superiority of an object, good, unit or commodity, that may create, a benchmark or standard for the remaining or existing products available in the market (good) or for intangible commodities that are being delivered (service). In the quality domain, various improvement efforts have failed to improve health care outcomes, and sometimes even done more harm than good. In addition to the above traits of quality, it is also being defined as the degree of the good or service with which the product or service can meet and 'satisfy' the customer expectations (Bakos, 2000).

Total quality management is a philosophy and a set of guiding principles that represent the foundation of an organization in continuous improvement. Total quality management is the application of quantitative methods and human resources to improve the material and services provided to an organization, processes within the organization, and responding to consumer needs in the present and future. Total quality management integrates fundamental management methods with the existing improvement efforts and technical resources in a revised approach, focused on continuous improvement. For the Japanese, quality means to be "suitable for consumer use." Technical innovation is proposed to correct the product from the consumer standpoint and not an end in itself (Buch and Rivers, 2001).

One of the principles of Japanese management is total quality control (TQC), which in its early development was an emphasis on quality control process. This has evolved into a system that covers all aspects of management, and is now known as Total Quality Management (TQM). Total quality management is a way of continually improving performance in all operational levels in each functional area of an organization, using all human and capital resources. The improvement is aimed at achieving broad goals such as cost, quality, market share, projects and growth (Crosby, 1979).

Quality management is a delicate process that is subject to competing values and strong ambivalences. Its effects in terms of improvement of educational quality are ...