Showing papers on "Quality (business) published in 1995"

Total quality management as competitive advantage: A review and empirical study

Abstract: Total Quality Management (TQM) has become, according to one source, ‘as pervasive a part of business thinking as quarterly financial results,’ and yet TQM's role as a strategic resource remains virtually unexamined in strategic management research. Drawing on the resource approach and other theoretical perspectives, this article examines TQM as a potential source of sustainable competitive advantage, reviews existing empirical evidence, and reports findings from a new empirical study of TQM's performance consequences. The findings suggest that most features generally associated with TQM—such as quality training, process improvement, and benchmarking—do not generally produce advantage, but that certain tacit, behavioral, imperfectly imitable features—such as open culture, employee empowerment, and executive commitment—can produce advantage. The author concludes that these tacit resources, and not TQM tools and techniques, drive TQM success, and that organizations that acquire them can outperform competitors with or without the accompanying TQM ideology.

Emerging Criteria for Quality in Qualitative and Interpretive Research

Abstract: Not only are the boundaries of interpretive research as yet undefined, but criteria for judging the quality of such research are even more fluid and emergent. Developing criteria are nominated and ...

Return on quality (ROQ): Making service quality financially accountable

Abstract: Many companies have been disappointed by a lack of results from their quality efforts. The financial benefits of quality, which had been assumed as a matter of faith in the “religion of quality,” are now being seriously questioned by cost-cutting executives, who cite the highly publicized financial failures of some companies prominent in the quality movement. In this increasingly results-oriented environment, managers must now justify their quality improvement efforts financially. The authors present the “return on quality” approach, which is based on the assumptions that (1) quality is an investment, (2) quality efforts must be financially accountable, (3) it is possible to spend too much on quality, and (4) not all quality expenditures are equally valid. The authors then provide a managerial framework that can be used to guide quality improvement efforts. This framework has several attractive features, including ensured managerial relevance and financial accountability.

The determinants of service quality: satisfiers and dissatisfiers

Abstract: Briefly describes five current debates in the service quality literature. One debate, of importance to operations academics and managers, is the identification of the determinants of service quality. Seeks to investigate whether there are some quality determinants that are predominantly satisfiers and others that are predominantly dissatisfiers. The analysis is based on 579 anecdotes, from personal account customers of a major UK bank, collected using the critical incident technique. The study′s main findings are that the predominantly satisfying determinants are attentiveness, responsiveness, care and friendliness; and the dissatisfiers are integrity, reliability, responsiveness, availability and functionality. Responsiveness is identified as a crucial determinant of quality as it is a frequent source of satisfaction, and the lack of it is a major source of dissatisfaction. Contrary to the existing literature, shows that the causes of dissatisfaction are not necessarily the obverse of the causes of satis...

Dineserv: A Tool for Measuring Service Quality in Restaurants

Abstract: Dining consumers determine which restaurants meet their quality and value standards. Restaurateurs who fail to measure up will soon see declining customer counts as guests switch to competing restaurants. “Dineserv” is proposed as a reliable, relatively simple tool for determining how consumers view a restaurant's quality. The 29-item Dineserv questionnaire comprises service-quality standards that fall into five categories: assurance, empathy, reliability, responsiveness, and tangibles. By administering the Dineserv questionnaire to guests, a restaurant operator can get a reading on how customers view the restaurant's quality, identify where problems are, and get an inkling of how to resolve them. Dineserv also provides restaurateurs with a quantified measure of what consumers expect in a restaurant. Those expectations are important, because unfulfilled expectations drive guests away.

A framework for analysis of data quality research

Abstract: Organizational databases are pervaded with data of poor quality. However, there has not been an analysis of the data quality literature that provides an overall understanding of the state-of-art research in this area. Using an analogy between product manufacturing and data manufacturing, this paper develops a framework for analyzing data quality research, and uses it as the basis for organizing the data quality literature. This framework consists of seven elements: management responsibilities, operation and assurance costs, research and development, production, distribution, personnel management, and legal function. The analysis reveals that most research efforts focus on operation and assurance costs, research and development, and production of data products. Unexplored research topics and unresolved issues are identified and directions for future research provided. >

Total Quality Management: Text with Cases

Abstract: Part 1 The foundation - a model for TQM: understanding quality commitment and leadership design for quality case studies - TQM in R&D at Esso Research Centre, Exxon Chemical. Part 2 TQM - the role of the quality system: planning for quality quality systems quality system audit/review and self-assessment case studies - Carnaud MetalBox Foodcan PLC, Prudential Assurance Co. Part 3 The tools and the improvement cycle: measurement of quality tools and techniques for quality improvement additional techniques for process improvement case studies - Short Brothers, Hills Industries. Part 4 The organizational, communication and teamwork requirements: organization for quality culture change through teamwork for quality case studies - Pirelli Communication Cables, Thomas Cook SML. Part 5 TQM - the implementation: communications and training for quality implementation of TQM and the management of change case study - The University of Bradford Management Centre. Appendices: three American gurus TQM bibliography.

Measuring usability as quality of use

Abstract: The conventional assumption that quality is an attribute of a product is misleading, as the attributes required for quality will depend on how the product is used. Quality of use is therefore defined as the extent to which a product satisfies stated and implied needs when used under stated conditions. Quality of use can be used to measure usability as the extent to which specific goals can be achieved with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction by specified users carrying out specified tasks in specified environments. Practical and reliable methods of measuring quality of use have been developed by the MUSiC project. These provide criteria for usability which can be incorporated into a quality system. A description is given of the MUSiC methods for specifying the context of use and measuring effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.

Signaling Quality with a Money-Back Guarantee: The Role of Transaction Costs

Abstract: Direct marketing is witnessing explosive growth. As consumers increasingly purchase products from their homes, their ability to judge the quality of products they buy is significantly reduced. In this paper we study how money-back guarantees can signal product quality in such environments. We interpret product quality broadly to mean both the level of attributes promised as well as the firm's consistency in delivering on those promises. Key aspects of our formulation are the explicit consideration of transaction costs, and alternative signals of product quality. Transaction costs are the costs the seller or buyer faces when redeeming a money-back guarantee. We show that money-back guarantees signal quality by exploiting the higher probability of returns for a lower quality product, and the attendant higher transaction costs. However, if the seller's transaction costs are very large, then there are less costly ways to signal, namely charging a high price. We compare the signaling performance of 1 price, 2 price with uninformative advertising, and 3 price with a money-back guarantee. Whereas uninformative advertising does not work at all in our model, under certain conditions a money-back guarantee is necessary to signal, and under other conditions, a money-back guarantee is a useful supplement to price.

Manufacturing Strategy: Testing the Cumulative Model in a Multiple Country Context*

Abstract: This study statistically tests the cumulative model for the building of manufacturing capabilities by comparing and contrasting the manufacturing strategies of 265 North. American, 129 European, and 167 Korean factories by region. The cumulative model suggests that better performing competitors build one manufacturing capability upon another in a sequential, cumulative fashion—starting first with quality, followed by dependability, delivery, cost efficiency, flexibility, and lastly, innovation. The primary findings of this exploratory study are as follows: (1) the data yielded some evidence for the cumulative model, with the Korean data being the most supportive of the model; (2) North American, European, and Korean managers take different approaches to improved competitiveness; and (3) rather than focusing on one or two capabilities, better performing firms generally compete on the basis of multiple capabilities. That quality is not only at the base of the cumulative model but is often among the multiple capabilities shows the importance of quality management globally.

Team-Member Exchange Under Team and Traditional Management: A Naturally Occurring Quasi-Experiment

Abstract: The quality of exchange relationships between work teams and their members was assessed for 103 manufacturing workers. Higher levels of team-member exchange quality, as well as of cohesiveness, sat...

A study of measuring the critical factors of quality management

Abstract: Saraph et al systematically attempted to organize and synthesize the various perceptions offered by other authors on the critical factors of quality management The authors provided a synthesis of the quality literature by identifying eight critical factors of quality management in a business unit They stated that the measures were both valid and reliable In the light of this, empirically tests their resulting instrument to a greater extent and from an international perspective The instrument of the operational measures of the developed factors is tested for reliability and validity using data collected from 424 general managers and quality managers in the United Arab Emirates Results provide strong evidence that the measures are judged to be both valid and reliable The empirical replication on a more broadly based sample provides further corroboration of Saraph et al’s results Examines the level of practice of factors of quality management in the UAE Suggests that better use of the instrument is

Business process management: survey and methodology

Abstract: Due to the growing concern about the competitiveness of US industry in the international marketplace, several initiatives are now underway to enhance the competitive posture of the nation's firms. Many companies are engaged in assessing ways in which their productivity, product quality, and operations can be improved. A relatively new area of such improvements is business process management (BPM). BPM can be any structured approach used to analyze and continually improve fundamental activities, such as manufacturing, marketing, communications, and other major elements of a company's operation. This paper describes a generic step-by-step method for BPM which encompasses methods employed in industry from incremental improvements to reengineering. To better understand BPM, the authors have conducted a survey of major US companies on their approaches to process quality assessment. This report summarizes the findings of the survey and work with a number of leading companies, and may be useful to quality managers and others involved in total quality management, continuous improvement, or reengineering efforts. Due to the interest in BPM, a number of methods and tools, including software, have been used or developed to aid in its implementation. The authors relate some of these methods and tools to the individual steps of the generic BPM method. >

The Relationship Between Quality, Satisfaction, and Recommending Behavior in Lodging Decisions

Abstract: A path model is developed and tested that relates customers' perceptions of performance on multiple dimensions to the perceived level of overall quality possessed by the property, satisfaction with the lodging experience, and their willingness to provide positive word-of-mouth (WOM). Results suggest that customers' intentions to provide positive WOM primarily are a function of their perceptions of the overall quality of the property, rather than their expressed level of satisfaction with the stay. Logistic regression was employed to determine those specific quality and satisfaction dimensions most responsible for willingness to recommend the property. These variables included the general appearance of the property, perceived value associated with the stay, willingness of employees to listen, and the degree to which the property provided a safe environment.

Schooling, Labor Force Quality, and Economic Growth

Abstract: Human capital is almost always identified as a crucial ingredient for growing economies, but empirical investigations of cross-national growth have done little to clarify the dimensions of relevant human capital or any implications for policy. This paper concentrates on the importance of labor force quality, measured by cognitive skills in mathematics and science. By linking international test scores across countries, a direct measure of quality is developed, and this proves to have a strong and robust influence on growth. One standard deviation in measured cognitive skills translates into one percent difference in average annual real growth ratesþan effect much stronger than changes in average years of schooling, the more standard quantity measure of labor force skills. Further, the estimated growth effects of improved labor force quality are very robust to the precise specification of the regressions. The use of measures of quality significantly improves the predictions of growth rates, particularly at the high and low ends of the distribution. The importance of quality implies a policy dilemma, because production function estimates indicate that simple resource approaches to improving cognitive skills appear generally ineffective.

The delivery and control of quality in supplier-producer contracts

Abstract: We model the effect of contract parameters such as price rebates and after-sales warranty costs on the choice of quality by a supplier, the inspection policy of a producer, and the resulting end product quality. Both noncooperative and cooperative settings are explored. The paper’s contribution is to highlight the importance of strategic and contractual issues in quality management.

Global Measures of Information Service Quality: A Cross‐National Study

Abstract: Maintaining consistently high quality information services (IS) is a powerful means of increasing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of a global enterprise. This study introduces a global Information Services Function (ISF) Quality Framework that outlines the importance of both behavioral and procedural dimensions in planning, implementing and evaluating global IS quality. Based on this framework, the study investigates the cross-national psychometric properties of a behavioral measure of service quality in the IS context. Using a cross-national survey of IS customers from Korea, Hong Kong, the United States and the Netherlands, perceived ISF service quality was measured using a service quality measure (SERVQUAL) to determine cultural affects. Based on confirmatory factor analysis, support was found for four of the original five SERVQUAL quality dimensions in the U.S.A. and the Netherlands. However, the same four-dimensional measurement model did not fit the Hong Kong and Korean samples. Further factor analysis showed that the Hong Kong and Korean samples shared a somewhat similar factor structure that differs from the shared U.S.A. and Netherlands structure. These findings support previous research that has found an “Asian factor'’with differing definitions of IS Service quality. These findings suggest that the feasibility of standardized global ISF measurement depends heavily on the relative magnitude of cultural effects. Rather than merely applying the U.S.A. ISF/SERVQUAL measure, a localized version of the instrument may need to be developed that captures the unique nature of ISF service perceptions in internationally based subsidiaries or companies.

Maintenance and quality: the missing link

Abstract: Focuses on the relationship between maintenance and quality. Then briefly reviews models relating production and quality on the one hand, and production and maintenance on the other. Using concepts from predictive maintenance and the measure of equipment effectiveness from total productive maintenance (TPM), identifies explicit links between maintenance and quality. Emphasizes the need to develop adequate models relating maintenance and quality. Presents two approaches for modelling the link between maintenance and quality. The first approach is based on the concept of imperfect maintenance and the second one uses the Taguchi approach to quality and maintenance.

Dealing with non-functional requirements: three experimental studies of a process-oriented approach

Abstract: Quality characteristics are vital for the success of software systems. To remedy the problems inherent in ad hoc development, a framework has been developed to deal with non-functional requirements (quality requirements or NFRs). Taking the premise that the quality of a product depends on the quality of the process that leads from high-Ievel NFRs to the product, the framework's objectives are to represent NFR-specific requirements, consider design tradeoffs, relate design decisions to IYFRs, justify the decisions, and assist defect detection. The purpose of this paper is to give an initial evaluation of the extent to which the framework's objectives are met. Three small portions of information systems were studied by the authors using the framework. The framework and empirical studies are evaluated herein, both from the viewpoint of domain experts who have reviewed the framework and studies, and ourselves as framework developers and users. The systems studied have a variety of characteristics, reflecting a variety of real application domains, and the studies deal with three important classes of NFRs for systems, namely, accuracy, security, and performance. The studies provide preliminary support for the usefulness of certain aspects of the framework, while raising some open issues.

Improve Data Quality for Competitive Advantage

Abstract: Errors in data can cost a company millions of dollars, alienate customers, and make implementing new strategies difficult or impossible The author describes a process AT&T uses to recognize poor data and improve their quality He proposes a three-step method for identifying data-quality problems, treating data as an asset, and applying quality systems to the processes that create data

Access quality of care and medical barriers in family planning programs.

Abstract: This article offers a conceptual scheme that clarifies the confusion and overlap existing among the definitions of "access" "quality of care" and "medical barriers" as these terms apply to family planning (FP) programs. After an introduction the article explains that these concepts are characteristics of the supply environment and apply to any type of service delivery point. The article also bases its framework on a distinction between what happens "inside" and "outside" of the service delivery point. The article then defines the terms and discusses related issues and concerns. The next sections explore the linkages among the terms and set forth the following research priorities: 1) developing methods of "scoring" various elements of quality 2) improving methods of measuring clients perspectives of access and quality 3) verifying the population-based effects of variations among the components of the concepts and 4) validating the presumed linkages among these concepts. Finally the article enumerates the policy implications of its attempt to clarify these concepts as follows: 1) access involves more than simply geographic availability of services points 2) access and quality must be enhanced concurrently 3) quality promotion should employ a humanitarian and a demographic rationale 4) expansion of FP services to include reproductive health services will require careful consideration of medical barriers as well as monitoring of levels of quality of care and 5) that it is important to have a balanced approach.