Total quality management in English language teaching:a case study in Turkish higher education

The need to improve the management of language learning organizations in the light of the trend toward mass higher education and of the use of English as a world language was the starting point of this thesis. The thesis aims to assess the relevance, adequacy and the relative success of Total Quality Management (TQM) as a management philosophy. Taking this empirical evidence a TQM-oriented management project in a Turkish Higher Education context, the thesis observes the consequences of a change of organizational culture, with specific reference to teachers' attitudes towards management. Both qualitative and quantitative devices are employed to plot change and the value of these devices for identifying such is considered. The main focus of the thesis is the Soft S's (Shared Values, Style, Staff and Skills) of an organization rather than the Hard S's (System, Structure, Strategy). The thesis is not concerned with the teaching and learning processes, though the PDCA cycle (the Action Research Cycle) did play a part in the project for both teachers and the researcher involved in this study of organizational development. Both before the management project was launched, and at the end of the research period, the external measurement devices (Harrison's Culture Specification Device and Hofstede's VSM) were used to describe the culture of the Centre. During the management project, internal measurement devices were used to record the change including middle-management style change (the researcher in this case). The time period chosen for this study was between September 1991 and June 1994. During this period, each device was administered twice within a specific time period, ranging from a year to 32 months.

Institutional contradiction and management control innovation:a field study of total quality management practices in a privatised telecommunications company

The purpose of this paper is to theorise the changes surrounding the introduction of a management control innovation, total quality management (TQM) techniques, within Telecom Fiji Limited. Using institutional theory and drawing on empirical evidence from multiple sources including interviews, discussions and documents, the paper explicates the institutionalization of these TQM practices. The focus of the paper is the micro-processes and practice changes around TQM implementation, rather than the influence of the macro-level structures that are often linked with institutional theory. The change agents used Quality Action Teams and the National Quality Council to introduce new TQM routines. The present study extends the scope of institutional analysis by explaining how institutional contradictions impact to create and make space for institutional entrepreneurs, who in turn, modify existing routines or introduce new routines in fluid organizational environments which also exhibit evidence of resistance.

Total Quality Management and Corporate Social Responsibility. Literature review. The case of Nabeiro Delta Cafés Group

The relationship between the themes of Total Quality Management (TQM) and Social Responsibility (CSR) through the concepts, approaches and models of excellence is a reality of sustainable and stable companies. Being organizations, people, act correctly and rightly do in society go through a quality management and social responsibility thereof. It is based on these two philosophies (Total Quality Management and Corporate Social Responsibility), which developed this literature review work, essentially based on a relational analysis in two papers, namely: "TQM and CSR Nexus" by Ghobadian et al. (2007) and "The Corporate Social Responsibility Audit Within the Quality Management Framework," de Kok et al. (2001) and applied to an organizational situation in concrete: the Nabeiro Delta Cafés Group - SGPS, SA.

Lean, Six Sigma ja Total Welding Management hitsaavassa verkostossa

Diplomityössä tarkastellaan hitsaavan verkoston laadunhallintaa ja siinä ilmeneviä erilaisia ongelmakohtia. Tämän lisäksi työssä tarkastellaan kolmen eri laatutyökalun Lean, Six Sigma ja Total Welding Management soveltamista hitsaavan verkoston laadunhallinnassa. Teoriaosassa käsitellään sekä yleisesti että hitsauksen osalta laatua ja laadunhallintaa, sekä edellä mainittuja laatutyökaluja. Tutkimusosaan tietoja hitsaavista verkostoista kerättiin kaikkiaan kolmesta eri verkostosta. Näiden kerättyjen tietojen pohjalta tarkasteltiin valittujen laatutyökalujen soveltuvuutta verkostomaiseen käyttöön. Verkostoitunut toiminta aiheuttaa monia uusia haasteita yritysten laadunhallinnalle verrattuna yksittäisiin hitsaaviin yrityksiin. Suurimpia tutkimuksessa havaittuja ongelmakohtia ovat suunnittelun ja valmistuksen yhteistyön erilaiset puutteet, laatutasoon ja sen varmistukseen liittyvät asiat, sekä verkoston sisälle syntyvä niin sanottu hiljainen tieto ja sen häviäminen. Tutkimuksen tarkastelujen perusteella havaittiin, että kaikkien tutkimukseen valitun kolmen laatutyökalun soveltaminen myös verkostomaisessa toiminnassa on mahdollista, mutta se vaatii huomattavasti suurempaa työpanosta kuin soveltaminen yksittäisessä yrityksessä. Myös näiden kaikkien kolmen työkalun yhtä aikainen käyttö on mahdollista. Juuri oikean työkalun valitseminen kullekin hitsaavalle verkostolle vaatii tarkkaa perehtymistä verkostoon ja sen tilanteeseen.

Environmental management and operational performance in automotive companies in Brazil: The role of human resource management and lean manufacturing

The main objective of this study is to verify the influence of Environmental Management (EM) on Operational Performance (OP) in Brazilian automotive companies, analyzing whether Lean Manufacturing (LM) and Human Resources (HR) interfere in the greening of these companies. Therefore, a conceptual framework listing these concepts was proposed, and three research hypotheses were presented. A questionnaire was elaborated based on this theoretical background and sent to respondents occupying the highest positions in the production/operations areas of Brazilian automotive companies. The data, collected from 75 companies, were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The main results are as follows: (a) the model tested revealed an adequate goodness of fit, showing that overall, the relations proposed between EM and OP and between HR, LM and EM tend to be statistically valid; (b) EM tends to influence OP in a positive and statistically weak manner; (c) LM has a greater influence on EM when compared to the influence HR has over EM; (d) HR has a positive relationship over EM, but the statistical significance of this relationship is less than that of the other evaluated relationships. The originality of this paper lies in its gathering the concepts of EM, LM, HR and OP in a single study, as they generally tend not to be treated jointly. This paper also provided valid empirical evidence for a littlestudied context: the Brazilian automotive sector. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study into the effectiveness of quality management training:a focus on tools and critical success factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of quality management training by reviewing commonly used critical success factors and tools rather than the overall methodological approach. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology used a web-based questionnaire. It consisted of 238 questions covering 77 tools and 30 critical success factors selected from leading academic and practitioner sources. The survey had 79 usable responses and the data were analysed using relevant statistical quality management tools. The results were validated in a series of structured workshops with quality management experts. Findings – Findings show that in general most of the critical success factor statements for quality management are agreed with, although not all are implemented well. The findings also show that many quality tools are not known or understood well; and that training has an important role in raising their awareness and making sure they are used correctly. Research limitations/implications – Generalisations are limited by the UK-centric nature of the sample. Practical implications – The practical implications are discussed for organisations implementing quality management initiatives, training organisations revising their quality management syllabi and academic institutions teaching quality management. Originality/value – Most recent surveys have been aimed at methodological levels (i.e. “lean”, “Six Sigma”, “total quality management” etc.); this research proposes that this has limited value as many of the tools and critical success factors are common to most of the methodologies. Therefore, quite uniquely, this research focuses on the tools and critical success factors. Additionally, other recent comparable surveys have been less comprehensive and not focused on training issues.

Strategic supply lead time management. Case Nokia Networks, Hardware Services

Teollisuuden palveluiden on huomattu olevan potentiaalinen lisätulojen lähde. Teollisuuden palveluiden dynaamisessa maailmassa räätälöinti ja kyky toimia nopeasti ovat kriittisiä asiakastyytyväisyyden ja kilpailuedun luomisprosessin osia. Toimitusketjussa käytetyn ajan lyhentämisellä voidaan saavuttaa sekä paremmat vasteajat, että alhaisemmat kokonaiskustannukset. Tutkielman tavoitteena on kuvata teollisuuden palveluiden dynaamista ympäristöä: asiakastarvetta, sekä mahdollisuuksia kaventaa pyydetyn ja saavutetun toimitusajan välistä eroa. Tämä toteutetaan pääosin strategisen toimitusajan hallinnan keinoin. Langattomien tietoliikenneverkkojen operaattorit haluavat vähentää ydinosaamiseensa kuulumatomiin toimintoihin, kuten ylläpitoon sitoutuneita pääomia. Tutkielman case osiossa varaosapalvelujen toimitusketjun kysyntä-, materiaali- ja informaatiovirtoja analysoidaan niin kvalitatiivisten haastatteluiden, sisäisten dokumenttien, kuin kvantitatiivisten tilastollisten menetelmienkin avulla. Löydöksiä peilataan vallitsevaa toimitusketjun ja ajanhallinnan paradigmaa vasten. Tulokset osoittavat, että vahvan palvelukulttuurin omaksuminen ja kokonaisvaltainen toimitusketjun tehokkuuden mittaaminen ovat ajanhallinnan lähtökohtia teollisuuden palveluissa.

Value Added by Quality Management

Abstract: Quality Management is an essential part of successful organisations. But the effect of it is mostly not directly visible. The effects are more indirect, and have a time lag till results appear. In today’s challenging times, all activities of an organisation have to proof their ability to add value. While Value Based Management is more focussed on financial value, other concepts and models like EFQM Excellence Model and Kaplan and Norton’s Balanced Score Card also point on values that are the basis and driver for financial success. Quality Management has to proof its effects on company values, and therefore the transacting mechanisms have to be identified and procedure to manage the process of Value Adding Quality Management has to be developed.

Quality management and competitiveness: the diffusion of the ISO 9000 standards in Latin America and recommendations for government strategies

Includes bibliography

Quality management promotion to improve competitiveness

Includes bibliography

Federal quality management : strategies for involving employees : report to the Director, Office of Personnel Management /

"B-249779"--P. 1.

Benchmarking Quality Management in Hotels

In the early 1980s many hotels in the United States adopted quality assurance as a business strategy. By the late 1980s independent and chain hotels realized that total quality management (TQM) was a more powerful process and they began utilizing many of its components. For over 10 years, hotels have flirted with a variety of tools, processes, and theories to improve service to the guest

SQMS – A prototype for a supplier quality management system

Within the supply chain, the customer does not simply buy parts or services from suppliers, but also buys supplier capabilities, which results in quality products and services. Having a tool that handles the Inspection as well as the Nonconformance, Complaint, Corrective Action and Concession processes is key to successfully track the supplier performance. Taking as a case study a Supplier Quality Management (SQM) currently in operation in an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for automotive industry, this paper presents a platform to support a Supplier Quality Management System (SQMS), that fits the technical specification ISO/TS 16949 requirements. This prototype is composed by a web platform and a mobile App, having flexibility and mobility as key main characteristics.

Utilização de ferramentas da qualidade num sistema operacional numa empresa

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial