Pub Date : 1998-12-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810243658
F. Franceschini, M. Cignetti, M. Caldara
Service quality evaluation is one of the main issues that have recently drawn managers’ and researchers’ attention. The definition of an evaluation standard not dependent on any particular service context has determined the popularity of many different quality tools. In this paper we show a comparative analysis of the affected tools that are widely used. These are summarized in an orientation map. Moreover we present some results of an experiment carried out with two of the major quality tools (SERVQUAL and QUALITOMETRO). The results identify good qualities as well as weaknesses for both tools. Possible improvement strategies are presented.
{"title":"Comparing tools for service quality evaluation","authors":"F. Franceschini, M. Cignetti, M. Caldara","doi":"10.1108/13598539810243658","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810243658","url":null,"abstract":"Service quality evaluation is one of the main issues that have recently drawn managers’ and researchers’ attention. The definition of an evaluation standard not dependent on any particular service context has determined the popularity of many different quality tools. In this paper we show a comparative analysis of the affected tools that are widely used. These are summarized in an orientation map. Moreover we present some results of an experiment carried out with two of the major quality tools (SERVQUAL and QUALITOMETRO). The results identify good qualities as well as weaknesses for both tools. Possible improvement strategies are presented.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125126739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-12-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810243676
J. Reames
Companies of all types are investing significant time and resources in regularly “assessing” themselves according to an internally designed set of criteria. More and more, these assessments are focused broadly on entire company systems and less on pure quality criteria, such as the quality of products and services. Although each firm strives to find the “right” set of criteria for their unique position, set of circumstances, and idiosyncratic culture, most seem to gravitate toward a set of loosely defined, generic characteristics which, to a remarkable extent, reflect the broad categories of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria. This article examines the linkages between broadly defined assessment criteria and the comprehensive structure of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
{"title":"QUALITY CORNER: Internal assessment methodologies: the ubiquity and usefulness of the Baldrige criteria","authors":"J. Reames","doi":"10.1108/13598539810243676","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810243676","url":null,"abstract":"Companies of all types are investing significant time and resources in regularly “assessing” themselves according to an internally designed set of criteria. More and more, these assessments are focused broadly on entire company systems and less on pure quality criteria, such as the quality of products and services. Although each firm strives to find the “right” set of criteria for their unique position, set of circumstances, and idiosyncratic culture, most seem to gravitate toward a set of loosely defined, generic characteristics which, to a remarkable extent, reflect the broad categories of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria. This article examines the linkages between broadly defined assessment criteria and the comprehensive structure of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133401928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-12-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810243667
Moreno‐Luzón, F. J. Peris
The main contribution of this paper is to integrate into one model management and organizational fields that are normally analyzed separately: contingency factors, organizational design variables, strategic approaches and quality management approaches. The essential core of the model is constituted by three basic variables of organizational design: level of centralization, level of formalization‐standardization, and level of shared vision and common values. Through analysis using this conceptual tool, we can: assess the position of tasks and organizational units in relation to these organizational variables; evaluate the congruence between organizational variables and contingency factors; identify relationships between strategic management approaches and quality approaches; and establish a fit between strategic management approaches, organizational variables, contingency factors and quality approaches.
{"title":"Strategic approaches, organizational design and quality management","authors":"Moreno‐Luzón, F. J. Peris","doi":"10.1108/13598539810243667","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810243667","url":null,"abstract":"The main contribution of this paper is to integrate into one model management and organizational fields that are normally analyzed separately: contingency factors, organizational design variables, strategic approaches and quality management approaches. The essential core of the model is constituted by three basic variables of organizational design: level of centralization, level of formalization‐standardization, and level of shared vision and common values. Through analysis using this conceptual tool, we can: assess the position of tasks and organizational units in relation to these organizational variables; evaluate the congruence between organizational variables and contingency factors; identify relationships between strategic management approaches and quality approaches; and establish a fit between strategic management approaches, organizational variables, contingency factors and quality approaches.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125390929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-12-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810243595
E. Kessler, A. Chakrabarti
Seventy‐five new product development projects were studied in ten large companies to test potential strategic and process antecedents to quality. Seven factors were found to significantly increase product quality: high importance placed on quality by top management, high reward for process speed, high project stream breadth, high use of internal (versus external) sources of ideas and technology, low overlap or concurrency of the development process, low turfguarding or “silo” orientation, and high development milestone frequency. These results suggest that managers need to pay attention to both strategic orientation factors and structure‐related organizational capability factors to increase product quality. Staffing‐related factors did not seem to have a strong impact on quality; this suggests that quality is more a function of systemic versus individual factors. Additionally, it was found that there were some differences in the factors associated with high‐quality products between radical and incremental innovations. However, the study is exploratory and further research needs to test these findings as well as extend them to include other interrelationships between factors.
{"title":"An empirical investigation into methods affecting the quality of new product innovations","authors":"E. Kessler, A. Chakrabarti","doi":"10.1108/13598539810243595","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810243595","url":null,"abstract":"Seventy‐five new product development projects were studied in ten large companies to test potential strategic and process antecedents to quality. Seven factors were found to significantly increase product quality: high importance placed on quality by top management, high reward for process speed, high project stream breadth, high use of internal (versus external) sources of ideas and technology, low overlap or concurrency of the development process, low turfguarding or “silo” orientation, and high development milestone frequency. These results suggest that managers need to pay attention to both strategic orientation factors and structure‐related organizational capability factors to increase product quality. Staffing‐related factors did not seem to have a strong impact on quality; this suggests that quality is more a function of systemic versus individual factors. Additionally, it was found that there were some differences in the factors associated with high‐quality products between radical and incremental innovations. However, the study is exploratory and further research needs to test these findings as well as extend them to include other interrelationships between factors.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132933462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-12-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810243630
C. Madu
This paper examines research design issues in quality management studies. Potential research problems are identified and suggestions provided on how these problems could be addressed through effective research design techniques. A good research design enables the researcher to address the right questions and to provide meaningful recommendations. The emphasis of this paper is on empirical research in total quality management. Empirical studies are now common in validating some of the claims associated with quality, especially its association with organizational performance. However, conclusions on tests conducted on quality hypotheses are as good as the research design. Therefore, empirical researchers in the quality management field need to focus more attention on their research design and methodology to ensure that their conclusions are indeed a reflection of their hypotheses.
{"title":"An empirical assessment of quality: research considerations","authors":"C. Madu","doi":"10.1108/13598539810243630","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810243630","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines research design issues in quality management studies. Potential research problems are identified and suggestions provided on how these problems could be addressed through effective research design techniques. A good research design enables the researcher to address the right questions and to provide meaningful recommendations. The emphasis of this paper is on empirical research in total quality management. Empirical studies are now common in validating some of the claims associated with quality, especially its association with organizational performance. However, conclusions on tests conducted on quality hypotheses are as good as the research design. Therefore, empirical researchers in the quality management field need to focus more attention on their research design and methodology to ensure that their conclusions are indeed a reflection of their hypotheses.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121161011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-12-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810243603
C. Madu, C. Kuei
In this paper, we demonstrate how data envelopment analysis (DEA) could be used in benchmarking studies. Our study is based on an empirical survey of small family‐owned businesses. This survey identified the separating variables between “high performing” and “low performing” firms in improving organizational performance through quality management. However, it did not suggest how “low performers” can transform to “high performers”. In the present study, we demonstrate this transformation by specifically showing how inefficient companies can become more efficient. This is done by identifying a company or composite companies that an inefficient firm needs to benchmark on a specific quality instrument. The current study will make empirical surveys more functional to industrial practitioners. It is more important to show how companies can continuously improve their processes than to classify them as “high” or “low” performers.
{"title":"Application of data envelop analysis in benchmarking","authors":"C. Madu, C. Kuei","doi":"10.1108/13598539810243603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810243603","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, we demonstrate how data envelopment analysis (DEA) could be used in benchmarking studies. Our study is based on an empirical survey of small family‐owned businesses. This survey identified the separating variables between “high performing” and “low performing” firms in improving organizational performance through quality management. However, it did not suggest how “low performers” can transform to “high performers”. In the present study, we demonstrate this transformation by specifically showing how inefficient companies can become more efficient. This is done by identifying a company or composite companies that an inefficient firm needs to benchmark on a specific quality instrument. The current study will make empirical surveys more functional to industrial practitioners. It is more important to show how companies can continuously improve their processes than to classify them as “high” or “low” performers.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121325168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-09-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810229212
J. Liker, Rajan R. Kamath, S. N. Wasti
This paper examines supplier involvement in design based on survey data from 145 Japanese, 189 US and 87 UK automotive component suppliers. First, cross‐national differences in the degree of supplier involvement are examined. Second, regression analysis is used to identify factors which predict high or low levels of supplier involvement in design. Third, the effects of supplier involvement in product development on the degree to which products are designed for manufacturability are assessed. The data show that, contrary to much of the literature that suggests the highest levels of supplier involvement in design are in Japan, suppliers in the USA and UK are more likely to report greater influence on product design decisions, earlier involvement and more frequent communications with customers about design. Moreover, manufacturing planning and design begin later, as a proportion of the development cycle, in Japan than in the USA and the UK. Regression analysis shows that involving suppliers early and giving them influence over design is associated with greater contributions of suppliers to cost reduction, quality improvement and design for manufacturability. Suppliers are given the greatest influence and communication is most intensive for the design of complex subsystems and new designs, and this does not vary by country.
{"title":"Supplier involvement in design: a comparative survey of automotive suppliers in the USA, UK and Japan","authors":"J. Liker, Rajan R. Kamath, S. N. Wasti","doi":"10.1108/13598539810229212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810229212","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines supplier involvement in design based on survey data from 145 Japanese, 189 US and 87 UK automotive component suppliers. First, cross‐national differences in the degree of supplier involvement are examined. Second, regression analysis is used to identify factors which predict high or low levels of supplier involvement in design. Third, the effects of supplier involvement in product development on the degree to which products are designed for manufacturability are assessed. The data show that, contrary to much of the literature that suggests the highest levels of supplier involvement in design are in Japan, suppliers in the USA and UK are more likely to report greater influence on product design decisions, earlier involvement and more frequent communications with customers about design. Moreover, manufacturing planning and design begin later, as a proportion of the development cycle, in Japan than in the USA and the UK. Regression analysis shows that involving suppliers early and giving them influence over design is associated with greater contributions of suppliers to cost reduction, quality improvement and design for manufacturability. Suppliers are given the greatest influence and communication is most intensive for the design of complex subsystems and new designs, and this does not vary by country.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122950749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-09-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810229249
P. Edwards
The red bead experiment (RBE) is very well‐known in total quality management. It was designed by Dr W.E. Deming to show managers several lessons in management and sampling. The RBE has evolved over several decades and now has an accepted standard format. The RBE also serves as an introduction to control charts which are an important tool in statistical quality control. Surprisingly very little is known about the statistical properties of the RBE. This is most likely due to the fact that the RBE involves mechanical sampling and so is much more complicated than probability sampling. New methods are given for statistical analysis when mechanical sampling is involved (e.g. mechanical sampling of non‐uniform output in a manufacturing environment). This approach has specific applications to control charts which are a major tool in quality control. In a rigorous analysis, it is shown that p, the sample proportion of red beads in the RBE, is an unbiased estimator of the RBE process defect rate. Expressions are also found for the variance of p, enabling the calculation of control chart limits. Some of the techniques used can be applied to other mechanical sampling situations which may at first viewing seem intractable.
{"title":"Deming’s red bead experiment and mechanical sampling","authors":"P. Edwards","doi":"10.1108/13598539810229249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810229249","url":null,"abstract":"The red bead experiment (RBE) is very well‐known in total quality management. It was designed by Dr W.E. Deming to show managers several lessons in management and sampling. The RBE has evolved over several decades and now has an accepted standard format. The RBE also serves as an introduction to control charts which are an important tool in statistical quality control. Surprisingly very little is known about the statistical properties of the RBE. This is most likely due to the fact that the RBE involves mechanical sampling and so is much more complicated than probability sampling. New methods are given for statistical analysis when mechanical sampling is involved (e.g. mechanical sampling of non‐uniform output in a manufacturing environment). This approach has specific applications to control charts which are a major tool in quality control. In a rigorous analysis, it is shown that p, the sample proportion of red beads in the RBE, is an unbiased estimator of the RBE process defect rate. Expressions are also found for the variance of p, enabling the calculation of control chart limits. Some of the techniques used can be applied to other mechanical sampling situations which may at first viewing seem intractable.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123277931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-09-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810370486
D. Adebanjo, D. Kehoe
Although cultural change is recognised as important to total quality improvement, many manufacturing companies fail to achieve the level of change desired. One primary reason for this is the inability to fully understand where their problems lie and the nature of these problems. Research was undertaken into seven elements of quality culture ‐ senior management leadership, employee involvement and empowerment, supplier partnership, customer focus, teamwork, effect of chief executive and open corporate culture. Questionnaires and structured interviews in 166 UK manufacturing companies provided the required information on cultural change problems. An evaluation of cultural problems and the targeting of areas for change was better understood from the survey results.
{"title":"An evaluation of quality culture problems in UK companies","authors":"D. Adebanjo, D. Kehoe","doi":"10.1108/13598539810370486","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810370486","url":null,"abstract":"Although cultural change is recognised as important to total quality improvement, many manufacturing companies fail to achieve the level of change desired. One primary reason for this is the inability to fully understand where their problems lie and the nature of these problems. Research was undertaken into seven elements of quality culture ‐ senior management leadership, employee involvement and empowerment, supplier partnership, customer focus, teamwork, effect of chief executive and open corporate culture. Questionnaires and structured interviews in 166 UK manufacturing companies provided the required information on cultural change problems. An evaluation of cultural problems and the targeting of areas for change was better understood from the survey results.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129862264","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1998-09-01DOI: 10.1108/13598539810229221
C. Su, C. Miao
Owing to some uncontrollable factors, only a portion of an experiment can be completed. Such incomplete data are generally referred to as censored data. Conventional approaches for analysis of censored data are computationally complicated. In this work an effective means of applying neural networks to analyze an experiment with singly‐censored data is presented. Two procedures are developed, which are simpler than conventional ones such as maximum likelihood estimation and Taguchi’s minute accumulating analysis. In addition, three numerical examples are presented to compare the proposed procedures with the conventional ones. Those comparisons reveal that proposed procedures are effective and feasible.
{"title":"Neural network procedures for experimental analysis with censored data","authors":"C. Su, C. Miao","doi":"10.1108/13598539810229221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/13598539810229221","url":null,"abstract":"Owing to some uncontrollable factors, only a portion of an experiment can be completed. Such incomplete data are generally referred to as censored data. Conventional approaches for analysis of censored data are computationally complicated. In this work an effective means of applying neural networks to analyze an experiment with singly‐censored data is presented. Two procedures are developed, which are simpler than conventional ones such as maximum likelihood estimation and Taguchi’s minute accumulating analysis. In addition, three numerical examples are presented to compare the proposed procedures with the conventional ones. Those comparisons reveal that proposed procedures are effective and feasible.","PeriodicalId":376191,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1998-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"120932567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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