Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence - Assignment Example

The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence Introduction The Baldridge criteria award is aimed at improving organizational performance of organizations in all sectors of the US economy. The award serves to motivate the American organizations to improve the product’s quality, increase competitiveness as well as adopt high performance management practices. The award program through its criteria for performance excellence also provides a benchmark against which organizations can evaluate their performance as well as formulate guidelines for improvement (Collier & Evans, 2011).

The Baldridge criteria for performance The Baldridge criterion has seven categories; the first category is leadership which examines senior leadership, how they lead, communicate with the workers, motivate the workforce and how their actions and decisions affect the overall performance of the organization. It also examines governance and social responsibilities that is; how the organization determines and sustains legal and ethical behavior and the execution of the organizations social responsibilities.

The second category strategic leadership examines the organization’s strategy development, factors influencing strategy, strategy objectives and strategy implementation. Thirdly, customer focus examines how the organization relates to its customers. It involves evaluating the customer listening of both existing and potential customers, customer satisfaction and engagement as an organization and in comparison with competitors as well as customer dissatisfaction. It also looks at how the organization involves its customers in their business in order to better address their needs and build sustainable relationships.

Fourth we have measurement analysis which evaluates the organization’s collection, analysis and management of data to achieve its goals. Such data includes, performance measurements, analysis and reviews and the use of other external information and resources to the organizations advantage. The fifth category work force focus examines the organization’s ability to employ its workforce to its optimum capability and capacity to attain its goals. The next category operations focus evaluates the organizations designs as well as manages and improves its work systems and processes to ensure the organization delivers to its customers.

The final category result evaluates the results of all the previous categories in relation to the organizations goals. It reflects the outcomes whether the application of the six categories to the organization (Baldrige Perfomance Excellence Program, 2011-2012). Conclusion The Baldridge criteria have been well received because they are needs based and result focused making it adaptable to all organizations regardless of size or sector. It has also been made such that it is non prescriptive and adaptive meaning that the organization- while employing these criteria - can still maintain uniqueness in its structure and management practices.

The criterion however does not standardize operations for all organizations but assists the organization to adapt the most suitable measures for its optimum performance. The criteria have also been effective because it supports a system perspective to goal alignment and a goal based diagnosis for the organization. This means that the organization is still able to integrate the criteria into its systems and tailor the criteria assessment and results in tandem with its goals. The criteria can thus be used without altering the original system and goals of the organization (NIST, 2013).

The Baldridge performance criteria has been instrumental in setting the bar for organizations and products and services improvement by organizations in the US thus giving the US organizations a much needed competitive edge in world market.References Baldrige Perfomance Excellence Program. (2011-2012). Criteria for perfomance excellence. New York: Baldrige Perfomance Excellence Program. Collier, D. A., & Evans, J. R. (2011). OM 3. South Western: Cengage learning. NIST.

(2013, January 9). About the Baldrige criteria for perfomance excellence. Baldrige Perfomance Excelllence Program. Retrieved from http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/publications/bus_about.cfm., retrieved on 7/03/2013.