Nature and Purpose of Quality Management - Essay Example

 Quality management Introduction Delivering quality goods and services to the society is an important objective for ethical business s. Moreover in order to sustain the pressures of complex competition and to remain as a preferred brand in the minds of consumers, it is essential that high quality goods and services are delivered. Modern concepts of quality management focus not only on the end products but also on the techniques and processes which are followed and implemented within an organization. By increasing the efficiency of production and operations systems, different costs and resource advantages are obtained which can be transferred to the stakeholders of a business. Concepts such as the Six Sigma and Kaizen have led to the development of ideas which have facilitated organizational development, management of change and the overall performance of an organization (Kelemen, 2005). Quality management is therefore a concept that suitably meets the needs of consumers, organizational members and other stakeholders appropriately. Nature and purpose of quality management Quality management is an essential tool for managing the resources, people and processes followed within an organization. Business institutions must consistently seek to develop ways in which resources can be used efficiently so that wastage is minimized and maximum utility from the resources is procured. Quality management also involves managing the man power of an organization appropriately. It is essential that the right amount and type of man power are deployed to perform organizational tasks. Measuring the talent and the value additions provided by the human resource and the costs borne to procure the same are also an important aspect in quality management (Beckford, 2010). One of the most important aspects in quality management is the establishment of suitable organizational technologies and processes that deliver high value additions and advantages. Organizational processes must facilitate controlling and implantation of changes as and when necessitated. Most successful organizations believe that the secret behind their achievements lie in the establishment of efficient organizational procedures that synchronizes all the activities and delivers goods and services to clients on time (Dale, 2007). Quality management theories A number of scholars and theorists have contributed their knowledge and expertise towards the study of quality of management. Majority of such theories have been developed from actual organizational experiences. Juran, Feigenburn and Deming were amongst the earliest theorists who contributed valuable ideas and concepts towards quality management in organizations (Foster, 2013). These ideas were further extended and made adaptable by the Japanese theorists namely; Genichi Taguchi, Shigeo Shingo and Kaoru Ishikawa. The ideas provided by such eminent scholars led to the development of important quality management techniques such as Six Sigma, Just in time, Mc Kinsey 7S framework, Jidoko, Kaizen and quality circles amongst many more. These concepts are widely practiced in modern organizations to gain efficiency in operations and attain quality related objectives in end products (Gemmel, van Looy and van Dierdonck, 2013). Kelemen’s dimensions In the book Managing Quality by Mihaela Kelemen (2005), the author has provided insight upon the importance of quality management on the basis of eight important approaches which are divided into two important categories. The categories are mainly the managerial and the critical perspectives of the quality management approaches. These perspectives and approaches are considered to be an extended view of the Garvin’s framework in quality management (Crosby, 1979). However, the approaches developed by Kelemen were seen to incorporate the notions provided by different authors. Writers were also seen to support more than one particular approach. For instance, the managerial approaches were seen to be widely accepted and preferred by organizations and quality management experts alike. The current paper focuses upon developing a pragmatic view of the different approaches suggested by Kelemen. In the following section these approaches have been vividly discussed so as to understand how such theories facilitate organizations to manage quality related objectives. Managerial dimensions The managerial dimensions view quality management as an important technical and operational aspect. The managerial approaches are also considered to be more realistic and adaptable from the organizational point of view (Garvin, 1988). The different approaches under the managerial perspective have been discussed as follows. Product based approach The product based approach facilitates viewing quality as a measurable and accurate phenomenon. According to the studies conducted by Abbott, the variations in quality lead to the variations in the quantity of goods produced. The product based approach focuses upon providing those values and utilities through products which are desirable to the end users and the stakeholders of the organization. Hence the product based approach emphasizes upon the objectives which the products are meant to achieve. The product based approach considers the fact that when organizations provide high quality goods and services, consumer demand and market strategic position is likely to grow. Buyers are not only particular about the price of the products but also the quality provided (Hammer and Champy, 2006). In the 1960’s Japanese goods and services were although low in costs, but in terms of quality were seen to be highly degraded. This weakened the demand of such products in the international and indigenous markets. Overtime companies began to take initiatives for improving the quality of their operations so that the ultimate products were of high value in terms of providing satisfaction to the consumers. Hence the efforts in quality management were directed towards the resources and techniques used for manufacturing. Qualities of the goods in production are required to be tested from time to time to ensure minimum errors and loss of resources. This ultimately led to minimizing the costs of the products as well (Juran, 1989). Manufacturing based approach This approach believes that if the design and the processes involved in manufacturing are stable, reliable and efficient, the quality of the goods are expected to be undoubtedly superior. The manufacturing system’s primary aim was to eliminating errors and wastages. The zero defects philosophy is seen to be widely followed in the manufacturing based approach. The manufacturing approach states that successful organizations only tolerate a low variation in production process. Hence it becomes essential to deploy monitoring and control measures throughout the manufacturing process. Firms can follow the Taguchi system of engineering design which considers that any deviations from the centre, be it small or big, would have a significant impact upon the costs of the products. Also the manufacturing approach considers the concept that error detection on time prevents them into materializing into defects. This facilitates increasing consumer acceptance. Different statistical designs are used in this approach to control variations (Knights and Wilmott, 2000). AT&T is one of the most famous organizations which follow the manufacturing based quality control systems. The company is seen to be significantly inspired by the works of R. A. Fisher, who in his research work had identified a number of support manufacturing systems that guided engineers to monitor and control quality (Ritzer, 2000). Value based approach The value based approach upholds the idea that consumers are seen to chose products and services by comparing and contrasting the available options. The concept therefore links two important variables of production namely, price and quality (Easton and Jarrell, 1998). The value based approach not only facilitates comparing the end products but also the process of production as a whole. As a result, cross company and cross industry contrasting becomes possible. Additionally, the value based approach also focuses upon developing products whose quality and attributes are different from the existing products and services of the market (Taguchi, 2001). Hence organizations must develop a manufacturing system which at every stage enhances value of products. The value additions must be effectively be monitored and controlled from time to time. Also it is observed that value based approaches in most organizations aids in cost control. This puts strain upon managers and employees as they are required to attain maximum quality at lowest costs. However, the technique facilitates providing high advantages to consumers who are able to achieve high quality products at competitive costs (Wilkinson and Willmot, 1998). The McKinsey & Company is a suitable example in this context that follows the value based approach to provide high quality services to clients. The value based approach is also a common production and operations technique followed in the automobile and the hospitality sector. User based approach The user based approach considers mainly the needs of consumers above other stakeholders. Under the user based approach, quality and cost related policies are frequently altered on the basis of the changes in the tastes and preferences of the consumers. The user based approach upholds the concept that quality monitoring and controlling measures must be done in a manner such that consumer needs are not neglected. The user based approach calls for frequent upgrading and changes in the production techniques so as to suit the needs of the consumers. Hence the quality control techniques are also required to be frequently altered. If the target consumers of a product are more quality conscious than being price conscious, it becomes essential that the quality monitoring techniques are strictly implemented. This is likely to enhance the cost of production and ultimately the prices of the products (Zeithaml, 1990). Critical dimensions The critical dimensions are considered as an extension of the managerial approaches. These approaches consider that quality management is an essential political, social and cultural requirement (Flynn, Schroeder and Sakakibara, 1994). Some of the popular critical dimensions of quality management as identified by Kelemen have been discussed as follows. Transcendental approach The transcendental approach is seen to be a social concept where techniques such as advertising and word of mouth play an important role in convincing consumers regarding the quality of a product. In the transcendental technique, quality changes cannot be seen or measured directly. They are only articulated to consumers. However, in order to be able to talk about enhanced quality to consumers, companies must employ different realistic measures to enhance the quality of products. Hence management falls under the pressure of providing high quality goods and services to consumers so that their claims held remain justified (Samson and Terziovski, 1999). Social constructivist approach This approach states that consumers are in general seen to associate brand name and popularity with the quality of their products. Also the social constructivist approach considers that quality related ideas gets developed when consumers, employees, managers and citizens interact with each other and interpret the meaning of the activities which are carried on around them. Hence what maybe considered as a high quality product in one nation may not be so in the other. Under the social constructivist approach, there is no definite theory or meaning established for quality management. The concept states that the idea of quality and its related management activities may vary on the basis of the existing cultures and social ideologies (Kaynak, 2003). Discursive approach The discursive approach establishes linkages between language, power and reality. Quality is perceived as one of the many discourses present within an organization. It is identified as a phenomenon which requires to be expressed to consumers and other stakeholders through language. Many at times physical view of the product may not be sufficient for consumers to gain ideas regarding the quality of the products. As a result, the verbal expression of quality becomes essential (Bank, 1992). Slogan approach Quality managements are often looked upon as a compulsory attribute which organizations must fulfil. Modern organizations irrespective of their type and characteristics, unitedly agree that quality of products and services are crucial. Hence quality management over the age has become a highly important characteristic requirement. Stakeholders expect that organizations would maintain quality related objectives as a priority (Douglas and Judge, 2001). Conclusion Organizational processes must facilitate utilizing resources in a manner such that wastages of time and materials are minimized. Quality management processes must ensure detection of errors in real time and implementation of corrective measures before they are passed on to the consumers. Most organizations are seen to establish quality checks at different intervals in the production systems to ensure the value of the goods under production. From the analysis of the different dimensions of quality management as prescribed by Kelemen, it is understood that the managerial approaches are of significant importance and deliver direct results in terms of quality enhancement. The critical approaches on the other hand provide supporting social theories and understanding of quality. Reference List Bank, J., 1992. The essence of total quality management. Hempstead: Prentice Hall. Beckford, J. L.W., 2010. Quality: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge. Crosby, P.B., 1979. Quality is free. New York: McGraw-Hill. Dale, B.G., 2007. Managing Quality. Oxford: Blackwell. Douglas, T. J. and Judge, W. Q., 2001. 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