Organizational Culture and Quality Management Practices - Assignment Example

Organizational Culture and Quality Management Practices Introduction In contemporary times, the need to enhance the success and competitiveness of business organisations has seen an increase in the development and use of different kinds of innovations. Business organisations are being forced to look for ways by which they can establish their competitiveness in the highly dynamic business environment. In this regard, Ginter & Duncan (2013) says that the need to improve on ways of management has become a common need among business organisations. This understanding has seen many businesses investing in research and development strategies so that they can keep up with the emerging trends in the business. In the same way, technology also seems to be highly significant in the process of development effective competitive strategies (Hill, 2008, p. 72). Technology makes the production of goods and services to be highly efficient and effective, which is desirable for business activities. Amidst an increase in the number of businesses that are emerging in different industries, the need for high standards of quality is something that cannot be overlooked. Different industries have different ways by which they develop and apply quality standards in their management approaches. The use of quality standards ensures that the goods and services that are manufactured follow certain standards and guidelines. According to Horowitz (2010), quality management is an approach that business organisations use in enhancing customer loyalty and success in their operations. This is because customers prefer associating with companies that are known to have standards of product and service management. In this paper, I will be examining the process of development and application of quality standards in the organization that I work for as a sourcing manager, which is the health care industry. Quality management Goes (2013), explains that the use of quality standards is something that has existed for a very long time in different industries. The need to develop and use measures and standards in the production process often shows that a business is geared towards developing and maintaining its market share. An organization that follows this trend indicates conscious efforts in achieving conformity, reducing high levels of variations and controlling the quality features of their goods and services. All these efforts are often made with the intention of replicating desirable outcomes and making improvements in the management processes of particular business organisations. At the same time, the approach is effective in ensuring that the current level of performance in the business is maintained at a very high level (Fottler, 2010, p. 102). The development and use of measures was taken for purposes of making effective comparisons of products being made with others in the same industry for purposes of ensuring that the customers received value for their money. In this approach, customers that were satisfied with the business ended up being loyal and making referrals for other people to purchase the products that they purchased. The idea of using standard in management is said to have began in the East at around 2000 BC. Initially, there was a problem getting uniform standards of weights and measures for purposes of measuring goods development by businesses. From one district to another the systems used often differed without any evidence of integrated systems that could be used. The weights that were used would often differ in the way they were carved and the resulting shapes. This approach would present many challenges to businessmen with customers complaining of differences in measurements and weights. It is worth noting that while provision of goods was very challenging; giving services was such a mountain. Provision of services has remained a challenge in many service industries because people differ in their levels of professionalism. At the same, provision of services depends on the interpersonal characteristics of an individual; for this reason, things like attitude, prejudice and state of mind largely determine the quality of services being provided. However, in recent times, different industries have managed to establish effective quality standards that have to be followed by practitioners at all times. For example professional like medical, law, accountancy and banking among others often require their practitioners to meet certain professional standards before they can be certified to practice their profession. In the same way, the need to create lasting competitive business strategies requires that businesses should always follow. The failure to adhere to these standards makes customers prefer other businesses that have those standards (Cherry & Jacob, 2008, p. 99). For this reason, it is important that a business develops its internal mechanisms that ensure that quality standards are created and enforced in businesses as they manage their operations. The use of quality management approaches in business organisations ensures that the products and services being developed as well as the expectations of the organization are consistent. According to Charantimath (2011), the management process is always known to have four main parts; the first is the aspect of quality control, which ensures that the quality standards needed for certain goods and services are developed and followed to the later. The second one is quality planning; here, the planning process for the different organizational functions and processes are supposed to be followed to the later. Quality assurance and improvement are also very essential in the entire process. According to Chowdhury , Paul & Das (2007), the quality management process in business organization is not focused on goods and service quality alone; instead, it is concerned with the means by which those quality standards are achieved and maintained. In this regard, quality management relies on quality assurance standards for controlling the processes of goods and service production as well as the means by which consistency can be established and maintained in the future of the business. Effective use of total quality management in my work place In the organization that I work for, there has been prevalence in the development and application of quality management. Antonaros (2010) explains that the health care industry is known to provide healthcare services to patients as well as to other people that come to health care centers to make inquiries about the services that they can get. We often meet different people that seek different kinds of health care services, something that calls for effective approaches in developing systems that can be used in developing services of the highest standard. As a sourcing manager, I have to ensure that the organization has the best resources that can be used to enhance the level of satisfaction among clients that come to hospitals to seek their services. As pointed out in the foregone discussion, the main focus of total quality management is the customer, who receives the products and services as the end user. My work as a sourcing manager is often very complex, involving careful approaches in making decisions regarding the kind of resources that can be purchased to enhance the success of the hospital. One of the things that we emphasize on is having systems and strategies by which the best resources are available for the process of diagnosing and treating different kinds of diseases that are manifested in people. With many suppliers always coming to present their invoices, I am always expected to make the final decision depending concerning the resources to be purchased in the hospital. Many times, principles of effective quality management have always helped me to make this important decision so that the best interests of the customer are chosen. It is worth acknowledging the fact that different enterprises and firms tend to require materials for purposes of producing goods and services for sale. Most of these materials are outsourced from external suppliers and vendors; the business has to ensure that they make the best choices regarding the best materials that can be used to achieve the stated goals and objectives. Before settling on certain materials in the businesses, careful determinants are supposed to be established in regards to the process of how raw materials can be acquired and the associated terms and conditions. In my organization, one of the main responsibilities that I am supposed to handle includes purchasing and contracting these resources on behalf of the businesses. Some of the materials that we always buy include microscopes, physiotherapy machines as well as many others that can handle different health needs of the people that we serve in the hospital. It is important to realise that the roles of sourcing managers often differ from one business to another because of the different industries in which business organisations belong to. However, a common observation among all outsourcing managers is the fact that they are important in identifying the right suppliers that can give the right resources to organisations for their operations and functions. They are also expected to ensure that they make negotiations for contracts and a perfect coordination of their transportation to where they are needed. In this regard, they are needed for making future predictions on the needs of their businesses (Baird, Kristal & Reeve, 2011, p. 791). Just as other sourcing managers in different business organisations, I have had the goal of ensuring that I get the best raw materials for the hospital that I work for. Here, I am always keen on pecking products that are offered under the best standards of quality and price. To achieve this important goal, I have to ensure that I maintain a perfect monitoring of the particular market conditions and other industry trends. This responsibility has enabled me to have a perfect understanding of the emerging trends in healthcare and how we can get the best solutions for such developments in the industry. In my roles, I have always tried to ensure that the hospital has systems that ensure continuous improvements in its operations. By having effective continuous improvements in its functions, our hospital has managed to attract a good reputation as the one where quality is given the best priority by workers in the hospital. At all times, my main focus is making careful considerations on material inventories, quality standards of the vendors as well as the global demand for such materials. These are important considerations because they are crucial in determining the best prices that can be used in their purchase. To manage this responsibility, I am always keen on the supplier innovations that are often present in the market; this requires making visits to the particular facilities that are used in making certain material resources. At the same time, participation in trade shows and exhibitions has remained one of my main activities for purposes of learning about emerging trends and the efforts being used by suppliers in making and using the different materials. After identifying the best vendors and suppliers for particular resources, what follows are contract negotiations for purposes of supplying those resources. Establishing effective systems of continuous improvements According to Kotler & Keller (2009), successful businesses are those that have systems that ensure that they develop and maintain their competitive advantages. This process includes establishing those systems and improving them on routine basis to match the emerging trends in the industry. As a sourcing manager, one of the things that I have had to establish is a continuous research on the resources that suppliers are bringing to the hospital for purchases. At the same time, the total quality management process has made it easier for establishing of mentoring systems among employs coming on board so that the standards of service are maintained and improved at all times. Capolongo (2015), says that the hospital industry, just like other industries experiences a turnover of human resources; therefore, developing systems that enhance staff loyalty has been one of my main objectives besides ensuring that effective and reliable resources re procured for use in the hospital. This process has proved to be crucial since the rate of turnover has reduced considerably with an increase in job efficiency. Developing effective continues improvements have also seen changes in leadership so that the needs f the employees can be best understood and managed. Effective leadership ensures that people are effective guided into setting goals and achieving them in accordance to the set standards (Naidu & Babu, 2006, p. 95). Whenever some strategies do not meet the set goals and objectives, then it is always important to change them. However, at all times, the manager in an organization should ensure that the right principles regarding total quality management are followed to the later. Effective leadership should ensure that approaches like teamwork are developed and managed in the best way in the business. Workers should be made to understand the value that each of the employees has in the business organization; for this reason, every person should ensure that they complement the efforts of each other to achieve common goals and objectives. In this regard, establishment of strategies for developing total involvement in the work by employees is the main objective. Kemp (2006) says that in the health care industry, all employees are very essential because they are working towards achieving a common agenda, which is efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery to clients. Establishing continuous improvements in the hospital often requires total commitment to the work in the organization by all employees. A high level of commitment ensures that all the workers are motivated to tackle any emerging challenges. In the hospital where I work, this process has been achieved because of the fact that there has been constant training among the workers in their different departments. The trainings has helped to establish high levels of confidence among the workers who enjoy working and mentoring each other. At the same time, the hospital has also managed to procure resources that have been used in the establishment of highly effective work systems that integrate different kinds of continuous improvements with the rest of the operations and functions. Continues improvements in the hospital’s operations have been managed by the availability of self-managed teams, which are important form of staff empowerment. Another aspect of effective total quality management is developing a process centered form of management. Here, a process is used to refer to a variety of steps and approaches and approaches that are used in achieving competitive advantages in the business. In a business organization, a process describes the inputs that are picked from suppliers then changed into useful outputs (Kujala & Lillrank 2004, p. 47). For the case of the hospital, the process refers to the aspects of getting the resources needed in the business and using them to offer the different kinds of medical services for the patients and other people that come to the hospital. The steps that are needed to achieve the final goals and objectives in the hospital have been clearly defined. At the same time, there has been a lot of emphasis on monitoring aspects for the different activities being done, monitoring ensures any necessary changes in the systems and resources in place is done in the most efficient way to prevent work stoppages, which can be detrimental to people admitted in the hospital (Rondeau & Brown, 2006, p. 63). The success of the hospital in its operations has been necessitated by its ability to detect and correct any unnecessary variations in the work being done. All these efforts have been achieved following the efforts that have been put in place by all the employees and managers of the hospital. Another important element of the continuous improvement process in the hospital has been the use of fact-based-decision-making processes. The success of the different departments can be attributed to reliable systems of making decisions on the resources and materials that are needed to ensure that success of the hospitals. For instance, before any material has been procured, there is a team that has to evaluated the performance of services in the hospital to ascertain the fact that a need exists in the business. After the evaluation has been done, the particular materials and resources have to be found in the market, which includes invitation of tenders. The department has to ensure that it makes a lot of fact-finding for the respective resources in terms of their global demands, availability, prices as well as methods of management. According to Savage (2005), the need to have effective total quality management approaches in a business organization has to be preceded by market research processes which collects and analyses data that is used in making accurate and informed decisions. The success of the materials and resources that are bought is based on a proper prediction of the performance of materials in the future. In all these processes, effective communication is always given a lot of priority because it enables all the employees to understand their responsibilities in the success of the organization (Savage, 2009, p. 87). What has been done in the hospital is an establishment of a system of communication where all the employees are always free to give their views and perspectives of the performance of the hospital. This approach has seen a huge success in the development of effective management systems where everyone feels as an important element as far as the success of the organization is concerned. Generally, Schermerhorn (2005) says that successful organizations that have managed to develop and growth their businesses have an organizational culture that emphasizes on the development and use of quality standards. The results of such an approach has always been an increase in the number of clients that always want to be associated with the business. Conclusion In conclusion, it is important to recognize the fact that in contemporary times, the methods of managing businesses have changed considerably. Technological advancements seem to be influencing the managing strategies that are used by businesses in their operations and functioning. For a long time, achieving the best quality standards in the production processes has remained to be the goal for business managers and owners. The use of total quality management approaches has remained significant in achieving the goals and objectives of most businesses. In the healthcare industry, the use of total quality management systems ensures that competent and experienced employees are recruited in a particular healthcare organization. At the same time, it ensures that processes and functions are undertaken under the highest quality standards as required in the market. In this regard, managers have a responsibility of establishing mechanisms by which total quality management approaches are made in their respective business organisations. Bibliography Antonaros, R.A. 2010, Continuous quality improvement, total quality management, and leadership, Capella University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.. Baird, K., Kristal, J.H. & Reeve, R. 2011, "The relationships between organizational culture, total quality management practices and operational performance", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 789-814. Capolongo, S. 2015. Improving sustainability during hospital design and operation: A multidisciplinary evaluation tool. Springer, Cham. Charantimath, P. 2011. Total quality management (2nd ed.). Dorling KIndersley (India), New Delhi, India. Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. 2008. Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends & management (4th ed.). Mosby/Elsevier, St. Louis, Mo. 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