Organizational Excellence and Quality Management

According to Goetsch and Davis

According to Goetsch and Davis, quality is an ever-changing state linked with all aspects of business, including products, services, people, processes, and surroundings that fulfill consumers’ demands and expectations. According to the writers, quality entails producing higher value in terms of both costs and services. The essay emphasizes the complete quality strategy as a means of increasing a company’s productivity and performance. According to the strategy, in order for an organization to optimize its competitiveness, it must continuously improve the quality of its commodities, processes, employees, and the environment (Goestch & Davis, 2014). The total approach is different from traditional forms of doing business since it focuses on teamwork, employee involvement and empowerment, training and education and long-term commitment to their employees. The approach is instant on a strategically based system of operating a business and scientific approach to solving problems. It emphasizes on continual improvement and quality of products. The strategically based system encompasses vision, mission, objectives and activities that are designed to maximize productivity. It is insistent on freedom through control where good management practices not only empower employees but also encourage their growth. When employees are involved in problem-solving and decision making it builds loyalty, and they ultimately feel like part of the group.

The three-legged stool of total approach

The total approach is based on three aspects of customer focus which the authors describe as “three-legged stool of total approach” (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). The three legs illustrate measures, people, and processes. It is an instance of quality in production from both the employees and the operations. It ensures customer focus both internally and externally. Internally is mainly through the products and externally through the employees, processes, and environment.

The importance of total quality approach in the global market

The authors insist on the importance of total quality approach in competing in the global market. They insist on the importance of quality culture in meeting the needs of individuals across the globe since the market is diverse. Quality culture encompasses values, traditions, procedures and expectations that promote quality production. The total quality approach was pioneered and advanced by several people including Edward Deming and his Fourteen Points. His points were mainly focused on employees, and he encouraged teamwork, good leadership practices, and quality. Deming insisted on adaptation since the current economic age is dynamic and the management should be focused on how dynamic a process quality is. Another key contributor to total quality is Joseph Juran who developed three necessary steps to progress including improvement on a continual basis, extensive training program and good leadership attributes from the management. Juran presented steps to quality improvement. According to him the awareness and setting goals for quality improvement are crucial. Both Juran and Deming believe that problems in an organization are related to management. The pioneers were insistent on zero-defect in all business operations.

Conclusion

The authors describe the poor leadership and senior management total delegation as the root of problems in organizations that are aiming at quality initiatives. They attribute the lack of teamwork and understanding of education and skills capability as the reasons for the lack of quality. The authors point to challenges in quality management in future. These include trends such as the increased global competition, increased customer expectations, opposing economic pressures and new approaches to management. The others present the low human development, lack of planning, leadership for quality and lack of consumer focus on quality as the main obstacles to the achievement of total control.

Reference

Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. B. (2014). Quality Management for Organizational Excellence. Pearson.