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The 2000 version of ISO 9000 is very exciting for quality practitioners because it embraces the principles of quality management that have received wide acceptance because of the publicity of the various National Quality Awards that are models based on these tenets. However, there are potential difficulties that lie ahead for those organizations that aspire to fulfill the requirements of this new version of ISO 9000 unless they recognize that there is a cultural gap between the new approach required as compared to the previous 1994 version. Similarly, auditors working with the new version must have a different background and approach as the emphasis is being changed from one that has been totally compliance‐based to a new approach that also includes evaluation of management techniques that requires hands‐on experience and judgment. Unless these two types of issues are properly addressed, the 2000 version of ISO 9000 will frustrate applicants and may tarnish the quality movement.

Excellent publications have been available on project management for many years and much discussion has taken place extolling the virtues of this aspect of management and its great influence on the overall successful operation of organizations in all sectors. When being considered in its generic form, project management can also be applied to any set of activities, and in this context it is no less than a universal management tool. This paper examines the feasibility and practicality of applying a quality management approach to project management. The model used for the analysis is the criteria of the Canada Awards for Excellence, the internationally recognized quality award program.

The 2000 version of ISO 9000 is very exciting for quality practitioners because it embraces the principles of quality management that have received wide acceptance because of the publicity of the various National Quality Awards that are models based on these tenets. However, there are potential difficulties that lie ahead for those organizations that aspire to fulfill the requirements of this new version of ISO 9000 unless they recognize that there is a cultural gap between the new approach required as compared to the previous 1994 version. Similarly, auditors working with the new version must have a different background and approach as the emphasis is being changed from one that has been totally compliance‐based to a new approach that also includes evaluation of management techniques that requires hands‐on experience and judgment. Unless these two types of issues are properly addressed, the 2000 version of ISO 9000 will frustrate applicants and may tarnish the quality movement.

The foundation blocks for quality in a customer service organization are management commitment, customer focus, and employee involvement; operational and administrative aspects are built on these basic issues. This article presents a detailed analysis of how a major customer service organization was built to succeed and continues to improve by applying quality management principles. The example presented is Southwest Airlines, whose employees see themselves not as an airline with great customer service but as a great customer service organization that happens to be an airline. This case study is examined within the framework of the model used by the Canada Awards for Excellence, the internationally recognized quality award program in Canada for more than ten years.

It has been said sometimes in recent years that “quality assurance is the assurance of quality: quality management is the quality of management”. The key factors of success for the proper implementation of a quality management program in any organization lie within that statement. Quality assurance efforts are directed at activities related to the products and services that are provided; the scope of a quality management program encompasses everyone and all activities. Since management is responsible for directing the activities of the people within the organization, the control of the management process itself is necessary to implement an overall quality program. Managing people consists of more than controlling their activities ‐ management must provide the appropriate leadership in demonstrating its commitment, must foster a culture commensurate with its vision and mission, and must make available the funds for the implementation of the program. Without these aspects in pace, no quality program can withstand the test of time.

The recognition of the successes obtained by organizations using the total quality management (TQM) approach has been made historically through quality awards. The validity and applicability of the criteria used in such evaluations as well as the consistent impartiality of the adjudication processes are what determine whether such recognitions are meaningful or mere token awards made in the name of quality. The major internationally recognized quality awards of the European Community, Japan, the USA and Canada use evaluation criteria which are similar in nature. The common aim is to publicize organizational excellence achieved through TQM and to provide worthy examples for other enterprises to follow.

This article presents the point of view that there are three fundamental prerequisites that are required for the successful implementation of a quality management approach within any organization ‐ commitment, culture, and cost. The case is made that quality management is not just an extension of other quality‐related initiatives because a distinct shift in culture is needed to embraces its unique precepts that transcend the quality function into strategic and process management. The scope includes people, customers, suppliers, and society in addition to the traditional emphasis on financial performance.

One of the most important tools necessary for the successful implementation of a quality programme such as ISO 9000 or TQM is quality cost. A process based on cost analysis is a straightforward method to obtain and maintain management approval of a quality improvement initiative. This business‐like approach to quality assures management that quality improvement is a fiscally responsible way to serve the organization, as opposed to just complying with a set of external rules and regulations. A major benefit of employing a quality cost approach to quality improvement is that it provides a method to monitor the pertinence of projects to the overall goals of the organization. A cost‐based approach to select the quality improvement projects that are appropriate to the organization is a key part of the strategy for overall business success: to do the right things right.

Starting with 1997 applications, both the US Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards and the Canada Awards for Excellence have undergone changes to the evaluation categories as well as to the point systems in order to increase the emphasis on business results. Over the past several years there has been an increasingly perceived need to emphasize organizational successes owing to an overall quality management approach as opposed to celebrating specific quality improvement initiatives within establishments. The enthusiasm of management to highlight gains made in certain portions of their organization in the name of quality requires tempering by due consideration within the general context of the impact on business results. The emphasis has been shifted to ensure further that an overall balance in applying TQM throughout the organization will be required to achieve national award status.

Online food delivery applications (OFDAs) provide an expedient platform, and consumers’ access to food has been drastically altered, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to completely explore the attributes that influence consumers' purchase intention and how an app's aesthetics can evoke feelings that predict continuous usage intentions for OFDAs. The food industry, especially restaurants, heavily relies on mobile technology to facilitate critical online food delivery during the pandemic crisis.

The data for this study are gathered from 477 food consumers located in the federal capital territory (FCT) of Islamabad, Pakistan, through convenient sampling by developing a self-administrated online survey. SmartPLS is used for structural equation modeling to test the proposed research model and perform bootstrapping and algorithmic analysis.

Our findings revealed that perceived value positively predicted consumers’ purchase intentions. Moreover, perceived value mediates the association of information quality, familiarity, time-saving, usability and reputation with purchase intentions and fear of COVID-19 moderates the relationship between perceived value and purchase intention.

This research work has significant implications for researchers, web developers, app designers, delivery services, restaurants and other enterprises as it demonstrates the importance of aesthetically pleasing OFDAs in eliciting positive emotions and bolstering consumers’ intentions to continue using the app for efficient food delivery services.

This study expanded the application of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and attention, interest, desire and action (AIDA) by examining consumers’ purchase intentions in the context of OFDAs. Further, the successful utilization of TAM enhanced the understanding of consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions about the usage of OFDAs.