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1 – 10 of over 135000Lillian Do Nascimento Gambi, Harry Boer, Mateus Cecilio Gerolamo, Frances Jørgensen and Luiz Cesar Ribeiro Carpinetti
The purpose of this paper is to investigate if a firm’s organizational culture affects the set of quality techniques it uses, and if these quality techniques affect the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate if a firm’s organizational culture affects the set of quality techniques it uses, and if these quality techniques affect the relationship between organizational culture and operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on data collected from 250 firms in Brazil and Denmark, structural equation modeling is used to investigate the relationship between organizational culture and the use of quality techniques, and its impact on operational performance. Four quality technique groups, four cultural profiles adopted from the Competing Values Framework and a set of operational performance indicators are used to operationalize the study.
Findings
Culture does not appear to be an unequivocal predictor of the use of quality techniques. Furthermore, while most quality technique groups contribute indirectly to the total effect on operational performance in the developmental, group and hierarchical cultures, the performance effects are insignificant for all four groups in the rational culture.
Practical implications
Managers need to be actively aware of the cultural characteristics of their organization before adopting quality techniques, in order to benefit most from the use of these techniques.
Originality/value
Most previous studies address the relationships between culture, quality management and performance at the level of quality practices. This study takes the unitarist-pluralist discussion to the level of quality techniques and extends that discussion to what should be its core, namely, the influence of quality techniques on the performance impact of culture.
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Nadeem Kureshi, Faheem Qureshi and Ali Sajid
The purpose of this paper is to assess the current quality management practices of service sector SMEs in Pakistan, and to provide an insight for policy development for SMEs.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the current quality management practices of service sector SMEs in Pakistan, and to provide an insight for policy development for SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
A focused investigation of 100 SMEs in northern Pakistan was conducted through focused interviews and e‐mail survey. The survey is based on a list of 19 quality management techniques selected through Delphi research.
Findings
A significant gap is reported between the knowledge of quality management techniques and their usage by SME entrepreneurs. The results show strong usage of CRM related techniques while low usage of suppliers' development related and statistically extensive techniques. Significant correlation is found between the usage of TQM and other quality management techniques, particularly six sigma and 5S.
Practical implications
The results offer insight into quality management practices in Pakistani SMEs which represent the broader South Asian business culture that is host to a huge share of outsourcing from developed economies. Besides being of huge value to policy makers in the country, the results are useful for firms in developed economies that outsource their businesses to developing economies in South Asia.
Originality/value
The paper provides an insight into the quality management practices of Pakistani SMEs.
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Jordi Castello, Rudi De Castro and Frederic Marimon
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the use of quality management tools and techniques and their integration into the ISO 9001:2008 standard in a wind power (WP) sector…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the use of quality management tools and techniques and their integration into the ISO 9001:2008 standard in a wind power (WP) sector supply chain (SC).
Design/methodology/approach
The research project was carried out in 119 WP sector SC companies (i.e. component suppliers, wind turbine assemblers and wind farm operation and maintenance services) using the questionnaire method. The companies selected employ quality management systems (QMSs) which conform to the ISO 9001:2008 standard.
Findings
The survey findings reveal that the degree to which quality tools and techniques are used in the WP companies can be characterised as “high”. The results show that internal audits, flowchart diagrams and cost of poor quality are the most-commonly applied tools and techniques, although they also indicate some areas for further improvement, for instance, when using advanced and complex quality techniques such as design of experiments, quality function deployment or business process management. In addition to this, the findings reveal that ISO 9001:2008 establishes a favourable environment for the use of quality tools and techniques.
Research limitations/implications
The study was based on the perceptions of quality managers, quality engineers and company managers (subjective data) and did not examine the reasons for either not implementing and/or the difficulties encountered while implementing quality tools and techniques.
Practical implications
The specific findings indicate that employing quality tools and techniques is useful for managers, not only when implementing a QMS, but also when suggesting recommendations for improvement.
Originality/value
A change of developing a framework integrating the main QT&T procedures into the main ISO 9001 processes.
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Christos Fotopoulos and Evagelos Psomas
The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of use of quality management tools and techniques as well as employees' training in ISO 9001:2000 certified companies.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of use of quality management tools and techniques as well as employees' training in ISO 9001:2000 certified companies.
Design/methodology/approach
A research project was carried out in 370 Greek companies, using the questionnaire method. The selected companies have been implementing a quality management system in accordance with the ISO 9001:2000 standard. Independent Samples t‐tests and One‐Way ANOVA tests were used to identify significant differences between selected companies.
Findings
The level of quality tools and techniques used in the ISO 9001:2000 certified companies can be characterised as low. The majority of companies use the easiest to understand and implement quality tools. However, the more complex quality tools and techniques are barely used. As far as employees' training is concerned, it mostly addressed specialized issues, while training on quality tools and techniques was not highly performed.
Research limitations/implications
The study was based on the quality manager's perceptions (subjective data) and it did not examine the reasons for not implementing and the difficulties encountered while implementing quality tools and techniques. These constitute research limitations but also future research orientations.
Practical implications
Given the increased rate of companies adopting a quality management system, continuous improvement through a Total Quality programme can be achieved through the implementation of quality tools and techniques.
Originality/value
This paper describes the implementation status of the quality tools and techniques in companies with a four‐year experience in ISO 9001:2000 standard.
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Hoejin Kim, Yirong Lin and Tzu-Liang Bill Tseng
The usage of additive manufacturing (AM) technology in industries has reached up to 50 per cent as prototype or end-product. However, for AM products to be directly used as final…
Abstract
Purpose
The usage of additive manufacturing (AM) technology in industries has reached up to 50 per cent as prototype or end-product. However, for AM products to be directly used as final products, AM product should be produced through advanced quality control process, which has a capability to be able to prove and reach their desire repeatability, reproducibility, reliability and preciseness. Therefore, there is a need to review quality-related research in terms of AM technology and guide AM industry in the future direction of AM development.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper overviews research progress regarding the QC in AM technology. The focus of the study is on manufacturing quality issues and needs that are to be developed and optimized, and further suggests ideas and directions toward the quality improvement for future AM technology. This paper is organized as follows. Section 2 starts by conducting a comprehensive review of the literature studies on progress of quality control, issues and challenges regarding quality improvement in seven different AM techniques. Next, Section 3 provides classification of the research findings, and lastly, Section 4 discusses the challenges and future trends.
Findings
This paper presents a review on quality control in seven different techniques in AM technology and provides detailed discussions in each quality process stage. Most of the AM techniques have a trend using in-situ sensors and cameras to acquire process data for real-time monitoring and quality analysis. Procedures such as extrusion-based processes (EBP) have further advanced in data analytics and predictive algorithms-based research regarding mechanical properties and optimal printing parameters. Moreover, compared to others, the material jetting progresses technique has advanced in a system integrated with closed-feedback loop, machine vision and image processing to minimize quality issues during printing process.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is limited to reviewing of only seven techniques of AM technology, which includes photopolymer vat processes, material jetting processes, binder jetting processes, extrusion-based processes, powder bed fusion processes, directed energy deposition processes and sheet lamination processes. This paper would impact on the improvement of quality control in AM industries such as industrial, automotive, medical, aerospace and military production.
Originality/value
Additive manufacturing technology, in terms of quality control has yet to be reviewed.
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David R. Bamford and Richard W. Greatbanks
This paper describes the use and application of a structured approach to the basic implementation of quality management tools and techniques such as the QC7 tools.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper describes the use and application of a structured approach to the basic implementation of quality management tools and techniques such as the QC7 tools.
Design/methodology/approach
A methodology based around the application of a structured approach to the use of basic quality management tools is adopted, and provides a simple yet powerful means by which the steps of problem solving can be sequentially linked together.
Findings
Everyday process examples are used to highlight the benefits of such tools and techniques in contributing to a greater understanding of the process by the process operator or owner. For each example, the use of appropriate tools or techniques are examined and their application analysed. The paper then goes on to discuss the wider implications of quality management tool application within industry and business.
Research limitations/implications
It is not suggested the examples detailed are thoroughly scientific in methodology but they do serve to illustrate that by applying the tools in a systematic manner, even the simplest of processes can be understood in greater detail.
Practical implications
The following are key for the successful implementation, use and success of applying the QC and M7 tools and techniques: in‐depth knowledge of the process; formal training in problem‐solving techniques; appropriateness of tools selected for use; and apply simple models at all levels in the organisation to aid communication and learning.
Originality/value
The paper concludes by arguing that the wider use of the tools, ideally by the process operatives themselves, tangibly lead to a fuller understanding of specific processes. This will ultimately impact upon their organisation.
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R.E. McQuater, C.H. Scurr, B.G. Dale and P.G. Hillman
Outlines the key factors in the successful use of qualitymanagement tools and techniques in a process of continuous improvement.Examines some of the common difficulties in use and…
Abstract
Outlines the key factors in the successful use of quality management tools and techniques in a process of continuous improvement. Examines some of the common difficulties in use and application together with tips to overcome and steer around them. Details of a health check for assessing tools and techniques is also given.
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The improvement of the quality of design and the reduction of failure related cost is seen as a crucial competitive requirement for UK manufacturing industry. To achieve these…
Abstract
The improvement of the quality of design and the reduction of failure related cost is seen as a crucial competitive requirement for UK manufacturing industry. To achieve these goals, industry must adopt current methods in support of design for quality (DFQ) for analysing potential problems and predicting quality, and integrate these effectively with the appropriate stages of their new product development process. The utilisation and success rate of these techniques in UK companies is, however, relatively low compared to those in countries such as the USA and Japan. In this paper, the fundamental concepts and key areas of opportunity in design improvement using the main DFQ support techniques are reviewed and a framework for their application and integration is presented to support concurrent product development. The typical experiences and problems concerning the application and implementation of techniques are discussed and areas where new research should be directed are touched on so that DFQ techniques may better enhance industrial practice in the achievement of high quality products.
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Brian D. Waddell, Michael A. Roberto and Sukki Yoon
Research shows that teams often fail to surface and use unique information to evaluate decision alternatives. Under a condition known as the hidden profile, each member uniquely…
Abstract
Purpose
Research shows that teams often fail to surface and use unique information to evaluate decision alternatives. Under a condition known as the hidden profile, each member uniquely possesses a critical clue needed to uncover the superior solution. Failure to share and adequately evaluate this information will result in poor decision quality. The aim of this paper is to examine the impact of the devil's advocacy technique on the decision quality of hidden profile teams.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to mitigate this team decision‐making bias, the present study utilizes experimental research to examine the impact of the devil's advocacy technique on the decision quality of hidden profile teams.
Findings
Results show that devil's advocacy groups achieved higher decision quality than groups under free discussion. However, devil's advocacy teams also had higher levels of affective conflict. As a result, while they selected the best solution, devil's advocacy introduced conditions that may hinder the solution's implementation
Research limitations/implications
Similar experiments with advocacy techniques suggest that the positive effect on decision quality found here may be reduced in the presence of stronger hidden profiles.
Practical implications
While the devil's advocacy technique has the potential to uncover hidden profiles and improve group decision making, the paper recommends that managers use this technique only in teams with strong critical thinking norms that foster constructive conflict.
Originality/value
To the authors' knowledge, no study has examined the impact of devil's advocacy in groups where information is not shared equally prior to deliberations.
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Shamsuddin Ahmed and Masjuki Hassan
Quality management (QM) cannot be assured unless some objective assessments are undertaken. A number of tools and techniques are available to conduct such analysis. Although some…
Abstract
Quality management (QM) cannot be assured unless some objective assessments are undertaken. A number of tools and techniques are available to conduct such analysis. Although some of them are product or service specific, however, a few basic tools and techniques are commonly used in manufacturing firms. This study focuses on the state of application of QM tools and techniques in small and medium industries (SMIs). The findings reveal that by‐and‐large, lack of methodical analysis is a major weakness of SMIs. Still some rule‐of‐thumb and subjective observations are dominating over objective evaluation in the process of quality control decisions. A few case studies which have been conducted, and one that has been briefly reported here, also support this conclusion. The methodology of the study has three folds: literature review, survey in SMIs and case studies.
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