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Considers TQM from a cultural perspective using the influence of Confucian work dynamism and Chinese cultural beliefs on Hong Kong companies. Asks if these cultural beliefs conflict with modern quality management philosophy and presents the findings of research covering Chinese literature, experts in Chinese philosophy and Hong Kong TQM experts. Outlines research methods and concludes that there are relevant principles which can be used when implementing TQM.

The primary objective of this paper is to ascertain the impact of supplier quality management (SQM) on the quality performance of manufacturing companies operating in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) area of Southern China.

Path analysis is used to build a model that demonstrates how SQM contributes to quality performance and also the constructive effect of supply quality on organizational quality performance. Data were collected from 138 manufacturing and manufacturing‐related companies in the PRD. Hypotheses were formulated by means of the published literature and interviews with experienced industry personnel.

The path model indicates that SQM practices contribute significantly to quality performance and also illustrates the constructive effect of supply quality on the overall quality performance of the organization. Results also indicate that TQM philosophies can act as an essential driver in SQM implementation.

The study is confined to the PRD of Southern China and only examines the interrelationships between the constructs of TQM values and SQM practices. Several insignificant paths between SQM and quality measures should be further investigated.

The model developed can be used to help companies improve their current supplier management systems and can also aid the implementation of new supplier quality management systems. The findings should also be useful to those companies seeking to source from the PRD.

The paper explores the role that SQM plays in minimizing operating costs, in shortening delivery times, and in improving overall quality performance along a demand chain. The results reinforce the need to enhance the competitiveness of the business units along a demand chain through better management of the supply functions.

Discusses an application of total quality management (TQM) concepts in education. Applies the concepts to a quality management programme for industrial and engineering managers. Covers both the aspects of syllabus design and the operation and monitoring of the programme with this application. The application is based on the ISO 9000 quality assurance management system. Proposes that the concepts and ideas presented will help educators ensure that the objectives of the programmes will actually be pursued.

Presents the results of a study on the value of producing a standard type quality manual using the definition mode zero (IDEF0) format. IDEF0 was developed for the integrated computer‐aided manufacturing (ICAM) program of the US Air Force. ICAM was established with the objective of improving the productivity of aerospace contractors, and IDEF0 is a graphic modelling tool for generating instructions that are clearer and easier to understand. A pilot test and a survey were conducted to gauge the response of local workers in terms of how readily they were able to understand the contents of a quality manual written in both a conventional language and the IDEF0 format. The results of the pilot test and survey are very encouraging, with around 70 per cent of the subjects reporting high efficiency, clarity and legibility of the quality manual writing using the IDEF0 format.

Based on a sample of 308 enterprises, this paper studies the determinants of export organic supply chain performance. The results indicate seven positive determinants that influence positively the supply chain performance, including: (i) need-satisfying ability (NSA), (ii) relationship management, (iii) information management, (iv) quality management, (v) coordination and cooperation mechanisms, (vi) operation management, and (vii) marketing strategy of the export organic supply chain. In contrast, the differentiated segmentation strategy and cost strategy have no impact on the export organic supply chain performance.

Reports the results of an attempt to relate the military treatise of the ancient Chinese strategist Sun Tzu to strategic quality management. Two sets of 20 statements were compiled, one from the work of Sun Tzu and the other from the concepts of strategic quality management. A group of employees experienced in quality management was then asked to indicate on a discrete scale the relevance of each statement in terms of its applicability on quality management. The rankings and correlations of the statements are presented and discussed. The results indicate a degree of relevance of Sun Tzu’s insights to strategic quality management in an Asian context.

Operations management literature prescribes various practices in supply quality management (SQM). However, few studies have described the SQM practices being conducted in Asian countries, especially in Hong Kong. The purpose of this study is to identify the critical SQM practices that conducted in Hong Kong.

We used in‐depth industrial interviews and extensive literature review to identify some critical items for evaluating SQM practices. Accordingly, an instrument was developed. We validated this instrument with 90 leading manufacturing related companies in Hong Kong by using SPSS 9.0.

Finally, we extracted ten critical factors for describing a SQM system. These factors could be clustered into three major groups namely supplier selection, supplier development and supplier integration.

This paper has not discussed the relationships among SQM practices, supplier quality and organisational quality. For future study, it will be worthwhile to consider these interrelations.

The newly developed instrument could be used to measure the practices of supply quality management in Hong Kong.

Reports the results of an attempt to ascertain the status of total quality management (TQM) in Hong Kong and southern China. Begins with a general introduction to manufacturing in the region. Information on the general awareness and status of TQM was collected using a combination of interviews, case studies, and a survey. Results indicate that TQM is now a widely accepted approach in the region, its benefits mainly seen in terms of improved customer/supplier relationships. However, there is a perception that TQM must necessarily lead to an increase in costs‐the penalty to be paid for its benefits.

Examines the concepts that underlie the discipline of industrial engineering (IE). Then draws parallels between the concepts of total quality management (TQM) and those of IE. Suggests that TQM and IE are not too dissimilar in their approach to the general problem of industrial efficiency and points out that this type of comparison can help in guiding applications and in the general understanding of both disciplines. Concludes with a brief discussion of IE and TQM education in Hong Kong.

Recently, ISO 9000 and its associated versions are rapidly becoming a “license to compete” worldwide. Its standards are generic in the way that they can be applied to all functions and all industries in various areas of human endeavor. They have been described as the “one size fits all” standards. In developing countries like Pakistan, adoption and implementation of ISO 9000 quality management system is slow due to lack of awareness and initiatives. The present study is an attempt to analyze different practices of ISO 9000, like its status, problems faced (before, during and after implementations), benefits gained, its impact, certification cost, the next step after ISO’s 9000 certification, critical success factors, the role of training, consultancy, top management support, use of ISO 9000 in the international markets, future prospects and in particular, general practices of ISO 9000 in the Sports Industry of Pakistan. In this study, detailed case studies clearly explain the current status and existing practices of ISO 9000 in the sports industry.