A systems research on quality management under the MBNQA framework

Abstract

Most previous research in the quality management field investigates whether quality management practices contribute directly to business results. This paper reports the results of structural analysis of the systematic relationships among quality management practices and business performance. The study's aim is to determine whether companies have reached the requisite level of synthesis, alignment, and integration in quality management suggested by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) model. A conceptual model is developed from previous studies based on the MBNQA framework guidelines. Data from 180 Norwegian manufacturing companies are analysed using structural equation modelling. The results show that the sampled companies have not reached the level of synthesis, alignment, and integration suggested by the MBNQA framework. Leadership in human resources (HRS) is perhaps the major area for improvement identified in the sampled companies. Both previous studies and the data presented in this paper suggest that the positions of HRS development and customer focus in the MBNQA model should be switched, which suggests the potential for future improvements to the model's framework.