Culture of quality: insight into foreign organisations in Slovakia

Abstract

This paper aims to present the results of comparative research on the culture of quality in the largest foreign and domestic organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia. The empirical research examines quality strategy, quality vision, leadership, quality values, and customer involvement practices. The comparative research is based on in-depth personal interviews with professionals responsible for quality and innovation management in the organisations. The empirical research is combined with secondary resources (e.g. annual reports). The culture in Slovakia as described according to the Hofstede model has a ‘high power distance’ and is strongly ‘masculine’. Empirical research on the large foreign organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia recognises that the culture of quality varies significantly according to the country of origin. Inherent differences exist within French, German, Korean, Mexican, Norwegian, and US companies. Proximity in culture can be found between France and the United States as well as Mexico and Germany. The main differences in the culture of quality are primarily in practices and less in vision, values and leadership approaches. Despite the variability within the group of foreign companies, as a group, the set shows a common culture that is fundamentally different from the culture of the sample of Slovak companies. The research focused only on the group of the largest organisations operating in the automotive industry in Slovakia, both foreign and domestic. The paper provides original findings on the culture of quality in foreign organisations operating in Slovakia. Previous studies have not examined what culture of quality arises when a foreign-owned company is faced with the culture of Slovak employees.