Ecomomics aspects of quality and organizational performance – a study in Setúbal care homes for elderly persons

Abstract

This study presents some recent developments in quality management practices at social area organizations initiated in the ‘Grandfather Plan’, a project launched in 2001 by the Labour and Economy Department of the Portuguese government, which aimed at increasing the quality of Social Answers. In the first phase, a quality management system was designed based on ISO 9001:2000. The managers were trained and application was carried out on a sample of 25 ‘Homes for the Elderly’ spread over the country. In the second phase, 12 institutions in Setúbal, by their own initiative, decided to implement a quality program. Bearing in mind people and management motivation, short-term solutions and results, a Processes approach was developed, setting indicators, and improving procedures and practices. We are interested in investigating the relationships between the economics aspects of quality and the organizational performance. For this purpose, by a semi-structured questionnaire was designed, supported by the EFQM assessment criteria model, enhancing management by process, and we conducted eight in-depth interviews with quality managers of the above institutions. A content analysis with data in the form of interviews and observations was performed. The results of this study highlight the close association between quality practices and organizational performance and suggest that investments in quality should indeed result in better performance and gains. The organizations with the best quality practices are more productive, quality managers present a wider set of abilities and the predominant role of correction is being replaced by prevention.