New Challenges for the Global Quality Management Systems in a Dynamic Environment - Development of Theoretical Framework

Abstract

Globalization processes are relatively new phenomena, that have increasing trend in the industry, and mature insights into the complexity of management systems operating in a global environment are still developing. Therefore, this study used a systemic perspective to generate an initial body of knowledge about the challenges faced by global quality systems after the corporate expansion processes that can be drive from strategic partnerships and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and be result in multinational companies. Data was collected from intensive field research concerning the development processes of 18 international companies for three years and analyzed using the Grounded Theory methodology. The analysis yielded the key variables that influence the work environment, constraints, interfaces, and goals of global quality management systems, as functional systems within complex, multinational, multi-interface companies operating in a competitive, dynamic, and changing market. The following five themes common to multiple variables were identified: The dynamic of global expansion, The development levels in global QMS as part of the expansion process on MNCs, the complexity of mutual relationship that aren’t expressed in the conduct of the global QMS, the difficulty in regulating local and global needs of the QMS, and the lack of strategic concept for integrative management of the global QMS. Based on these five themes a model was proposed to study further the challenges faced by global quality systems. This paper is distinctive in that it adds dynamism as a dimension in the process of developing international quality systems and blends strategic, operational, and marketing rationale into thinking about quality systems. This research contributes to the construction of an initial body of knowledge that which presents, in a broad and integrative manner, the key issues concerning global quality systems, the process of their development, how they function and challenges they face.