Quality Management Approach Research Articles

Quality Management Framework for Total Diet Study centres in Europe

A Quality Management Framework to improve quality and harmonization of Total Diet Study practices in Europe was developed within the TDS-Exposure Project. Seventeen processes were identified and hazards, Critical Control Points and associated preventive and corrective measures described. The Total Diet Study process was summarized in a flowchart divided into planning and practical (sample collection, preparation and analysis; risk assessment analysis and publication) phases. Standard Operating Procedures were developed and implemented in pilot studies in five organizations. The flowchart was used to develop a quality framework for Total Diet Studies that could be included in formal quality management systems. Pilot studies operated by four project partners were visited by project assessors who reviewed implementation of the proposed framework and identified areas that could be improved. The quality framework developed can be the starting point for any Total Diet Study centre and can be used within existing formal quality management approaches.

The impact of adapting Total Quality Management Approach on Team Building "An Applied Study on Private Universities in Egypt"

The impact of adapting Total Quality Management Approach on Team Building "An Applied Study on Private Universities in Egypt"

How changing quality management influenced PGME accreditation: a focus on decentralization and quality improvement

BackgroundEvaluating the quality of postgraduate medical education (PGME) programs through accreditation is common practice worldwide. Accreditation is shaped by educational quality and quality management. An appropriate accreditation design is important, as it may drive improvements in training. Moreover, accreditors determine whether a PGME program passes the assessment, which may have major consequences, such as starting, continuing or discontinuing PGME. However, there is limited evidence for the benefits of different choices in accreditation design. Therefore, this study aims to explain how changing views on educational quality and quality management have impacted the design of the PGME accreditation system in the Netherlands.MethodsTo determine the historical development of the Dutch PGME accreditation system, we conducted a document analysis of accreditation documents spanning the past 50 years and a vision document outlining the future system. A template analysis technique was used to identify the main elements of the system.ResultsFour themes in the Dutch PGME accreditation system were identified: (1) objectives of accreditation, (2) PGME quality domains, (3) quality management approaches and (4) actors’ responsibilities. Major shifts have taken place regarding decentralization, residency performance and physician practice outcomes, and quality improvement. Decentralization of the responsibilities of the accreditor was absent in 1966, but this has been slowly changing since 1999. In the future system, there will be nearly a maximum degree of decentralization. A focus on outcomes and quality improvement has been introduced in the current system. The number of formal documents striving for quality assurance has increased enormously over the past 50 years, which has led to increased bureaucracy. The future system needs to decrease the number of standards to focus on measurable outcomes and to strive for quality improvement.ConclusionThe challenge for accreditors is to find the right balance between trusting and controlling medical professionals. Their choices will be reflected in the accreditation design. The four themes could enhance international comparisons and encourage better choices in the design of accreditation systems.

An Analysis of Contemporary Issues in Maritime Safety from the Quality Management Approach

An Analysis of Contemporary Issues in Maritime Safety from the Quality Management Approach

E-loyalty driven by website quality: The case of destination marketing organization websites

ABSTRACTThe capability of website quality management to drive tourism customer e-loyalty is the key factor to achieve superior performance of destination marketing organization (DMO) website operations. The quality management approaches that revolve around website design quality and online relationship quality have drawn intensive attention from e-loyalty researchers in recent years. Thorough empirical investigation, however, still lacks in incorporating the integrative impact generated by the two approaches into DMO website quality management. The current study introduces and validates a theoretical framework based on such impact. As the research result reveals, six facets predict tourism customer e-loyalty directly: informational usefulness, navigational effectiveness, aesthetic appeal, entertainment, social presence, and self-concept congruity embedded in the functional, emotional, and symbolic dimensions of website design quality. Online relationship quality, comprised of relationship satisfaction and relationship trust, plays a partial mediator role in amplifying the e-loyalty driving effect of website design quality in the DMO website context.

Exploring Stakeholderss Perception of Accounting Higher Education Deficiencies and Improvements in Quality

Egyptian educational institutions have been experiencing rapid expansion in the provision of accounting higher education (AHE). This expansion may require the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) approach to enhance quality and sustain AHE effectiveness. This paper aims at exploring the AHE stakeholders’ perception of the effectiveness of AHE pre and post the application of TQM. In doing so, we target four groups of stakeholders; students, academics, administrative staff, and professionals in of private and public universities in Egypt to assess their perception of the AHE deficiencies and potential quality improvement. Furthermore, we investigate the effect of adopting TQM on the perceived effectiveness of various AHE dimensions. Using interviews, and a survey questionnaire, we identify eight performance-improvement dimensions for the application of TQM in AHE institutions for a sample of 513 respondents. Results show that the current practice of AHE generally suffers from deficiencies that can be overcome by applying TQM approach. The eight dimensions of potential quality improvements relate to (1) students, (2) academia, (3) accounting education institutions, (4) accounting courses and programs, (5) facilities, (6) training courses and internships, (7) financing costs, and (8) feedback from the accounting job market. Results show a significant perceived improvement when applying TQM relative to the current status pre TQM. The findings are relevant to policy makers and AHE administrators seeking to enhance the quality of accounting education and sustain competitive advantage in a fiercely competitive market.

A quality management approach to guide the executive management team through the product/service innovation process

The innovation process has a considerable rate of failure, from 40% to 80%, depending on the experts consulted. This paper developed a quality management approach, to help Executive Management Teams to handle the innovation process in a better way, based on the problem-solving procedure and the application of quality tools and techniques. It includes three major phases: ‘External Environment Investigation’, ‘Strategic Decision Making’, ‘Innovation Project Execution’, and a series of steps are arranged to span across the approach in each phase. A case study is conducted to demonstrate how the quality management approach proposed in this research can be used as a guideline to drive the product and service innovation process. The ideas and benefits of the proposed approach are further discussed.

Процессно-ориентированный подход в повышении эффективности управления качеством медицинской помощи

this article is intended to identify advantages of applying process-oriented approach to the increased efficiency of medical support quality management. To achieve this goal it is necessary to solve a number of tasks, consisting in the implementation analysis of definitions and identifying the specifics of medical support quality management contributed to confirming formulated hypothesis according to which administrative approach in quality management in the provision of medical services has less managerial potential than the process-oriented method, and it is more oriented to meet the needs of individuals in high-quality and affordable medical care. Theoretical and methodological basis is laid down by principles and aspects of activity and system approach as well as common management patterns acting as programmability of social actions applied in process-oriented approach. The author used methodology of the regulated influence of pursued policies and programs and such sociological methods of work as the collection, analysis, generalization, systematization of information.

Achieving business excellence through self-assessment for personal and professional excellence

The purpose of the paper is to provide a novel personal excellence reference model that simultaneously integrates an individual’s personal and professional development in private life and work life as well as professional competence development in lean logistics. To support the methodical evaluation and continuous progress of personal excellence and lifelong learning of shop-floor workers in industry, major research efforts were undertaken which involved the transfer of the European Foundation for Quality Management approach for business excellence into a model and self-assessment methodology for personal excellence. To verify the developed reference model, a pilot application was implemented and reviewed at 12 organisations in Europe. The results find that continuous personal improvement of shop-floor workers leads to production optimisation and, thus, business excellence.

Using a Quality Management Approach To Specialise B2 Competence in English: A Proposal for LSP Teaching and Learning

Cet article présente un exemple d’adaptation du niveau B2 du Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues sur la base d’une démarche qualité dans la faculté de philosophie d’une université française. La démarche consiste à attester une compétence à la fois pertinente et accessible pour des étudiants qui sont spécialistes d’une discipline et pour qui l’anglais remplit la double fonction d’accès à la culture spécialisée et de langue de communication internationale. L’attestation de la compétence suppose la mise en place de ce que nous considérons comme trois facettes essentielles de la démarche qualité en anglais de spécialité : la mise en place de cours orientés vers la compétence spécialisée, la conception d’un certificat et la création d’un corpus d’anglais de spécialité représentatif de la compétence visée.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT, AN ISSUE VITAL FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT

Quality management is the management philosophy that emphasizes the need to improve the products and service in order to better exploit the resources of the organization, which requires continuous improvement in the quality of performance of all processes, products and services of an organization. The main bastion of quality-management is focusing on customers and is recognized as a fundamental component of development strategies for market competition. However, quality management in organizations is facing with dilemmas where managers prefer to organize day-to-day activities in a predictable and routine manner in which the change of stability is the natural order of things in the global living space of current operations. The organizations hardly open space for installation change by reducing their ability to change and innovation to increase efficiency in its operations. The authors of this study emphasize the question of why most of the changes in quality management are slow and simultaneously performed gradually while the organizations in the global economy require rapid and radical changes in the direction of using new techniques and technologies, introducing new products and services, making applicable strategy and structure, its own identity and culture. This is how these four types of changes basically realize competitive advantage where managers can ensure that each of the necessary ingredients for change in quality management is affordable and effective.Using technical innovation, as a tissue of the organizational structure that encourages autonomy of employees in the flow of ideas from the bottom upwards is of most interest to organizations. The change in strategy and structure in quality management and top-down approach, which is particularly applicable, are the scope of the administration that takes responsibility for the restructuring changes in the directions of operations, objectives and control systems. Culture, cultural identity and changes basically belong generally to the top managers in reengineering, change of horizontal forms of organization and organizational diversity and organization that teaches and guides the development of human and social aspects and use knowledge from behavioral science to bring real changes in attitudes and communications with consumers. Implementation of systems, methodology and metrology systems as quality builds confidentiality to anything that can be measured, because new technologies have made quality of the products and services are measured to the lowest values, therefore, today’s organizations require strong leadership to guide these processes.

КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПОЛОЖЕНИЯ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ СТРАТЕГИИ УПРАВЛЕНИЯ КАЧЕСТВОМ ПРОДУКЦИИ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ ДОРОЖНО-СТРОИТЕЛЬНОГО МАШИНОСТРОЕНИЯ

The purpose of the work is the need of the theoretical justification and the development of relevant scientific and methodological approaches to the management of the road production quality of machine-building enterprises; it led to the choice of research topics. Methodology. Taking into account the value of existing methods of quality management of road production engineering companies, currently a particular attention requires improvement of the quality control functions: analysis, evaluation, planning and quality control during the operation of road-building equipment, because existing economic practices and quality management approaches are built on classical principles of ISO 9001, and in the practical application do not solve all of the drawbacks of traditional management models, but only smooth them a little. Therefore, the formation of the quality management strategy for the road production of mechanical engineering is essential to ensure the competitiveness of products and enterprises of the road-building complex in the period of development of market relations in the economy. The results showed that the current market conditions impose strict requirements to all production areas of the society. Especially stringent are requirements for the road construction, because the quality of the construction of the subgrade, covering roads and curbs, grading and soil compaction under different conditions of terrain and driving safety depends on people's lives. This factor determines the exceptional quality requirements for roadbuilding equipment, which must be reliable, functional and able to meet the totality of the design and operational characteristics of the road. Further European integration of Ukraine, deepening of external economic relations with the European countries are responsible for the growing needs of the national economy in the development and expansion of the transport network. However, large-scale road construction and repair of roads is impossible without the organization of effective operation of the road for mechanical engineering – heavy construction and earthmoving machinery. Currently in our country present its own engineering manufacturers of road construction equipment (among large – JSC Kredmash), however, the domestic production of road is significantly inferior in terms of domestic consumption of products of foreign manufacturers of the road. Despite the fact that the price of domestic producers less than of imported ones an average in three times, including bulldozers, scrapers, cranes, crawler cars more than 50% (Komatsu, Hitachi, Mitsubishi and others.). Practical implications. The practical significance of the results of the study identifies opportunities to improve the efficiency of traffic control products quality enterprises construction and road engineering. Value/originality. Implementation of the proposed methods and approaches to the formation of the quality of the machine-building enterprise management strategy for road construction will improve the efficiency of quality control processes and the level of enterprise competitiveness.

Delivering Energy-Efficient Social Housing: Implications of the Procurement Process

This paper explores the challenges faced by social housing providers in the UK when implementing quality assurance procedures in their effort to provide their tenants with energy-efficient homes. Based on data collected from the project team and project documentation, a comparative analysis of the procurement process of two social housing developments in the UK is presented. The results of the study show that despite the two case studies pertaining to the same housing association, they followed different quality management approaches to deliver energy efficient dwellings.

Economic Implications of Marine Oil Spill to Nigeria: A Case for Improvement in Coastal Pipeline Management and Surveillance Practices

Article 56 section 1 sub-section b(iii) of the United Nations Convention on Laws of the sea (UNCLOS), among other things identifies protection and preservation of the marine environment as a key role which coastal states must perform. While UNCLOS gave sovereign rights of ownership of certain zones in the oceans to coastal states, to fulfill their socio-political and economic interests in the use of the oceans and its resources, it also provides that it is the undisputable duty of coastal states to manage their claimed portions of the ocean/marine environment and more importantly, protect the environment from pollution, particularly, pollution from oil and gas (O&G) resources. The total quality management approach to safety management views safety progammes and policy implementations as investments, and emphasizes that such investments must be able to yield economic returns among others. The aim of the study therefore is to determine the economic implications of coastal oil spill induced losses to the Nigerian economy in order to estimate the economic impacts that coastal management programmes of agencies has had. The study adopted the natural resources damage assessment model, using data collected from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Country (OPEC) and National Bureau for Statistics (NBS), to determine the oil spill induced revenue losses to Nigeria from 1984 to 2012. It was found among other things that within the period covered in the study, 1984 – 2012, the Nigerian economy lost estimated 3,928,260,196 naira revenue due to oil spill. This amount is not inclusive of remediation cost, third party costs and impact on the environment. Proactive use of technology for coastal oil pipeline and drilling platform surveillance was recommended.

Strengthening the Three Lines of Defence in Terms of More Efficient Operational Risk Management in Central Banks

Abstract This paper is the result of the author`s many years of multidisciplinary research in the areas of quality management and operational risk management. The main focus of the research is aimed at strengthening the model of the “three lines of defence” in terms of more efficient management of operational risks - those that arise as a result of inadequate and unsuccessful processes and systems, human factors, as well as those that can appear as a result of external events. The strengthening of the three lines of defence model is brought about through the synergy of quality management principles, the principles of risk management, and the total quality management approach. In essence, the term strengthening may be interpreted as a process of continual improvement. Business operations based on the principles of quality management and risk management allow central banks to be able to continuously improve their overall business performance. The principles of quality management contain properly aligned and matched best solutions from current management theory and practice. Designed to work together - and this essentially means in a consistent, synchronized and synergistic manner, the principles are translated into a series of requirements and guidelines of international standards suitable for implementation. Through their synergy, the principles of quality management and risk management, as well as approaches to total quality management form a clear, applicable and sustainable paradigm of successful management of central banks. Incorporation of the principles of quality management in central bank systems and processes would significantly strengthen the three lines of defence, in terms of efficient operational risk management, which this paper aims to show in a clear and comprehensive manner. Although any central bank is a specific institution, all the principles of quality management and risk management can be applied to its operations. In addition to the numerous and highly significant benefits and synergistic effects that the application of quality management and risk management principles bring to central banks, what should also be highlighted is their impact on a new way of thinking regarding successful central bank governance, which generates a new attitude towards its responsibilities, objectives, employees, and the environment. A new way of thinking produces new behaviours and an improved business culture and can ensure the sustainable success of central banks and other financial system entities. Bearing in mind that the process of risk management is an integral part of the working of central banks, the most effective results are achieved when the “process owner” is also the “risk owner”. This paper shows that the integration of these two roles contributes to the full effectiveness and efficiency of the processes and risks management. It is clearly demonstrated that this unity of the roles, along with a quality culture, a risk culture, and risk-based thinking is embedded in all management processes - from defining policies, objectives, and plans, all the way to their operational implementation and that this ensures the fulfilment of requirements, needs, and expectations of customers and other relevant stakeholders. In all of this, the management of any central bank plays the most important role, not only because of the importance and complexity of the issues in question, but also because of their full responsibility to manage risks in a proper, effective, conscientious and dedicated manner, as that is the key precondition for achieving sustainable success.

Total Quality Management Approach to Drug and Therapeutics Committee Guidelines in a Tertiary Care Government Hospital in Nepal

Background: Drug and Therapeutics Committee (DTC) is the principal policy making and recommending body for Civil Service Hospital (CSH). Condition of no functional DTC and guidelines based on the concept of total quality management (TQM) continuously presented inconsistencies health care delivery system at CSH. The present study was carried out at CSH from March 2012 to October 2015. Objective: The present guidelines were targeted to the prescribers, pharmacists, and nurses for providing rational health care and disseminating uniform and state-of-art medicine information at CSH. Methods: The present study was carried out at CSH from March 2012 to October 2015. The FOCUS-PDCA concept of TQM included following nine aspects: F: Find role of DTC for the improvement in the existing practice; O: Organize trained team knowledgeable of the process; C: Clarify operational definitions of DTC; U: Understand functions of DTC; S: Select rules and regulations for DTC members; P: Plan improvement procedures through the DTC meeting; D: Do improvement in DTC process; C: Check and analyze the results or outcomes obtained from the implementation of DTC guidelines; A: Act to explore the extent and scope of the guidelines. Results: The present guidelines were developed based on the FOCUS-PDCA concept of TQM. DTC also developed quality assurance criteria, medicine information provision, pharmacovigilance center, pharmacoeconomic evaluation criteria and defined roles and responsibilities of the members. Conclusions: DTC guidelines were developed at GoN CSH, based on FOCUS-PDCA model of TQM approach. The guidelines were based on rational pharmacotherapeutics concepts.

Evaluating library service quality at the Aga Khan University library: Application of a total quality management approach

The purpose of this paper is to report on an investigation of the service quality of the Aga Khan University library in Kenya. The total quality management philosophy which forms the basis of this report has been demonstrated by the use of SERVQUAL, a user-based assessment tool, in the evaluation of service quality. The research was conducted among 123 Aga Khan University library users – nursing and medical faculty and nursing and medical students – with an aim to investigate the quality of its services based on the satisfaction of library users with the services and as expressed by and based on users’ expectations and perceptions. The data was gathered through the SERVQUAL structured questionnaire and a 63% response rate was realized. The findings generally established that the expectations of Aga Khan University library users are higher than their perceptions. The results also show that there are service quality gaps in a number of services offered by the library. This research is deemed important as there is lack of information showing libraries in Kenya having involved library users in service quality evaluation through the use of objective and user-based tools. Thus this paper may lead to libraries in Kenya embracing objective measurement tools for the evaluation of library service quality. It is hoped that this article will contribute to a better understanding of philosophies such as total quality management in an academic library environment in developing countries, users’ expectations and perceptions of quality.

Modelling hydrology and water quality processes in the Pengxi River basin of the Three Gorges Reservoir using the soil and water assessment tool

The Pengxi River is one of the main tributaries on the north shore of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) and currently faces water quality deterioration and algal bloom problems. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) with a TGR specific database was utilized to evaluate the hydrology and water quality processes of the Pengxi River Basin. The flow and its nutrient content were assessed by the model, and the largest pollutant load generation areas of this basin were identified. The Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) method was used to conduct sensitivity analysis, model calibration and validation. Results of sensitivity analysis showed that CN2 (initial SCS runoff curve number for moisture condition II) was most sensitive for runoff, while RCN (concentration of nitrogen in rainfall) and FILTERW (width of edge of field filter strip) were most sensitive for nitrogen and phosphorus loadings respectively. Determination of the most sensitive parameters on the rate of change of SWAT outputs was identified. The coefficient of determination (R2) in the validation ranged from 0.66–0.85 for daily stream flow and 0.70–0.86 for nutrient yield. Average annual water yield for the entire basin was found to be 3.93 billion m3 from 2010 to 2013, while average annual total nitrogen yield was 9406t, and average annual total phosphorus yield was 984t. The simulation results indicate that runoff appeared to vary significantly throughout the year and from year to year, and was correlated with precipitation. Higher pollutant load generation areas were mainly concentrated in the central and southern part of the Pengxi River basin. This study is expected to have major implications for identifying non-point source (NPS) and water quality management policies and approaches.

Analyzing perceived healthcare service quality on patient related outcomes

Purpose Through the lens of a total quality management approach, this paper aims to examine the effects of health-care service quality on patient satisfaction, repatronage intention (RI) and positive word-of mouth (PWOM) at a public hospital specialized in women and children’s diseases. The contribution is to measure and compare patient expectations and perceptions related to the public health service quality. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was distributed to in-patients who stayed at a public training and research hospital for at least three days. To analyze the relationship between variables, multiple regression analysis was used. To test the difference between expected and perceived service quality, the paired-sample t-test was used. Findings The findings provided empirical evidence that perceived service quality significantly influenced patient satisfaction, RI and PWOM. The “responsiveness and reliability” factor was found to be the most influential on patient RI and PWOM. The “tangibility” dimension had the strongest influence on patient satisfaction. Practical implications The results reveal that a reliable and responsive service, empathic personnel behaviors and appropriate tangibles are the outstanding factors for high levels of patient satisfaction, RI and PWOM. Originality/value Although the concepts of perceived service quality, patient satisfaction, RI and PWOM are explored frequently in service literature, there are few researches that focus on specialized health services for women and children’s diseases. By evaluating the service quality, it is hoped to provide an insight to health-care managers about the service quality dimensions and their relationship with patient satisfaction, RI and PWOM, specifically based on women patients.

ADOPT QUALITY MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE IN EMPLOYABILITY OF ENGINEERING GRADUATES OF INDIA

Globalised industrial production has opened-up large employment opportunities across industry verticals across, while throwing lots of challenges on the Industries in getting the products early to the market by leveraging latest cutting-edge technologies from every domains of engineering and at the same time being 'cost competitive' for their survival. Under the dynamic market with cost pressures, expectations of the industries across the globe is that, the fresh graduates hired from the educational institutions are 'job-ready' while offering lots of employment opportunities for young engineers graduating and more specifically in India. It is estimated in India that, the automotive industrial sector alone would create 48 million job opportunities by 2022. To meet this demand Indian education system in the last few decades has undergone accelerated growth and is equipped to produce 1.4 million engineering graduates across the Nation for employment. However, there appears to be huge un-met expectations of the employers on the employability of fresh engineering graduates, resulting in huge percentage of engineering graduates are not, either 'job ready 'or 'employable' as perceived by the employers. Issue of employability is a complex problem and requires a multi-pronged approach across all domains of engineering. This research work is more specific to mechanical engineering under graduate students, to understand and analyse the reasons for such a lower employability, by considering employers' perspective of employability as a defect in educational process. This research work attempts to leverage the successful six sigma quality management approach adopted by the Industry in addressing their process defects, by considering educational institutions similar to process industry. The scope of this research work is to identify issues which are like low hanging fruits and suggest solutions that would make significant impact on the employability as perceived by employers.