Search results

The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains features to help the reader to retrieve relevant literature from MCB University Press' considerable output. Each entry within has been indexed according to author(s) and the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus. The latter thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid retrieval. Each article or book is assigned its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. This Volume indexes 29 journals indicating the depth, coverage and expansion of MCB's portfolio.

In every manufacturing company, irrespective of size, product and other variables, management are constantly involved in quality‐related decisions which have a direct effect on product quality. An analytical method is described for assessing an organisation's approach to quality management. On application, managers are provided with information on the reality of their quality assurance activities. An overview of some of the issues involved in decision making is provided, followed by an outline of the research methodology, and, finally, the “method” is presented with some results arising from its application.

In response to the criticism on the measurement system of self‐assessment against the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model, this paper reports the development of a more scientific and accurate scoring method. The decision model constructed has focused on the “processes” criterion of the EFQM model and can perform three main tasks: to score the self‐assessment submission document; to identify strengths and areas for improvement; and to simulate different scenarios for improvement planning. The model was implemented and tested using two award simulation documents from an electricity distribution utility and a water‐supply company. The results for one of the companies are reported and analysed in this paper. The analysis of the results has proved the reliability and accuracy of the new model. Using the decision model, two systematic methods were developed to identify strengths and areas for improvement and the findings are reported. The model's ability to link self‐assessment with the strategic‐planning process is also commented upon.

This monograph presents some findings, based on four pieces of work funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, on the influence of the National Quality Campaign on UK industry. Amongst the main conclusions are that the campaign material has been relatively successful in reaching its prime target of senior management, the majority of respondents have found the material to be useful and believe that the campaign has benefited their organisation in terms of increased awareness of the importance of total quality management and that few chief executives are actively involved in the process of quality improvement. It is also pointed out that respondents have been selective in their choice of material and chief executives were more discriminating than their subordinates. The selection of material appears to be dependent upon brochure content, respondents′ position in the organisational hierarchy and respondents′ perception of the relevance of material. There is little doubt that people have high expectations of Government in continuing to promote national awareness of quality management and disseminating quality‐related information. The monograph goes on to explore possible future initiatives along the lines of a Pan‐European dimension.

What constitutes a success, survivor, or failure regarding UK quality circle programmes, is not a clear‐cut issue, according to results from four questionnaire‐based surveys carried out by the Department of Management Sciences at UMIST, 1982–4. It is an open question whether some quality circles have a limited life‐span and should be allowed to die off naturally when appropriate; circle activity often appears to resume once labour conditions have stabilised. The success of individual circles seems to depend greatly on how well their members work and integrate together, and how well the circle philosophy has been evolved to fit the company's style. A circle will only work as part of a policy of worker involvement and open management and if it is coupled with a specific long‐term company‐wide commitment to quality.

In this paper we describe the context for the three year project “Quality and the Human Resource Dimension” funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

This paper relates the main findings of a literature review of integrated management systems (IMS). In general, integration has been discussed in the literature dealing with quality, environmental, and health and safety management. The need for an IMS has arisen as a result of the decisions of organisations to implement an environmental management system and/or an occupational health and safety management system in addition to a quality management system. A number of differences have been identified in the interpretation of what integration means and how it should be accomplished. This leads the authors to conclude that the need for definitions is of some urgency. It is also pointed out that the current emphasis is on achieving compatibility between the standards to facilitate alignment.

A postal questionnaire survey of quality circles in the UK service sector has been completed. It was revealed that there are no major differences in the characteristics of circle programmes in the service and manufacturing organisations. However, service industries need to be aware of the individuality of each organisation before adoption of programmes.

This paper aims to present a survey of published literature about various quality costing approaches and reports of their success in order to provide a better understanding of cost of quality (CoQ) methods.

The paper's approach is a literature review and discussion of the issues surrounding quality costing approaches.

Even though the literature review shows an interest by the academic community, a CoQ approach is not utilized in most quality management programs. The evidence presented shows that companies that do adopt CoQ methods are successful in reducing quality costs and improving quality for their customers. The survey shows that the method most commonly implemented is the classical prevention‐appraisal‐failure model; however, other quality cost models are used with success as well.

The paper shows that the selected CoQ model must suit the situation, the environment, the purpose and the needs of the company in order to have a chance to become a successful systematic tool in a quality management program.

Sixty‐seven British companies took part in a survey to determine causes of failure of quality circles. The main reasons determined were: rejection of the concept by top management and trade unions; the disruption caused by redundancies and company restructuring; labour turnover; lack of co‐operation from middle and first line management; and failure by circle leaders to find enough time to organise meetings. The author was optimistic about the findings since growth in the number of companies using circles and the average number of circles per company is still taking place.