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Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the economics of quality control. Many researchers have considered the problem of determining the optimal target mean for a process, but almost all of them have assumed that the process variance is fixed and known in advance. The problem of simultaneously determining the optimal target mean and target variance for a process is considered. This might result in a reduction in variability and in the total cost of the production process. A reduction in variability upholds the modern concept of Taguchi’s loss function, which states that any deviation from the target value incurs economic loss, even when the quality characteristic lies within the specification limits. Taguchi’s loss function is incorporated to extend this study further to jointly determine the optimal target mean and variance.

This paper seeks to shift the focus to the implications of various quality management systems, as a pervasive feature of modern organisational life, for business excellence.

A mail‐based survey is conducted among a total of 150 UK‐based European Foundation for Quality Management‐affiliated organisations. This quantitative methodology sounds appropriate, given that there is a relative dearth of evidence regarding the nature of quality management systems as quality‐driven organisations pursue continuous improvement through such systems.

Together, International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) series and other total quality management (TQM) models were seen as helping organisations in the journey towards business excellence. Despite the apparently high level of interest in various forms of quality management systems, however, a major discrepancy was found between the rhetoric of these systems and the reality of their practice. For example, little evidence was found that the surveyed organisations were developing a more strategic approach to managing soft aspects of quality management. The results also highlighted the fact that the approach emerging in many organisations seems to be relatively the antithesis of that of the TQM‐driven organisations.

A fundamental limitation of this study relates to its research method and the fact that it draws its data from only a mail‐based survey. Therefore, additional follow‐up research in the form of case studies – qualitative methodology – should be conducted in order to examine more deeply and validate the survey results.

Specifically, despite being viewed as potentially a threat to quality management initiatives, indeed, the paper is in many respects a spirited defence of the distinctive contribution and value of ISO 9000 as a basis and stepping‐stone for TQM success.

This paper updates the earlier work and significantly highlights the move to broaden the aims and process of quality management systems by using international‐wide quality management frameworks.

The study aims to examine the joint effect of service design (SD), information and analysis (IA) and organizational performance through the mechanism of organizational excellence.

To achieve the goal of this study through the hypothesized model, a survey questionnaire research design was employed. The data were collected from Dubai Police organization. Out of 550 questionnaires, 320 questionnaires were returned. The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to analyze the data for measurement and structural models.

The statistical results confirmed the positive and significant effects of IA on organizational excellence and excellence on organizational performance. The mediation role of organizational excellence between IA and organizational performance was also confirmed.

Throughout this study, further details and valuable implications have been discussed. Findings provide several practical implications. Findings also help practitioners and managers make proper decisions when implementing SD, IA and excellence practices in their organizations. With the joint effect of SD, IA and organizational excellence, organizations can achieve maximum strong performance and remain in a competitive market.

This study is a unique empirical research study that examines the joint effect of SD, IA and excellence on performance relationships within the public sector in general and police organization in particular, which is limited especially in research of Middle East countries.

This paper examines the relationship between ISO 9000:2000 quality standards, QS9000, ISO/TS 16949 and the Baldrige criteria for performance excellence revised in the year 2002. A comparison is made between Baldrige criteria and the various elements of ISO 9000, QS9000 and ISO/TS 16949 Standards and their similarities and differences are examined. Implementing ISO 9000 requirements as an initial step for TQM implementation is also discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to show that third-party quality audits (TPQAs) facilitate performance improvement and give confidence to organisations concerning the process quality of services and products. However, because of inconsistencies and unethical practices often observed in the industry, organisations question the significance of TPQA. A perception exists that its initial purpose as an impartial tool ensuring quality of deliverables is no longer upheld. Hence, the need to determine and explain the influence of the ISO 19011 standard interpretation on the application of the audit guidelines in performing TPQA, to promote consistency in the audit process.

The study employed document analysis of the ISO 19011 standard, followed by semi-structured interviews with certification managers (CBs) to gain insight related to their interpretation and application of the ISO 19011 guidelines.

The CBs interpret the ISO 19011 guidelines differently; hence, their application of the standard to compile their audit documents differ. Adherence to the principles of auditing particularly, integrity and independence were found as the core of the audit process while their disregard reflects failure of the real intent of auditing. The inconsistencies in the audit procedures and documents developed for auditors are ascribed to some CBs’ personal interpretations.

The study explores how the different interpretations of the ISO 19011 standard prevail and are perceived by the CBs and auditors. The findings aim to support standardisation and reduce the variations across and amongst the different CBs and auditors.

This paper investigates the pattern or trajectory of implementing ISO 9000 standards versus TQM in Western Europe from a longitudinal perspective, using empirical data. The research is based on three large‐scale surveys conducted in 1992‐1993, 1996‐1997 and 2001‐2002 respectively, in 13 Western European countries. The results of the surveys show that European companies have put considerable effort into ISO 9000 certification. However, the results also reveal that, around 1996‐1997, European companies had also planned to implement TQM. However, the result of the planned “go beyond ISO to TQM” fell short of the anticipated extent, indicating that the adoption of TQM in Europe was slower than expected. Early in the twenty‐first century, European companies are still very keen on implementing TQM, indicating an obvious intention to shift from ISO 9000 to TQM. To ensure that the shift will occur this time however, the two approaches must be integrated properly. Although both ISO 9000 standards and the TQM/EFQM model have been recently updated or modified, how to best incorporate the two systems remains one of the major tasks of quality management in the future.

Although a considerable bulk of literature has focused on the relationship between the implementation of quality assurance certification and the corporate performance of companies, still few are the works devoted to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this paper is to provide additional evidence for the impact of implementing quality assurance and control certificates on the performance of French SMEs.

With a view to determining the effect of certification on the performance of 1,164 French SMEs, the study used the matching method as developed by D.B. Rubin (1974). The data mobilized is the fruit of matching the results of the IOC survey (the Organizational Change and Informatization) conducted in 2006 with data pertaining to the performance of companies as derived from DIANE files (Disk for Economic Analysis).

The empirical contribution of this study indicates the need of SMEs for implementing quality certificates to improve their turnover, increase their added value, increase their labor productivity and boost the productivity of financial capital.

The paper has three main limitations. The first has to do with the choice of performance indicators. The paper is manly limited to the economic side of corporate performance. The second limitation is related to the origin of the data that covers only the year 2006. The study suffers from the time interval limit in which the relation between the implementation of the organizational innovations and the performance is tested. The third limitation concerns the generalization of results. The study was conducted on French SMEs, which limits the generalization of the results obtained.

Research findings have many implications on researchers and SME executives. For this latter, quality assurance system is perceived as a tool to maintain a competitive edge over competitors.

The paper aims to assess the impact of implementing quality certificates on the performance of French SMEs. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study examining the relationship between the implementation of a quality assurance certificate and the performance of a large sample of 1,164 French SMEs.

The study aims to examine the connection between practices of total quality management (TQM) and sustainability in Malaysia food and beverages companies (FBC). Continuous process improvement, benchmarking, management leadership, human resources management, quality assurance, service design and information and analysis as TQM practices are considered and their relationship, respectively, with sustainable performance.

A survey questionnaire is administered to gather responses from 303 FBC, while 98 responses are useable and subsequently analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

The results reveal that effective implementation of continuous process improvement, benchmarking, quality assurance, service design and information and analysis have positive and significant effect on sustainability.

The scope of the present study was limited to FBC in Malaysia, and a cross-sectional design was employed to examine the hypothesized relationships at a single point in time.

The proposed and developed model of this study can be employed by policy and decision makers in the industry. This model can be considered by practitioners in the industry to implement critical policies in the future.

The premises of the institutional and contingency theory are supported by re-affirming the importance of contingencies and institutions for any successful strategic practices to enhance sustainable performance by implementing TQM.

Generic quality management system standard ISO 9001 and the automotive quality management system standard IATF 16949 both require organisations to demonstrate continual improvement in their customer satisfaction and the number of non-conformities identified during quality system audits. However, the long-term trends of these two parameters under ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 standards are not researched so far. It is expected that under continual improvement, organisations will achieve a step-function/stair-case shaped pattern. This study evaluates if this expectation is true when long-term performance of certified organisations is assessed.

A longitudinal exploration of three organisations certified to ISO 9001 standard and three certified to IATF 16949 standard is done. The observations are further substantiated using secondary data for the same ten years period about customer satisfaction of the major automobile manufacturers.

It is observed that none of the two indicators, i.e. the customer satisfaction and number of non-conformities, in any of the six organisations show step-wise/stair-case type improvement. All indicators followed random up and down patterns like ocean waves. It is paradoxical that certified organisations are claiming continual improvement and are remaining certified but there is actually no long-term improvement.

Longitudinal studies for the generic quality management standard ISO 9001 and the quality system standard for automotive sector IATF 16949 are rare. The revelation about ocean wave patterns observed in the long-term trends for customer satisfaction and the number of non-conformities in ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 certified organisations is a startling finding. It is outlandishly different from the conventional perception of a staircase-styled continual improvement pattern expected a priori in certified organisations.

The aim of the study is to develop a TQM model of academic excellence and empirically establish a relationship between TQM implementation and students' satisfaction of academic performance.

A sample of students from ISO and non‐ISO engineering institutions from South India has been taken for the study. Statistical measures like mean, t‐test, correlation and regression analysis were used.

The results reflect that ISO 9001:2000 engineering institutions are moving towards the path of TQM offering better quality of educational service than the non‐ISO institutions. A relationship between the five TQM constructs and students' satisfaction of academic performance has also been established.

This study has been conducted in higher engineering education from the students' perspective only. The study is limited to the privately funded engineering institutions. Research relating to other types of institutions namely the government institutions and the deemed universities can be taken up in future.

The academic excellence model developed in this paper can be effectively implemented in the higher educational institutions to enhance the quality of education and students' satisfaction.

5C TQM excellence model is unique. Suggestions to educational authorities interested in improving the quality of education are valuable.