The early development of the total quality movement was substantially influenced by only a few quality “pioneers”: Deming, Juran, Feigenbaum, Crosby and Ishikawa. This article…
Abstract
The early development of the total quality movement was substantially influenced by only a few quality “pioneers”: Deming, Juran, Feigenbaum, Crosby and Ishikawa. This article discusses their key contributions about quality. Argues that these US and Japanese quality “gurus” contributed a number of important ideas to today’s understanding of total quality management (TQM). Points out, however, that TQM is not merely a set of statistical tools and methods for improving the company’s product and service quality level and a quality management system like BS 5750 and ISO 9000, as suggested by these quality pioneers. TQM rather comprises a business strategy for harnessing the full capacity of all the company’s resources – not only technical – in order to achieve world‐class quality at minimum costs. Comes to the conclusion that the role of the human resource issue and the importance of the individual employee were hardly recognised by these classical quality “gurus”.
Addresses the question: how can business organizations attain new, unprecedentedly high levels of quality in their work processes? Rejects the view that quality and productivity…
Abstract
Addresses the question: how can business organizations attain new, unprecedentedly high levels of quality in their work processes? Rejects the view that quality and productivity are incompatible, arguing that efficiencies resulting from continuously improving quality lead to increased productivity. Examines the western management reliance for competitive advantage on costly technological innovations which, once installed, are subject to steady deterioration and erosion of their initial advantage. Warns that technology cannot substitute for people. Contrasts western results‐based short‐termism with the strongly process‐oriented Japanese approach. Shows how the Japanese have also practised large‐scale absorption of new technology but have invested heavily in their people at the same time, because they recognize that technological innovations need committed, well‐trained people, not only to make the technology work but also to maintain its advantage through kaizen ‐ a process of continuous, smaller‐scale, people‐based improvements.
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This article discusses the history of quality management in Germany, Japan, Britain and the USA. It suggests a need for further development of a European model for quality to fit…
Abstract
This article discusses the history of quality management in Germany, Japan, Britain and the USA. It suggests a need for further development of a European model for quality to fit the specific business and social cultures of European organizations.
Ole Madsen, Simon Bøgh, Casper Schou, Rasmus Skovgaard Andersen, Jens Skov Damgaard, Mikkel Rath Pedersen and Volker Krüger
The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the technology of autonomous mobile manipulation in a real world industrial manufacturing environment. The objective has been to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the technology of autonomous mobile manipulation in a real world industrial manufacturing environment. The objective has been to obtain experience in the integration with existing equipment and determine key challenges in maturing the technology to a level of readiness suitable for industry. Despite much research within the topic of industrial mobile manipulation, the technology has not yet found its way to the industry. To mature the technology to a level of readiness suitable for industry real-world experience is crucial. This paper reports from such a real-world industrial experiment with two mobile manipulators.
Design/methodology/approach
In the experiment, autonomous industrial mobile manipulators are integrated into the actual manufacturing environment of the pump manufacturer Grundfos. The two robots together solve the task of producing rotors; a task constituted by several sub-tasks ranging from logistics to complex assembly. With a total duration of 10 days, the experiment includes workspace adaptation, safety regulations, rapid robot instruction and running production.
Findings
With a setup time of less than one day, it was possible to program both robots to perform the production scenario in collaboration. Despite the success, the experiment clearly demonstrated several topics in need of further research before the technology can be made available to the industry: robustness and cycle time, safety investigations and possibly standardization, and robot and workstation re-configurability.
Originality/value
Despite the attention of research around the world, the topic of industrial mobile manipulation has only seen a limited number of real-world integrations. This work reports from a comprehensive integration into a real-world running production and thus reports on the key challenges identified from this integration.
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Discusses the peopleside of TQM implementation with reference to organisations andorganisation development theorists. Argues that a focus on theindividual in the organization, and…
Abstract
Discusses the people side of TQM implementation with reference to organisations and organisation development theorists. Argues that a focus on the individual in the organization, and the organization’s social systems, is the key to TQM success. Provides information on the traditional approach to securing employee commitment to quality and looks at the development of the TQM vision. Concludes that a considerable number of Western managers still cling to an outdated traditional approach.
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Daniel Carnerud, Carmen Jaca and Ingela Bäckström
The purpose of this paper is to depict how Kaizen and continuous improvement (CI) are represented in scientific journals focusing on quality management (QM) from the 1980s until…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to depict how Kaizen and continuous improvement (CI) are represented in scientific journals focusing on quality management (QM) from the 1980s until 2017. Additionally, the study aims to examine how Kaizen is studied and described and how the relationship between Kaizen and CI is portrayed.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applies a mixed methods approach to search for tendencies and outlines concerning Kaizen and CI in four scientific journals focusing on QM and two focusing on OM. The data set contains entries from 1980 until 2017, which makes it possible to depict how Kaizen has evolved over more than 30 years.
Findings
The findings show that Kaizen and CI attained special interest in the mid-1990s, after which interest appears to have decreased. However, the findings imply that a regenerated interest for the areas spiked post 2010. In addition, the results indicate that Kaizen is on the one hand accepted by one part of the management community but on the other hand completely ignored by the rest. Finally, the data illuminate a need to strengthen and clarify Kaizen’s theoretical basis and its relationship to CI.
Practical implications
If an aspiration exists to increase the success rate of Kaizen implementation, the results from the study highlight the need to address and clarify epistemological, terminological and theoretical issues.
Originality/value
Prior data mining studies pinpointing how Kaizen and CI have evolved over the last 30 years appear not to exist.
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Talja Blokland, Daniela Krüger, Robert Vief, Henrik Schultze, Valentin Regnault and Jule Benz
How much goodness do we expect from our neighbours? People living nearby might be locked with each other in interdependencies by spatial proximity but often do not know each other…
Abstract
How much goodness do we expect from our neighbours? People living nearby might be locked with each other in interdependencies by spatial proximity but often do not know each other more personally. This chapter explores the question of how latent neighbourliness – an expectation that neighbours will have our back even though we might not know them – emerges. We draw on statistical analyses of survey data from four neighbourhoods in Berlin, Germany, and a pre- and post-COVID-19 methodology, therefore capturing a time when people were asked to stay home and within their neighbourhoods. Our findings demonstrate that latent neighbourliness is neither significantly associated with personal support from neighbours when facing important challenges, nor personal support experienced in the neighbourhood with others whom we know, but who are not neighbours (e.g., family members). Neither is latent neighbourliness a fixed attitude that can be explained by individual characteristics and/or positions (such as age, gender, education, income, one’s employment situation and others). In contrast, we find that, apart from individual generalised trust towards others, the neighbourhood setting itself shapes levels of latent neighbourliness among all demographics. Additionally, those with younger children show higher latent neighbourliness, most likely a result of moral geographies. We argue that caring for children in public and experiencing or displaying moral codes that others can read makes it easier to develop an expectation of goodwill (or for that matter, hostility) from neighbours, without having more durable ties to them.
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This paper provides a perspective on the field of nonmarket strategy. It does not attempt to survey the literature but instead focuses on the substantive content of research in…
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This paper provides a perspective on the field of nonmarket strategy. It does not attempt to survey the literature but instead focuses on the substantive content of research in the field. The paper discusses the origins of the field and the roles of nonmarket strategy. The political economy framework is used and contrasted with the current form of the resource-based theory. The paper argues that research should focus on the firm level and argues that the strategy of self-regulation can be useful in reducing the likelihood of challenges from private and public politics. The political economy perspective is illustrated using three examples: (1) public politics: Uber, (2) private politics: Rainforest Action Network and Citigroup, and (3) integrated strategy and private and public politics: The Fast Food Campaign. The paper concludes with a discussion of research issues in theory, empirics, and normative assessment.