Search results

Suggests that quality of product and service is the key to competitiveness in the open market. Points out that among the three corporate management indicators, quality possesses a far more human aspect than either cost or productivity. Notes that improving quality in creative ways reduces costs and raises productivity and that providing the three elements of creativity, physical activity and sociality is indispensable for human work. Looks at aspects such as the origins of the human interest in quality and the social nature of humanity. Concludes that without talking quality, it is impossible to speak of human motivation.

An innovative approach is indispensable, not only for developing new products and technology but also for managing any business for future development resulting in market growth and profitability. Work standardization, on the other hand, is stressed in the ISO 9000 Series Standards to raise work efficiency and to ensure product quality. Although both elements of innovation and standardization are considered indispensable for corporate management, they are often thought to be mutually exclusive, because the remaining space for innovative work is reduced along with the progress of work standardization. It is demonstrated, on the contrary, that they are complementary to each other.

Discusses topics claimed to be indispensable for displaying leadership: the right job for the right person; mandatory aims and optional methods approach; common aims and “dream”; special features of quality; fostering creative ability; and cooperation and completion. Looks at their mutual relationship. Concludes that the separation of planning from execution is a different activity from leadership, and that clarification of the mutual relationship between important elements of leadership is important.

Argues that a full display of creativity is indispensable, not only for developing new products and technology, but also for managing any business for future development, if it is to result in market growth and profitability. Work standardization, on the other hand, is stressed in the ISO 9000 Series Standards to raise work efficiency and to ensure product quality. Although both elements of creativity and standardization are considered indispensable for corporate management, they are thought to be mutually exclusive, because the remaining space for creative work is reduced along with the progress of work standardization. Demonstrates, on the contrary, that they are complementary.

Everyone knows that fully displaying leadership is indispensable for successful work. Leadership is an abstract concept, and we should try to pin it down in concrete forms and actually put it into effect. Leadership in the present participative society means to convince one’s subordinates to accept the group’s common aims or “dream” and to go all out to achieve it. Then, the specific functions of leadership include persuading subordinates to accept the common aims of the group and agree that they are worthwhile, displaying tenacity and patience while the goals are being approached, and guiding, developing and encouraging subordinates. The common aims should be appealing, attractive, helpful and adventurous. Quality is thought to satisfy these conditions of common aims, and it is impossible to speak of them without talking about quality.

States that the purpose of integrated management is to find and solve problems in an integrated way. Tries to clarify the logic of the “breakthrough” approach to management, which is thought to be an important and indispensable element of integrated management. This involves looking at management as a means to reduce defects with minimum costs rather than achieving optimum costs at the expense of perfection. Examines three cases from Japanese experiences. Concludes that quality should be distinguished from cost and profitability and that it should be at the center of integrated management.

The essential steps of “hoshin kanri”, or policy management, in Japanese companies are described. They are annual policy and medium‐ to long‐term policy, basic company philosophy and quality policy, converting methodological policy into objective policy, the composition of policy, two deployment styles of target ‐ top‐down and bottom‐up, target deployment and “catch‐ball”, and top management internal quality control audit

Among the three important managerial indicators, quality, cost and productivity, the human history of quality is far more long‐standing and quality is the only item of common concern to both manufacturer and customer: quality is a more “human” concept than either cost or productivity. Senior managers’ appeals to improve quality are more easily accepted and difficult to refuse than calls to cut cost or improve productivity. Quality is a powerful source of employees’ empowerment. A company’s basic business philosophy is of fundamental importance to make itself attractive to its employees and customers, as well as its shareholders, and to continue to develop healthily instead of merely pursuing profit. Because of the nature of this quality, it is extremely important to talk to everyone in the company about their basic philosophy regarding quality and the quality management activities to ensure that quality. Strong sense of responsibility of employees is indispensable to achieve the work aims, and the following two conditions must be fulfilled: the aims of the work must be clearly stated; and the people must be given as great a degree of freedom as possible in the means and methods by which they can achieve the aims. Also outlines the steps leading to creativity.

This study aims to reflect on quality, sustainability and resilience as emerging organisational priorities within total quality management (TQM) and organisational excellence.

The paper uses a conceptual approach based on reflection and theoretical studies on the philosophical foundations of quality, excellence, resilience and sustainability as cornerstones for organisational excellence. Bearing in mind that sustainable excellence rests upon a combination of systemic and soft issues that define organisational ability for resilience and sustainability, there is a need to analyse and reflect on short business cases from world-leading companies and further reflect on the fundamental principles, which have helped such companies to survive, grow and sustain. This study includes such a business case – the LEGO case. In addition, a Japanese case has been included. Japanese training material on human motivation developed in the 1980s exemplifies how company managers were trained, at that time, to understand and practice human motivation, excellence principles and tools.

Organisational excellence constitutes an evolving concept as the world becomes more chaotic and interconnected with multiple disruptive shocks. Organisational excellence challenges the inflexibilities of Newtonian mindsets, recognising the paramount importance of interactions and further underlining the significance of invisible elements such as human potentiality, motivation and values that formulate the principles of organisational excellence.

The paper investigates the notions of quality, resilience and sustainability and their relation to motivation and organisational excellence within the framework of business management and TQM. A world-leading company – LEGO – will be used to exemplify the theoretical findings together with the Japanese Motivation Training Programme case.