The change to total quality: Phenomenological insights from corporate quality executives.
Item
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Title
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The change to total quality: Phenomenological insights from corporate quality executives.
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Identifier
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AAI9207104
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identifier
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9207104
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Creator
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Mohr, Iris.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Steven P. Schnaars
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Date
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1991
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Business Administration, Management | Business Administration, Marketing
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Abstract
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The present dissertation research examines the concept of "total quality," which extends well beyond the traditional view of quality to include all key requirements to achieve quality excellence. Total quality adds to prior definitions of product quality and service quality a focus on process--what actually transpires in organizations seeking to improve quality.;The objectives of this research are twofold. First, this research provides a richer and more robust description of quality than currently exists. Second, this research contrasts companies just starting their quality improvement efforts with companies that are recognized for outstanding quality.;In-depth interviews were used to phenomenologically assess the characteristics that distinguish the two groups of organizations. High level executives were recruited from a broad range of U.S. organizations of industrial products, consumer products, services, and retail and wholesale distribution.;A series of open-ended questions examine six aspects of total quality: leadership, strategic quality planning, human resource utilization, quality assurance, quality results, and customer satisfaction. The final set of questions explore foreign competition and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.;This dissertation is of relevance and interest to both marketing scholars and practitioners. The information obtained from the interviews enables researchers to develop a more precise definition of total quality than currently exists. This facilitates theory development, construct measurement, and eventually theory testing.;This study was exploratory and descriptive, and its findings offer potential for continuing research. These results can be used to develop hypotheses for quantitative testing, to refine survey methodology, and to improve questionnaire construction.;Thirty two research propositions are provided. The propositions offer the potential for extending research on total quality. Future research can be directed towards developing a measure of total quality and empirically testing these propositions.;This dissertation research has direct managerial implications. First, this research suggests that a quality orientation may be considered a sustainable competitive advantage. Second, this research highlights the factors that can be expected to foster or discourage total quality improvement efforts. Many of these factors are controllable by managers and therefore can be altered by them to achieve total quality excellence. Overall, this dissertation gives managers a comprehensive view of what total quality is, ways to achieve it, and its likely consequences.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
