Title: The strategic status of quality: an Australian perspective

Authors: Danny A. Samson, Amrik Sohal

Addresses: Centre for Strategic Management, and Centre for Manufacturing Management, University of Melbourne, 200 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia. ' Centre for Strategic Management, and Centre for Manufacturing Management, University of Melbourne, 200 Leicester Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia

Abstract: Quality and its management have clearly emerged as a factor critical to success in manufacturing industry, in terms not just of product quality but of the quality of all an organization|s processes and activities. This paper addresses the various conceptions of quality, outlines an organizational process for achieving quality, and provides a description of the relevant experience to date of two of Australia|s largest manufacturing companies. It concludes by noting that the status and structure of a quality initiative are best driven and influenced by the company|s Chief Executive Officer, and that a useful role of government (in Australia) would be to develop and sponsor a quality improvement initiative centred on CEOs.

Keywords: quality improvement programmes; quality management; Australia; manufacturing; organisational quality.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.1990.025850

International Journal of Technology Management, 1990 Vol.5 No.3, pp.293 - 307

Published online: 25 May 2009 *

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