Title: The development and research tradition of statistical quality control

Authors: Muhammad Muazzem Hossain, Victor R. Prybutok, A.B.M. Abdullah, Majharul Talukder

Addresses: Department of Information Technology & Decision Sciences, College of Business, University of North Texas, P.O. Box 305249, Denton, Texas 76203, USA. ' Department of Information Technology & Decision Sciences, College of Business, University of North Texas, P.O. Box 305249, Denton, Texas 76203, USA. ' School of Management, City West Campus, University of South Australia, P.O. Box – 2471, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. ' Faculty of Business and Government, University of Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to fill three gaps in the literature of quality control. First, this study expounds the chronological development of statistical quality control (SQC) to date, for there is a paucity of an up-to-date chronology of SQC in the literature. Second, the concept of statistical quality control has been analysed from the perspective of scientific inquiry to determine whether SQC has evolved or has been evolving as an evolutionary, revolutionary or progressive research program. Third, this paper discusses whether the discipline of statistical quality control has its own research tradition. We employed a qualitative method to address our research questions. We argue that the concept of statistical quality control has emerged as a scientific revolution in the arena of quality control and that the discipline of statistical quality control has its own research tradition. This study provides both practitioners and academicians with not only an up-to-date account of SQC but a sense of the legitimacy of SQC as a discipline. SQC provides a system|s perspective to quality control and has paved the way for enterprise-wide quality philosophies such as TQC, TQM, zero defects, Six Sigma, ISO, etc.

Keywords: research; six sigma; statistical quality control; SQC; total quality management; TQM; zero defects; total quality control; TQC; ISO 9000; quality standards.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2010.029505

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2010 Vol.5 No.1, pp.21 - 37

Published online: 30 Nov 2009 *

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