Management and Quality

Introduction

            Quality is a word that considers different elemental factors in the existence of the different businesses around the world. It could be noted though that whatever these elements are, “quality” is used as the measurement for the competence of the entire business organization in handling their responsibilities to their stakeholders. Just what is meant by “quality” and how does this particular element in business affect the entire operational system that the profit organizations are involved with today?

            Three among the many experts in business have actually been known for their contributions in the development of public knowledge and business application of the different aspects that concern quality in the different organizations today. These three business gurus are known as Edward Demings (1990’s), Joseph M. Juran (1904-2008), and Philip Bayard Crosby (1926-2001). These  business personalities have actually proven that quality is a huge issue that subjects the reputation of any organization today to any possible criticism there is. Understandably, such matter is noted for the different theories of management that the said personalities used in governing their own business entities. To have a better understanding of the matter better, it is better to take each business person’s theory into accountable identification.

            Edward Demings is the well known developer of Ford Motors both in Japan and within the United States. From the beginning towards the developmental years of the said business organization Edward has continuously been able to handle the issues of the said organization through following a particular theory in understanding business systems based on the capability of people and operations making up the entire business to provide high quality service to the stakeholders of whom they are supposed to give attention to in their own industry.

            Demings have outlined his theory of quality through the following diagrammatic presentation:

(Source: Latzko, et al, 1995, 17)

 To explain better, this diagram is noted as the description of the Edward Demings’ formula to quality which is  QUALITY= Results of efforts/Total Costs.  This means that the efforts of the people making up the organization put forward for the operation of the business in the industry is greatly affective on the cost of profit gains of the major organizations involved in the said industries. (Latzko, et al, 1995, 17)

            Joseph M. Juran on the other hand believed that quality management is the result of adding human dimension to the system of business operations to be able to come up with better results that rare beneficial for the stakeholders of different organizations that would also yield better results for the personal gains of the administration governing the said organizations. To explain better the diagram of the theoretical application of the Juran Quality assessment could be noted as follows:

(Juran, 2004, 57)

From this diagram, it could be observed that the input of human entities within the system of operation is the actual indicator of change and improvement within the affective elements that are used by the organization to attend to the needs of their clients and other stakeholders of the system.  (Juran, 2004, 25)

            Phil Crosby’s approach to explaining quality on the other hand is dependent on four major ideas as follows:

1. quality conforms with requirements
2. quality insists prevention of the upcoming disasters to organization that may arise later on in the business operations that organizations engage with
3. quality performance means zero defects
4. quality  is balanced with non conformance

(Crosby, 1969, 17)

The four idealisms of quality obviously subject the business organizations today to a perfectionist’s view of understanding business operations. Businesses today apply this theory through the system shown in the diagram below:

(Source: Crosby, 1969, 29)

As noted from this diagram, quality is a dimensional element that is definitive and applicative in the process of decision making as well as operational procedures of different business entities.

The Modern Application of the Theories to Business:

A View on Team Building Essentials to Instill Quality

Humans are significantly made with personal and innate characteristics in them that are completely different and apart from the others. This idea is mainly because of the certain fact that human beings have their own characteristics of uniqueness and individuality. Thus, human beings become existent in their own personal sense with their own identity differing them from others at some point in their innate qualities. In same manner, cultures and social values are also created and develop with likeness to the concept of individuality and uniqueness since they are created by human beings themselves. Social groups of relative similarities functioned and develop them own system of values and accordance making them united in their own concept and apart from the other social groups. Thus with this concept, cultural diversity has predominantly existed as how society themselves strive and develop to the point of their current state.

            However, this innate and basically natural concept in the society has been always a massive hindrance for the establishment of social unity and uniformity especially on the principal level of a team. Since the team-building concept’s main agenda is the establishment of a uniting factor and bond among its members, their own personal and cultural diversity has always been a challenge for the said aim. Common problems and challenges such as uniqueness in the dominant language, dissimilarities with social norms and acceptable principles, differences concerning perception and opinions, and others often become a problem in the team-building aspect. In general, diversity produces stratification and division thus unification is being hindered. Indeed, cultural diversity in the aspect of team building is one of its main weaknesses.

            However, cultural diversity in a certain team can also serves as its potential strength producing advantages apart from its common disadvantages. (Banks, 2005, 17) Having a culturally diversified group is also beneficial because it can basically cover much more grounds than groups of only single culture. This concept is true because having a multicultural society in a single group will produce more and significantly different opinions and ideas and with the merging of these different ideas, a single group can produce a statement or an idea that is generally valid since it actually addresses point of views from each culture. It is like having a representative from each culture joining together to create a concept that will unify their principles and eliminate their differences. (Hauberger, 2004, 27) In addition, through having a multicultural group, individuals can actually gain an opportunity to learn from the other and become acquainted with other social groups’ culture. Thus, each one can learn to adapt and relate to each other creating a bond that will transcends their culturally differences.

            In a point, building a team with the basic qualities of cultural diversity is indeed a difficult challenge because each member and especially its leaders must be able to eliminate the diversity walls between its people without offending or discriminating as much as a single individual. It is very important that in this aspect, each and everyone must understand the importance of respect for other’s personal culture and their own diversity thus avoiding further complications in the situation like straining the said opportunity. However, the said concept of building a team of multicultural individuals is also a rewarding and an important part of social development of the human beings. Through this course, society can start to bring down the wall that separates them from each other and use the concept of cultural diversity not as their main weakness from conceptualizing social unity but as their potential strength for harmoniously existing as culturally colorful society. (Latzko, 1995, 72) Yes, through the effective management of both the physical entities and facilities of the business and the equal attention that the people force of business organizations receive from their organizational administrations today, it could not be denied that handling the need to provide quality becomes an easier yet most affective process of business operations in the industry today.

References:

Banks, James A (2005). Cultural Diversity and Education: Foundations, Curriculum, and Teaching. Ally & Bacon Publishing Company. 5th Edition.

Heuberger, Barbara (2004). Cultural Diversity: Building Skills for Awareness, Understanding and Application. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. 3rd Edition.

William J. Latzko, David M. Saunders, “Four Days with Dr. Deming: A Strategy for Modern Methods of Management” Prentice Hall PTR (January 26, 1995) ISBN 0-201-63366-3.

Juran, Joseph M. (2004), Architect of Quality: The Autobiography of Dr. Joseph M. Juran (1 ed.), New York City: McGraw-Hill, p. 325–3336, ISBN 9780071426107, OCLC 52877405.

Crosby, Philip (1969). The strategy of situation management. Boston, Industrial Education Institute. OCLC 13761.