Purpose: The use of quality management (QM) to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) is a topic of growing interest in academia and industry. The IAQ (International Academy for Quality) established Quality Sustainability Award in 2020, a testament to this growing interest. This study aims to investigate how QM philosophies, methodologies and tools can be used to achieve sustainable development in organizations. Design/methodology/approach: Five large manufacturing organizations – three from India and two from China – who reported their achievements about using QM in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were studied using multiple sources of data collection. A detailed within-case and cross-case analysis were conducted to unearth this linkage's practical and theoretical aspects. Findings: The study finds that QM methodologies effectively met the five organizations' UNSDGs. These organizations successfully used OPEX (Operational Excellence) methodologies such as Lean, Kaizen and Six Sigma to meet UNSDGs 7, 11, 12 and 13. Moreover, UNSG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) is the most targeted goal across the case studies. A cross-case analysis revealed that the most frequently used quality tools were Design of Experiments (DoE), Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), C&E analysis and Inferential statistics, among other essential tools. Research limitations/implications: The study's sample size was limited to large-scale manufacturing organizations in the two most populous countries in the world. This may limit the study's generalizability to other countries, continents, or micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Additionally, the study's conclusions would be strengthened if tested as hypotheses in a follow-up survey. Practical implications: This practical paper provides case studies on how to use QM to impact SDGs. It offers both descriptive and prescriptive solutions for practitioners. The study highlights the importance of using essential QM tools in a structured and systematic manner, with effective teams, to meet the SDGs of organizations. Social implications: The study shows how QM can be used to impact UNSDGs, and this is very important because the UNSDGs are a set of global objectives that aim to address a wide range of social and environmental issues. This study could motivate organizations to achieve the UNSDGs using essential QM tools and make the world a better place for the present and future generations. Originality/value: This case study is the first to investigate at a micro-level how QM can impact UNSDGs using live examples. It uses data from the IAQ to demonstrate how QM can be integrated into UNSDGs to ensure sustainable manufacturing.
PurposeIn a highly competitive and globalised era, agile organisations proactively steer towards sustainability. This situation persuaded the organisations to align Quality Management (QM) initiatives to achieve sustainable outcomes. This study aims to explore quality-sustainability linkage, explicitly focusing on attaining the prestigious IAQ Quality Sustainability Award. Further it investigates, the impact of QM as a strategy for promoting sustainability to meet sustainable development goals (SDGs).Design/methodology/approachDue to the lack of substantial literature connecting QM to sustainability, the current research adopted an explanatory multiple-case study. Six cases were purposively chosen for the study. Three cases of those who have achieved the prestigious IAQ Quality Sustainability Award and remaining have been selected that have fallen short of receiving the award. A detailed within-case and cross-case examinations involving six cases that reported their QM achievements aligned with SDGs.FindingsThe findings demonstrate the significant role of QM adoption in achieving positive results from the perspective of SDGs, such as reduced environmental impacts, improved operational efficiency and enhanced quality of life. Effective stakeholder collaboration, proficiency in analytical tools and strategic alignment with SDGs emerged as critical success factors. Conversely, weak linkage with sustainability and unclear approaches were crucial challenges in attaining the IAQ Quality Sustainability Award.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper outlines essential commandments for organisations actively seeking to promote sustainability. It offers valuable insights for decision-makers, facilitating a profound understanding of the challenges and opportunities in pursuing sustainable performance.Originality/valueThe distinctive nature of this study lies in its dedicated exploration of the intricate relationship between QM deployment and its true impact on the achievement of the SDGs.
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore possible connections between brain functioning and quality management. Design/methodology/approach: Five central principles regarding brain functioning according to neuroscience are conceptually described and related to principles and major concepts in quality management with a special emphasis on Deming’s system of profound knowledge. Findings: The principles are shown to be related in a profound way. The first principle of coherence is closely related to appreciation for a system. The principle of homeostatic feedback loops concerns events that disturb the equilibrium of a system and is related to knowledge about variation. Neural plasticity is related to a theory of knowledge. The last two principles involve emotional and cognitive contributions to decision-making. They are closely related to the element psychology and one of them could lead to a further development of Deming’s system of profound knowledge. Research limitations/implications: The paper adds to the understanding of the role brain integration has for success in quality management efforts. A limitation is that it is difficult to localise higher-order thinking in brain function. Nonetheless, the research is indicative and provocative as a window to stimulate research into the fundamental basis of quality management success. Practical implications: The findings provide a deeper understanding of profound knowledge in quality management through relating it to how the brain is functioning, which is of value for quality managers and leaders striving for excellence for their organisations. Originality/value: The connection of brain principles with Deming’s profound knowledge has not been elaborated in the literature before. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
PurposeThis qualitative study aims to explore the concept of organisational leadership in the context of Quality Management deployments across a variety of business organisations, particularly focusing on the possible relationships between leadership approaches during the implementation and sustaining phases of Quality Management.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on one-to-one semi-structured virtual interviews with leaders in the quality field.FindingsFour themes (Customers, Leadership, Quality Culture and Sustainability of Quality) emerged from the post-interview data analysis, illustrating the critical role of Leadership in the successful deployment and sustainment of Quality Management and identifying the leadership traits that are most conducive to successful organisational deployments.Originality/valueAlthough some of these leadership traits are described in the wider leadership literature as belonging to one or more different leadership styles, there is no existing style of leadership that comprehends all the characteristics; thus, the need for a new leadership paradigm is this paper's theoretical contribution to the literature.
Purpose: Many organizations report difficulties in integrating lean. A possible cause could be that methods and tools do not support each other. The purpose of this research is, therefore, to explore the nature of the connections within the system. Understanding these provides practitioners with a better way of defining their system and offers researchers a conceptual model with a new way of understanding a company-specific production system (XPS). Design/methodology/approach: The study is designed as a multiple case study with three organizations and, in total, 25 lean experts serving as respondents. Findings: The connections between the elements of an XPS act as a duality based on a problem–solution (P–S) relation. These are categorized according to complexity and can be mapped into a conceptual model, where the connections can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Research limitations/implications: The results provide a method to analyze causes and effects in an XPS and a conceptual model. Given the limitations of a multiple case study, future research should explore connections depending on a broader variety of contextual conditions. Practical implications: The results present a way to avoid a cherry-picking problem through understanding connections between elements in an XPS. This provides a new way to understand the weaknesses of an XPS. Originality/value: The research provides a new approach with insights on how to conduct research in lean production by facilitating how to understand and interpret connections between elements in a system.