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Student Learning Objective 4

Specify the role of engineering in total quality management.

Learning Objective A

Determine the state of an organization's quality culture.

Content

Chapter 6 deals with the quality culture of an organization. A culture of a company is the way that the company operates. Hopefully, the culture aligns with the vision, mission and quality statement that a company professes.

Module A observes that changing the culture of an organization is a difficult task. It requires strong leadership.

Slide 3: Quality Culture

A quality culture is an organizational value system that results in an environment that is conducive to the establishment and continual improvement of quality. It consists of values, traditions, procedures and expectations that promote quality.

  • Figure 6-1: Characteristics Shared by Organizations with a Quality Culture
    • Behavior matches slogans
    • Customer input is actively sought and used to continually improve quality
    • Employees are both involved and empowered
    • Work is done in teams
    • Executive-level managers are both committed and involved; responsibility for quality is NOT delegated
    • Sufficient resources are made available where and when they are needed to ensure the continuous improvement of quality
    • Education and training are provided to ensure that employees at all levels have the knowledge and skills needed to the continuously improve of quality
    • Reward and promotion systems are based on contributions to the continual improvement of quality
    • Fellow employees are viewed as internal customers
    • Suppliers are treated as partners

Figure 6-1: Characteristics shared by Organizations with a Quality Culture

Slide 4: Creating a Total Quality Culture

  • To attempt implementing total quality without creating a quality culture invites failure

  • Reasons culture change must precede (or at least parallel) total quality implementation:

    • Change can not occur in a hostile environment

    • Moving to total quality takes time

    • It can be difficult to overcome the past

Slide 5: Changing Leaders to Activate Change

  • Cultural change is one of the most difficult challenges an organization will ever face!
  • Leadership from the top is essential
  • Senior managers may be the staunchest defenders of the status quo
  • Questions to assess senior management:
  • Are the current leaders fully knowledgeable of the need to change and the ramification of not changing?
  • Are the current leaders able to articulate a vision for the new organization?
  • Have the current leaders set the tone for change and established an organization-wide sense of urgency?
  • Are the current leaders willing to remove all obstacles to cultural change?
  • Do the current leaders have a history of following through on change initiatives?
  • Are the current leaders willing to empower employees at all levels of the organization to make cultural change?

Slide 6: Overcome Resistance to Change

  • Figure 6-2: Change Causes a Classic Confrontation: Irrestible Force versus Immovable Object
  • Advocates of Change
    • Desired Change
    • Benefits of Change
  • Resisters of Change
    • Desired Status Quo
    • Consequences of Change
  • Figure 6-3: Steps in Facilitating Change
  • Step 1. Begin with a new advocacy paradigm
  • Step 2. Understand the concerns of potential resisters
  • Step 3. Implement change-promoting strategies

Figure 6-2: Change Causes a Classic Confrontation: Irresistible Force Versus Immovable Object

Figure 6-3: Steps in Facilitation Change

Slide 7: Implementing Change-Promoting Strategies

  • Involve potential resistors
  • Avoid surprise
  • Move slowly at first
  • Start small and be flexible
  • Create a positive environment
  • Incorporate the change
  • Provide a quid pro quo
  • Respond quickly and positively
  • Work with established leaders
  • Treat people with dignity and respect
  • Be constructive

Slide 8: Steps in the Conversion

  • Figure 6-5: Quality Culture Conversion Checklist
  • Identify the attitudes, behaviors, processes, and procedures that are to be changed
  • Put the planned changes in writing
  • Develop a comprehensive plan for making the changes
  • Make sure all change advocates are familiar with the emotional transition people go through when confronted with change
  • Identify the key people in the organization who can either make the conversion work or make sure it doesn't work
  • Get the identified key people on the team (turn them into advocates)
  • Take a hears and minds approach when introducting the new culture
  • Apply courship strategies to bring people along slowly but steadily
  • SUPPORT, SUPPORT, SUPPORT

Figure 6-5: Quality Culture Conversion Checklist