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Abstract

Previous works on the implementation of strategic objectives have neglected to consider the critical role of quality management. Beginning with the assumption that the role of quality is instrumental to the successful implementation of any form of generic strategy, a conceptual model of quality management is developed through a set of case studies with 13 North American and European Fortune 500 companies. The results suggest that firms that have experienced greater global competition in earlier years have implemented Total Quality Management (TQM) initiatives earlier, and their programs are subsequently more advanced. Firms with advanced TQM implementation have made significant infrastructural changes within their organizations, and have also embraced the principles of continuous improvement as a critical component of their corporate culture. Moreover, quality has developed into a cultural artifact with an associated language and history that provides an integrating mechanism linking a firm's value-adding activities.

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Creating a Quality Culture through Organizational Change: A Case Analysis

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