INTRODUCING a new quality culture across the entire spectrum of an organization or on a department-by-department basis depends on the collective effectiveness which can only be inspired, balanced and sustained through the operating environment’s ethics and culture, with management as its driving force.
When managers are champions of improvement programmes, some things get done. But when managers champion the culture, a much bigger thing happens.
In Pakistan, quality management system (QMS) is being adopted in various types of organizations such as industries, health care, education, research, information technology, laboratories but it is far behind the emerging economies due to various economical, social, technical or ethical hurdles.
However, with the WTO and the polices of trade liberalization, export will increasingly depend on the supply of quality goods and services in the international market. For this purpose, different national or multinational ISO certification bodies are working.
In addition, the government should instruct public sector laboratories, especially concerned with food, water, health and materials to get accredited to meet the national requirements and facilitate exports. Results of accredited laboratories should be mandatory for legal purposes.
An organization derives various benefits by adopting quality oriented culture such as decreased risks of defective quality, improved corporate and product image, documentation and process transparency, improved efficiency and profitability, increased customer satisfaction, improved control of quality, and demonstration of staff competence.
A strong quality-oriented corporate culture is reflected on everything that organization has or does: quality products, quality services, quality facilities, and of course, quality people and management. The spread that culture has, goes downstream with quality vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors, and upstream with quality distributors, dealers, retailers, or franchises.
More and more corporations are recognizing the importance and necessity of quality improvement to survive domestic and worldwide competition.
In large organizations, quality council/panel/ committees are established at lower levels. Their duties are similar but relate to that particular level in the organization. Initially these activities will require additional work by council members; however, in the long term, their jobs will be easier. These councils/panels/ committees are the instruments for perpetuating the idea of never ending quality improvement.
Eventually, within three to five years, the quality council/panel/committee activities will become so ingrained in the culture of the organization that they will become a regular part of the executive meetings. When this state is achieved, a separate quality council/ panel/committee will no longer be needed. Quality becomes the first item on the executive meeting agenda or the executive meeting becomes part of the quality council/ panel/committee.
Employees see the benefits of quality and want to be part of the process. One of the best ways to do that is to keep the employees well informed. They need to know where the organization is, where you see it and what changes the organization needs to reach its goals. How you will change and what you expect from them, make sure that they know the corporate goals and what is expected of them. Good managers know how to include and involve their employees in order to come up with the best solutions.
Today, it seems that everybody is concerned and preoccupied with rights. But nobody is talking about the responsibilities that go with these rights. Without a strong sense of responsibility and dedication to work on the part of labour and management, an organization may remain mediocre, unproductive and stagnant, and uncompetitive.
The results of any business, namely, profits, sales, productivity, quality products, etc., come from concerted group effort. It is management’s job to organize and motivate the staff, employees, and workers so that they may work synergistically towards achieving the same goal and obtaining the targeted business results.
To achieve a deep and sustainable culture change requires a participative approach and organization-wide acceptance. It is about “opening minds and winning hearts of people to a new way of thinking.”
The development and promotion of quality culture needs direct and indirect financial support from the governments, tax and credit incentives, an innovation policy, and the regulation of public procurement and privatization.
Proper quality infrastructure consisting of consultancy organizations, testing and calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies and an accreditation body that supports national and international trade are required to be established.
