Transferring quality management experience to the Russian aerospace industry

A model is described for transferring learning about quality from a UK company to a Russian company. A case study from the aerospace materials industry is used to test the model, which incorporates a learning strategy based on a learning needs assessment. The model was successfully used to train senior managers. They accepted and adopted the framework of the model, and the strategy bore fruit when their firm became a supplier to the western partner. Despite subsequent problems, it is proposed that the learning strategy adopted, a step-by-step approach, striving to harmonize the cultural traditions, gave the best chance of a successful outcome.