Quality manager involvement and quality performance

As the importance of quality managers has dramatically increased in the past two decades, it has been suggested that management of the quality function requires expertise in areas other than the quality field itself. Nevertheless, to date, extensive research has not been directed towards identifying the expertise required of a quality manager or the day‐to‐day functions which will enhance the manager’s ability to succeed. Tests empirically the quality manager’s effect on the quality performance of a firm, depending on the manager’s involvement in: strictly the quality field; quality‐related fields; and other functions. A cross‐sectional mail survey was employed and a causal model was developed to test seven propositions using path analysis (OLS). Results strongly suggest that quality managers’ main focus must be on the quality field, though they may perceive that their involvement in related fields could contribute significantly to the quality performance of their organizations.