Tools and Techniques of Quality Management: An Empirical Investigation of their Impact on Performance

The management of quality has received considerable attention in recent years. Several studies have documented the various elements of quality management, in particular the role of senior management in quality improvement efforts and the requirements for effective quality programs. This study provides details of an investigation of quality management at an operational rather than a strategic level. Using a survey of senior quality personnel, data were collected on four aspects of quality: the management of quality, the tools used by companies to improve quality, how companies document efforts to improve quality, and what dimensions of quality companies measure. Regression analysis confirms suggestions in the literature that company performance is positively impacted by a culture in which quality is ingrained. Moreover, it identifies positive relationships between several widely used operational practices and company performance.