An evaluation of quality culture problems in UK companies

Although cultural change is recognised as important to total quality improvement, many manufacturing companies fail to achieve the level of change desired. One primary reason for this is the inability to fully understand where their problems lie and the nature of these problems. Research was undertaken into seven elements of quality culture ‐ senior management leadership, employee involvement and empowerment, supplier partnership, customer focus, teamwork, effect of chief executive and open corporate culture. Questionnaires and structured interviews in 166 UK manufacturing companies provided the required information on cultural change problems. An evaluation of cultural problems and the targeting of areas for change was better understood from the survey results.