In search of quality improvement: Problems of design and implementation

Executive Overview Quality improvement programs and activities have become a way of life in many U.S. companies. However, attempts to foster quality improvements within the firm still frequently fail. Critics of quality improvement programs point out that companies often do not link improvement programs to specific results. Based upon an in-depth analysis of quality management programs at a telecommunication company and at several other companies reported in the literature, we conclude that quality improvement programs fail due to: (1) confusion over the role of corporate restructuring and quality initiative programs; (2) many different quality improvement programs simultaneously in place, resulting in a variety of conflicting quality goals, with very little tangible progress at the end; and (3) programs seeking sweeping cultural changes, large-scale training programs, and massive process innovations. On the other hand, companies that have succeeded in making organizational improvements have built upon successive programs seeking concrete results at each stage.