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- Ingelsson, Pernilla, 1968-
(författare)
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Creating a Quality Management Culture : Focusing on Values and Leadership
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- When applied successfully, the QM initiatives TQM and Lean enhance an organization´s ability to meet and exceed the expectations of the customers as well as co-workers and other stakeholders. There are however also QM initiatives that fail and one reason for this is the organization’s inability to create a supportive culture, a culture that rests on a number of values which aim at improving the quality and thereby customer satisfaction. Even though this is known by both practitioners and researchers, little has been written on how to achieve a QM culture in practice and there are not many methodologies and tools designed directly with purpose of creating this culture. In addition, the measurements used for monitoring organizational success focus mainly on ‘hard’ process or financial measures such as lead-time reduction and operating income. The purpose of this thesis has been to ‘examine how a strong organizational culture can be created and to contribute with knowledge about how to create and measure a QM culture’. To fulfill this purpose, a number of case studies have been carried out and a questionnaire has been developed in order to measure the presence and importance of a number of QM values.The research presented in this thesis reinforces the fact that culture is an important factor to take into account when applying QM initiatives. A structured way of working with culture and the development of a strategy on how the culture in the organization will be changed is needed. This in combination with methodologies and tools aiming directly at enhancing a QM culture. The research also shows that the relationship between organizational culture, values and behaviors needs to be considered when working to create a strong QM culture. Most of the methodologies and tools found in the case studies aim directly at reinforcing the ‘right’ behaviors in the organization, hence enhancing the underlying values. For instance, the way an organization works with selection, e.g. recruitment and promotion, based on behaviors rather than documented merits is one methodology found in the research. The leadership was found to be important when it came to building or strengthening the culture. Managers are considered key players and need to act as role models, displaying the desired behaviors themselves. The managers need to be present among their co-workers and aware of how their own actions affect the possibility to build a strong QM culture.Another conclusion drawn is the need to measure the ‘softer’ side of QM. One starting point when applying a QM initiative should be the assessment of the existing culture in the organization as a complement to the ‘harder’ measures. The research presented in this thesis suggests that the questionnaire that has been developed could be an appropriate tool for this purpose. If the existing culture in an organization does not support the values within QM, the behaviors of managers and co-workers that are needed to improve quality and thereby customer satisfaction could be hard to achieve.
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| 2. |
- Ingelsson, Pernilla, 1968-
(författare)
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How to create a commercial experience : Focus on Leadership, Values and Organizational Culture
- 2009
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A new kind of commercial offer is on the rise, that of a commercial experience. It is said to be the next progression of value after a service and that it is distinct from a service in several ways, two important being a) the provider having to create something new or memorable to the customer, i.e. creating attractive quality, and b) the offer being a co-creation between the customer and the provider. Little has been written though about how creating a commercial experience can affect the way organizations should work. One of the areas that ought to be affected is the way organizations work to shape and coordinate co-workers and leaders behaviors by having a common set of values, or in other words a strong organizational culture. A number of studies show that the leaders in an organization have a strong influence on its culture while others show that working with Total Quality Management (TQM) can enhance the corporate values and lead to profitable organizations. The purpose of this thesis was to explore and contribute knowledge about how to create a commercial experience. The more specific purpose was to explore this area in relation to leadership, values, organizational culture and TQM. To fulfill these purposes two case studies were carried out with the intention of finding ways of working. The first focused on how a renowned organization that offers commercial experiences works and the second on organizations offering commercial experiences in the region of Jämtland. One conclusion drawn from the research is that methodologies and tools that aim directly to enhance the organization´s values and hence its culture might be of even more importance in organizations offering a commercial experience. It seems to be important to be aware that values need to be translated into behaviors to make them understandable in the organization. Storytelling is one tool that can be used as an enhancer of organizational culture, a tool that might be a fairly unrecognized for this purpose. It is also evident that the leadership practiced within the organization is crucial if a strong organizational culture is to be achieved. Further, strategies for selecting the right values appear to be important when trying to create a strong organizational culture - a strategy not so evident within TQM. This could be one area where TQM needs to be developed in order to support the creation of a commercial experience but also to implement TQM more effectively.
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| 3. |
- Larsson, Johan, 1979-
(författare)
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Leadership for Quality, Effectiveness and Health
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Leadership, quality, effectiveness and health are important factors in the achievement of organisational success. Three questions are addressed to study these elements: 1. How do leadership values relate to leadership behaviours, quality methodologies and health in organisations? 2. How do leadership behaviours relate to effectiveness and health in organisations? 3. How can leadership tools be designed and used to promote health in organisations? The research is based on five studies from three research projects. This research is reported in five papers. Study I concerned eight organisations in the middle of Sweden; the focus was on leadership values and behaviours. Study II concerned three successful organisations that received the award, ‘Sweden’s number one workplace’. Focus in this study was mainly on leadership behaviours. Study III combined results from Studies I and II with a focus on successful leadership behaviours. Study IV concerned the eight organisations in Study I. A leadership tool in the form of a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model was developed and evaluated. Study V was of two organisations in Sweden; the focus in that work was on the use of a leadership tool control chart designed to give managers statistically valid early warning signals about health in their organisations. Theory X and Y together with the three-dimensional leadership behaviour theory were used to assess leadership values and behaviours. The theory surrounding PDSA and control charts were used to develop leadership tools. The dimension of health is defined from a salutogenic humanistic perspective; which emphasizes individual well-being. The dimension of quality is defined as the ability to satisfy or exceed needs and expectations. Effectiveness is defined as the extent to which externally and internally defined objectives are fulfilled. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. Interviews, seminars with employees, collection of human resource and effectiveness figures, and questionnaires completed by managers and subordinates were used to collect data. Managers with more Theory Y-oriented leadership values were rated by subordinates as high concerning quality methodologies and leadership behaviour dimensions. The subordinates of these managers tended to be healthier. Two of the studies identified common groups of leadership behaviours in effective and healthy organisations: strategy and vision, communication and information, authority and responsibility, learning culture, worker conversations, plainness and simplicity, humanity and trust, walking around and reflective personal leadership. These leadership behaviours fit into a leadership profile where all three of the dimensions of structure, relation and change are present. Of the three, the relation dimension is strongest and concluded to be a universal dimension. The developed PDSA model seems to be a leadership tool that influences both leadership values and behaviour, particularly in the area of relation-oriented leadership behaviours. An early warning system built on CUSUM- and Shewhartcharts concerning the health indicators of self-assessed general health and new sickcases per employee was also found to be a powerful and usable leadership tool. For future research, the explorative research findings can be quantitatively tested using representative and preferably cross-national data, with a longitudinal design.
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| 4. |
- Lagrosen, Stefan, 1960-
(författare)
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Kvalitetsstyrning i skolan? : en analys av TQM:s tillämpbarhet inom den svenska grundskolan sett från en företagsekonomisk utgångspunkt
- 1997
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This is a study of the application of the theoretical framework, total quality management (TQM) which has been developed in the private manufacturing sector, in the Swedish school system. The purpose is to highlight the effects of the use of TQM in schools and thereby to see whether it is advisable to promote this use and to study ways of refining the framework in order to make it more applicable to organisations such as schools. The study is done from a business management perspective. It is based on qualitative research methods and has its theoretical foundation in TQM and service management.The empirical basis of the study is a quality project which took place in four schools in the municipality of Täby, north of Stockholm, during the years 1992-94. The data has been generated through observation, in-depth interviews and focus group interviews. Quality dimensions for the different participant groups have been defined in order to clarify what quality in schools mean. These dimensions have been compared with the set of values that permeates TQM as well as with the substance of the specific quality model that has been used, the model for the Swedish Quality Award, (USK). On this ground the relevance of TQM for use in schools has been assessed. A summary of the effects of the studied quality project is also done.The result of this comparison is that TQM is substantially relevant and suitable for use in schools. Certain parts of the theory suffers, however, from a limited view of knowledge which is insufficient for the school-sector whose activities consist of human interaction. The effects of the specific quality project that has been studied has been found to be highly positive.The conclusion that is drawn is that it is advisable to use TQM in schools providing that one is aware of the above-mentioned limitation and that the transfer of methods is done with a certain discrimination. The Service Management theories are also recommended as a theoretical starting-point for quality improvement in schools. Finally examples are given as to how these methods can be put to practical use in schools in a suitable manner.
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