Alive and kicking–but will Quality Management be around tomorrow? : A Swedish academia perspective

• Purpose: There is a lack of a recognized conception of quality management (QM) comprises of, as well as a clear roadmap of where QM is heading. The purpose of this article is to investigate how QM is perceived today by scholars at three Swedish universities, but also how and into what QM is expected to develop into in twenty years.Methodology: Data have been collected through three structured workshops using affinity diagrams with scholars teaching and performing research in the QM field affiliated with three different Swedish universities.Findings: The results indicate that current QM is perceived similarly among the universities today, although the taxonomy differs slightly. QM is described as a fairly wide discipline consisting of a set of core of principles that in turn guide which methods and tools that currently by many are perceived as the core of the discipline. The outlook for the future differs more where three possible development directions for QM are seen: [1] searching for a “discipline X” where QM can contribute while keeping its toolbox, [2] focus on a core based on the traditional quality technology toolbox with methods and tools, and [3] a risk that QM, as it is today, may seize to exist and be diffused into other disciplines. Originality/value: This article contributes with a viewpoint on QM today and its future development from the academicians’ perspective.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Tillförlitlighets- och kvalitetsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Reliability and Maintenance (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Naturresursteknik -- Miljöledning (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Environmental Engineering -- Environmental Management (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Kvalitetsteknik

Quality Technology and Management

Environmental Management

Miljöledning

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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