Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 12
15. Why have small businesses and not-for-profits been slow to adopt quality initiatives?
Small organizations and nonprofits have generally been slow to adopt quality initiatives because
of a lack of understanding and knowledge of what needs to be done and how to do it. Managers
16. What must small businesses and not-for-profits do to successfully establish a total
quality focus?
To establish a TQ focus in any small or large business or non-profit organization, the three core
principles of TQ must be emphasized. A focus on customers is clearly vital to small enterprises.
Most small businesses live or die from their customer relationship practices, but the other two
ANSWERS TO DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. We noted that creating a culture for quality and performance excellence is not rocket
science. Summarize, in your own words, a simple explanation of what senior leaders need
to do to accomplish it.
To create a culture for quality and performance, an organization’s senior leaders should set
directions and create a customer focus, clear and visible values, and high expectations. The
directions, values, and expectations should balance the needs of all stakeholders. Leaders should
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 13
governance body for their action and performance. The governance body should be responsible
ultimately to all stakeholders for the ethics, vision, actions, and performance of your organization
and its senior leaders.
2. What might the term dysfunctional corporate culture mean? What implications does it
have regarding quality?
A dysfunctional corporate culture is one in which shared values and behavior are at odds with the
organization’s long-term health. If the quality of a company’s product or service is low, there is
3. What might be some warning signs of a weak quality culture? For example, one might be
that senior executives rarely discuss quality.
Some warning signs of a weak quality culture may be:
• The company’s quality vision is either non-existent or has minimal linkage to business
strategy.
• Managers throughout the organization either fail to consistently emphasize quality or are
resistant to quality initiatives.
4. What might be the value of creating a crisis mentality in an organization in order to
motivate the need for improvement?
The first question an organization must ask is “Why change?” Most firms—even Baldrige
Award recipients—have changed their cultures because of threats to their survival. When faced
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 14
with a threat to survival, an organization implements change more quickly and smoothly.
However, an organization will generally have more difficulty in gaining support for any
5. How would you describe the culture of your college or university?
Answers will vary, depending on the experiences of the student.
6. Discuss how the Baldrige framework promotes alignment and integration.
The Baldrige framework definitely promotes alignment and integration. The terms alignment and
integration are defined in review question 7, above. Perhaps the most significant failure
encountered in most organizations is a lack of alignment and integration. The Baldrige criteria
7. What might the learning organization concept mean to a college or university?
Amazingly, many colleges and universities would not be classified by Senge as “learning
organizations.” To qualify as learning organizations, they would have to begin to practice what
they teach. For example, colleges of business and engineering would have to go beyond just
8. What is your opinion on the future of quality? Do you agree with the comments made in
the concluding section of this chapter? Why or why not?
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 15
Student opinions may vary, but by this time in the course, they should be convinced of the value
SUGGESTIONS FOR PROJECTS, ETC.
1. Examine some corporate websites and comment on the cultural values that are reflected
by the information you find. How important do these organizations view quality to their
success?
This project will provide some interesting contrasts in cultural values, as students surf the Web
2. Talk to individuals that you know from some local organizations (companies, schools,
government agencies) about the organization’s commitment to quality and performance
excellence principles. What factors do they attribute to either the success or failure of their
organization’s approaches?
Students will likely find a great deal of variation in terms of commitment to quality and
performance excellence principles. In addition, there will be a lot of variation as to the keys to
Also, such organizations would seek to avoid or tear down the following barriers to successful
implementation, such as:
a. lack of what Deming called “constancy of purpose”
b. lack of a holistic systems perspective
3. Read the application summary for a recent Baldrige recipient (which can be found on
the Baldrige website) and try to characterize what “ quality engine” drives the
organization.
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 16
Answers will vary, depending on which organizations the students study. This project is
4. Interview your fellow students to identify a set of “best learning practices.” Develop a
plan for sharing these throughout your school.
This can be an interesting experiential project that may be beneficial to the students who are the
5. Find an organization that has implemented ISO 9000, Baldrige, or Six Sigma. Prepare a
report on the implementation issues and challenges that the organization faced. How did
they address them, and what was the result of their efforts?
Small and large companies differ in a number of ways in which they can implement TQ, whether
they use a Baldrige, Six Sigma, or ISO 9000 approach. Small companies have less access to
6. Develop a hierarchy of the questions within the Baldrige Award criteria that would
guide an organization starting to pursue performance excellence toward world-class
performance. In other words, what key issues within the criteria would be more
appropriate for organizations just starting out to concentrate on, and how should
they progress toward fully meeting the Baldrige criteria?
This project works best using the full Baldrige Criteria document rather than just the Baldrige
Excellence Builder. The questions in the Baldrige Criteria are comprehensive, and can be sorted
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 17
internal customer complaint systems for new product and service ideas, emphasizing cost
reduction when acquiring new technology, using customer satisfaction measures in strategic
7. Talk to a local not-for-profit organization manager or small business owner about
quality. How aware are they of quality principles and tools? What challenges do they see in
trying to build quality into their organizations?
Students who talk to managers or owners of a local not-for-profit organizations or small
ANSWERS TO CASE QUESTIONS
A Tale of Two Companies
1. How would you characterize the culture of these two companies?
The organizational culture of Company A was considerably different from Company B.
Company A was characterized by top management which was “in the advanced stages of lip
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 18
follow up on training and projects. Eventually, the whole program was watered down and died a
slow and painful death.
2. Drawing from the concepts discussed in this chapter, explain why Six Sigma failed in
company A but was successful in company B.
Six Sigma failed at Company A, because an ineffective process change type of approach was
initiated, with little management support or commitment. There appeared to be no compelling
The Parable of the Green Lawn
1. Within the context of the continual struggles to create a “world–class” lawn and “world–
class” business, draw analogies between the events described in this case. Specifically,
list the actions that Ms. Steady and Mr. Furious took and translate these into business
examples.
This parable shows that many of the common failings of TQ transformation efforts and attempts
to improve business processes are common to everyday experiences away from the job, as well.
To cite a frequent quote, “We have met the enemy, and he is us!” The analogies to business are
numerous:
2. What implications does this metaphor have for understanding the implementation
barriers to achieving total quality?
The implications for lessons contained in this story help us understand the barriers to
implementing a quality system, including:
• Equating higher price with higher quality
• Jumping right into a program without first preparing the groundwork by finding and
eliminating obvious system problems that can prevent success
• Trying to treat the symptoms, rather than the causes
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 19
Conversely, Ms. Slo did the following:
• Carefully analyzed conditions that might contribute to her success.
• First prepared the groundwork by finding and eliminating obvious system problems that
could prevent success
• Treated the causes, not the symptoms
The Yellow Brick Road to Quality
1. In examining the process that Dorothy used to manage the development and
implementation of this project, what factors contributed to her success?
The quality analogies to Dorothy’s adventures are pretty clear.
A. Dorothy’s call to action was precipitated by a crisis — the tornado that transported her to an
alien land.
Managers at many levels find that there is a quality crisis in their part of the organization
that must be systematically dealt with. Often, they feel that they are in an alien land when
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 20
B. In the throes of a Kansas tornado, Dorothy is transported to an unfamiliar land. She is lost
and confused and uncertain about the next steps to take. She realizes she is in a changed state —
the Land of Oz, and must devise a plan to get home.
Here, managers, most of whom are not “at home” with concepts of quality, such as
C. Dorothy is a hero for killing the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy and Toto leave for Oz via
the Yellow Brick Road. Along the way, they are joined by Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion.
Through their teamwork, they provide mutual support and overcome many risks and barriers to
endure the vexing journey.
This suggests that managers are not alone in their search for the illusive goals of high
D. Dorothy and her entourage finally reach Oz and meet the Wizard. Rather than instantly
granting their wishes, the Wizard gives them an assignment — to obtain the Wicked Witch’s
broom.
As Deming often said, “There’s no instant pudding!” with quality. Often the most sought–
E. Dorothy and company experience several encounters with near disaster while trying to get
the broom, including Dorothy’s incarceration. In a struggle to extinguish the Scarecrow’s fire
(incited by the Wicked Witch), Dorothy tosses a bucket of water, some of which hits the Witch
and melts her. Dorothy is rewarded with the broomstick and returns to Oz.
This set of episodes has some interesting parallels with the quality journey. Managers
who are involved with quality efforts can sometimes get side-tracked and hung up with
F. Returning to Oz, the group talks with the Wizard, expecting him to help Dorothy return to
Kansas. After defrocking the Wizard, they find out he does not know how. The Wizard tries to
use a hot air balloon to return and accidentally leaves Dorothy and Toto behind upon takeoff.
Glinda arrives and helps Dorothy realize she can return to Kansas on her own with the help of
the ruby slippers.
Building, and Sustaining Quality and Performance Excellence 21
It is clear that the Wizard is an unscrupulous quality consultant selling the latest brand of
G. Dorothy awakens from her dream and experiences a new understanding and appreciation for
her home and family in Kansas. “Oh, Auntie Em, there’s no place like home.”
2. Try to develop a model in the form of a flowchart that characterizes an effective change
process based on this case.