Purpose Quality management models such as ISO 9001:2000 or excellence awards serve as quality guides for large and medium-sized organizations. There is nothing similar in the field for micro-businesses, i.e. businesses up to 20 employees. This thesis aims to lay down the foundation for a large-scale field study. The study shall unveil which areas of a company are essential to be addressed by a basic Quality Management System in order to optimize competitiveness, customer satisfaction and business results. The desired result of the study is to be able to make recommendations for an ideal total Quality Management System for micro-businesses in the manu-facturing industry.
Design/Methodology/Approach Based on an extensive literature review on quality management in small businesses and micro-businesses, criteria of quality awards and TQM practices in general, a framework was developed, called “Micro TQM for Micro-businesses Framework” – similar to those of famous quality awards, such as the MBNQA or the EFQM Award . Supported by experts from Stevens Institute of Tech-nology (Hoboken, NJ), industry associations, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, a questionnaire was developed for a subsequent field study.
Findings First of all the “Micro TQM for Micro-businesses Framework” has been created based on a literature review. The other output of this thesis is the quality man-agement questionnaire whose sections are linked to the elements of the framework. The questionnaire is made to test six hypotheses about cause-and-effect relations in the model. The main-hypothesis of this thesis is: ‘Companies that focus their quality effort proactively on prevention of non-conformances excel in customer satisfaction which leads to superior overall performance.’ Subsequent steps of the study will need to corroborate the hypotheses.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Motivation
- Layout of This Thesis
- Background
- The Role of TQM in Business Today
- Evolution of Quality
- TQM, the Competitive Edge of the 21st Century
- Quality Management in Micro-businesses is Different
- The Definition of Micro-businesses
- What Makes Micro-businesses Unique – The Business Environment of Very Small Companies
- Ownership
- Management
- Organizational Structure
- Capital and Resources
- Objectives
- Markets and Customers
- Why Quality is Integral to Micro-businesses
- Strengths of Micro-businesses
- Weaknesses of Micro-businesses
- Opportunities for Micro-businesses
- Threats for Micro-businesses
- Critical Appraisal of Research on Quality Management in Micro-businesses
- Conclusion
- Development of the Model: Micro TQM for Micro-businesses Framework
- Two Cost Types as the Starting Point
- Elements of the Model
- Hypotheses
- Context
- Quality Awareness
- Prevention
- Areas for Preventive Activities
- Internal Prevention vs. External Prevention
- Process Quality of Prevention
- Correction
- Internal Correction vs. External Correction
- Process Quality of Correction
- Customer Satisfaction
- Performance Dimensions
- Empirical Survey
- Design/Methodology
- Difficulties in Empirical Studies on Micro-businesses
- Summary and Outlook
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to establish a foundation for a comprehensive field study focusing on quality management in micro-businesses. The study seeks to identify key areas within micro-businesses that require attention within a basic Quality Management System, ultimately optimizing competitiveness, customer satisfaction, and business results. The goal is to formulate recommendations for an ideal Total Quality Management System specifically tailored to micro-businesses operating within the manufacturing industry.
- The unique challenges and opportunities of quality management in micro-businesses.
- Development of a "Micro TQM for Micro-businesses Framework" based on existing quality management models and best practices.
- Exploring the relationship between proactive prevention of non-conformances and customer satisfaction.
- Analyzing the impact of quality management on the overall performance of micro-businesses.
- Design and implementation of a questionnaire for a subsequent field study.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The thesis begins with an introduction highlighting the importance of quality management in the modern business landscape and outlining the thesis's structure. Chapter 2 delves into the evolution of quality management, emphasizing the role of Total Quality Management (TQM) in contemporary business practices. Chapter 3 explores the unique challenges and opportunities faced by micro-businesses when implementing quality management systems. This chapter analyzes the characteristics of micro-businesses, examines their strengths and weaknesses, and critically appraises existing research on quality management in this context.
Chapter 4 focuses on the development of the "Micro TQM for Micro-businesses Framework". This chapter establishes the framework's foundation, defines its elements, and introduces key hypotheses related to the relationship between prevention, correction, customer satisfaction, and overall performance. Chapter 5 outlines the design and methodology of the empirical survey, considering the specific challenges associated with conducting research on micro-businesses. The chapter concludes with a summary and outlook, providing insights into the potential impact of the research and suggesting future directions for further investigation.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This thesis focuses on Total Quality Management (TQM) in the context of micro-businesses in the manufacturing industry. It explores key themes such as quality management in small businesses, micro-business environments, customer satisfaction, performance optimization, and framework development. The thesis employs a framework called "Micro TQM for Micro-businesses" and incorporates elements of preventive and corrective quality management practices. The research also emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive empirical study for validating the framework and its hypotheses.
- Citation du texte
- Phillip Käser (Auteur), 2008, Total Quality Management for Micro-businesses in the Manufacturing Industry, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/153144
