Exploration of Total Quality Management Practices in a South-East European Context: a Survey Approach

Exploration of Total Quality Management Practices in a South-East European Context:

A Survey Approach

Unit: Quality Management

Spring 2011

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to identify the relationship between theories and practice of the most current issues in regards to quality investments and current many other issues that the service and manufacturing companies in Greece and Cyprus face nowadays. Moreover, 10 companies have been visited and one respondent for each company was interviewed. This project has verified the current literature review in regards to quality assurance systems and their benefits to organizations if well utilized. The project finds that currently most of the companies are aware of the benefits of the quality investments but for several reasons they fail to completely utilize it. For example implementing costs is the highest blocking factors leading to lower adoption of the systems. Limitations of this project was language barriers and English terminology, several respondents did not fully committed to the interview, which could decrease the confidence of interviewed results. Also, it was small sample size (only 10 companies).

Table of context

Abstract 2

Introduction 4

Theoretical part 6

Discussion of Findings 9

Conclusions - Recommendations 13

References 14

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Introduction

There have been 10 companies interviewed, companies have been mainly in the service sector 70% and 70% of those have been SME national. Only two are in the manufacturing sector. Moreover, their organizational size varies from 51-100 t0 101-200 employees with life cycle from 16 to over 50 years. Moreover, majority of interviewed participants aged 30-39. Overall qualifications only 20% of those have finished postgraduate studies.

1. CITY College

City College is an international university of Sheffield. It operates in Greece with following departments:

* Computer science...