Clearly stated quality vision and values, and unequivocal leadership are key components to a successful culture of quality that can help organisations drive results, according to new research.

However, only about 60 per cent of all respondents say management unequivocally supports their organisation’s quality vision and values, of which about 60 per cent say are clearly stated, added the report from ASQ, a global community of people dedicated to quality, and Forbes Insights.

 In Europe and Asia, about 50 per cent of respondents say their organisations have clear quality visions and values, according to the research.

The research — “Culture of Quality: Accelerating Growth and Performance in the Enterprise” — explores organisations’ support of quality and the key components of a successful culture of quality. This study offers — from organisations like Samsung, FedEx, and Tata — actionable insight into how a quality-driven culture can accelerate business performance.

The research draws on the responses of 1,010 senior leaders and 1,281 quality professionals worldwide from a multitude of industries.

“In order to be effective, a culture of quality must permeate an entire organisation,” said ASQ chair Stephen Hacker. “This research provides first-hand and real-world examples from industry leaders of how to strengthen and sustain a high-impact quality culture — which can have dramatic and positive effects on an organisation’s bottom line.”

"Organisations range from those where quality is just a slogan to those where quality is a deep focus for everyone from the CEO on down," said Bruce Rogers, chief insights officer at Forbes Media. "This study shows which elements are vital for a strong culture of quality."

The survey results also reveal gaps between senior leaders’ and quality professionals’ views on culture of quality.

According to the research, 72 per cent of senior leaders rate their quality programs as world class — the strongest in the world — or advanced. In comparison, 40 per cent of midlevel, quality-focused respondents view their programs as world class or advanced. Sixty per cent of quality-focused respondents instead rank their quality program as average or below average.

The disparity is likely due to “filtered, big-picture material that has been ‘prettied up’ for management,” according to Elizabeth Keim, a managing partner at Integrated Quality Resources, and project advisor.

“I think the deeper you dive into an organisation’s chart, the closer those people are to the detail of what is happening,” said Dan Afseth, software development leader at Intuit and project advisor. “If you’re close to the challenge, you see the precise changes still needing to be made. Whereas from the top, you see great progress.”

Other findings include:

•    59 per cent of respondents say their organisation has a comprehensive, group-wide culture of quality.

•    48 per cent say customer needs are the key driver of their quality programs.

•    24 per cent of respondents strongly agree that they actively involve customers in quality discussions.

•    53 per cent say their organisation plans to increase investment in quality programs in the next 18 months.  – TradeArabia News Service