Can we have a unified theory of quality?

Abstract

This paper examines a number of concepts of quality from Plat0 to Taguchi.That there is no generally accepted t h e m has led researchers w report various problems and adopt various devices to get round this difficult situation. Governmental concern with accountability and its implications in the current 'quality debate' are considered and a simple theory to meet all cases is proposed.There is nothing new about the quality debate nor about its philosophical complications but practical importance as the following little story will illustrate. It is not a fairy tale, it is true:-A long time ago, shortly after the Second World War, a young person was giving a demonstration lesson to a group of teacher-training students. He (it happened to be a he) was doing a lesson with a group of first-year Grammar School boys in Sheffield on local Geography. He began by bringing a large travelling case into the classroom which he placed on the teacher's desk with great panache.This, of course, immediately attracted a great deal of attention. He waited for a few moments to make sure that everyone was watching and then he flung open the CdSe and dramatically withdrew two swords. One was simple and visually unimpressive in every way. The other was majestic, be-tasselled, with a rich, ornamental, many-coloured hilt. He flourished them about a bit until the boys were thoroughly engaged and wondering what was going to happen next. Then he brought the simple sword down with a tremendous thwack into the wooden floor, where it stuck and quivered in the most satisfying way. After a suitable pause for effect, he repeated the process with the ornamental sword. Alas! it did not pierce the wooden floor but bent and fell to the ground with a dull, dead clunk.The young teacher looked at the class. He spoke for the first time and said:'Both these swords are made out of steel . . . which one is made out of good

Neuromarketing and the perception of knowledge

“…Basic research reporting satisfies the needs of academics and applied research reporting the needs of employers (Doherty, 1994). Media reporting is less definitive because it satisfies the needs of the target audience for the publication, which could be academic, employer or another social group.…”

Narcissus Revisited: The Values of Management Academics and their RoleinBusiness School Strategies in the UK and Canada*

“…A stakeholder metaphor represents another pluralistic approach that stresses the need to balance the values and demands of conflicting parties with direct or indirect interests, or ‘stakes’, in the university. These include academics, students, parents and employers (Bryson, 1988; Doherty, 1994; Lelong and Shirley, 1984; Peterson, 1986). Realignment can occur through redefining mission, restructuring, changing managerial style, and reward and selection.…”

Could ‘Criteria’ used in Quality Assessments be Classified as Academic Standards?

“…0 Eraut (1994,206) states that standards are necessarily linked to criteria. 0 Doherty (1992) found that the word standards is sometimes used to connote excellence From the evidence, it can be concluded that the statements extracted from the quality assessment reports were being measured against inexplicit criteria; they were statements which acknowledged excellence -'material presented was intellectually stimulating'or statements that compared extant provision to a yardstick -'courses . .…”