Leadership – The Key Element in Improving Quality Management

Abstract

The current approach to a quality management system is based on principles that were specified on the basis of experience and good practices and approaches of major leaders in the field of quality management. Eight principles were defined that nowadays create the backbone of the implementation of a quality management system and are incorporated in the standards of ISO 9000:2005. The first principle is leadership. Leadership is a developmental process, which is based on the type of choice a leader makes (Mostovicz, Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2009). Leadership leads managers to a fundamental approach that in turn lead to action, an example for others, understanding and flexible reactions to changes in their environment, the constant consideration of the needs of all concerned, including: customers, owners, suppliers, local communities and society as a whole. Their main task is to state the clear visions of an organisation's future, setting values and an ethical constellation of roles at all levels of an organization, to provide the staff with necessary resources and freedom of decision making for activities under their responsibility, to develop an open and decent communication, setting challenging goals and aspirations, using strategies to reach these aims. Consequently, leaders need to recognise that the choices they make for organisational activities have to fit their own worldview. Pursuing the fit between one's worldview and planned organisational activities ensures that leaders continuously improve their ethical behaviour (Mostovicz, Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2009).

What factors do make quality improvement work in primary health care? Experiences of maternal health quality improvement teams in three Puskesmas in Indonesia

“…At the individual level, as found in studies elsewhere [35–39], leadership is seen as the foundation for successful QI. A leader is the one who can provide a clear vision and guidance of the organisational direction [40], create an internal quality management environment [40–42] and drive organisational cultural change [43]. One key element to ensure leader embarks in the QI process is quality literacy, which can be defined as competencies for QI–changing knowledge and values towards quality and competent behaviour to implement QI, that are obtained through quality education [44].…”

The Analysis of Total Quality Management Critical Success Factors

“…Establishing a culture of quality that is supported by overall business strategy is crucial to the success of an organization. Therefore, it is important that leaders have competencies related to planning, communication, management, vision development and implementation as well as ensuring employee participation (Paulová and Mĺkva, 2011).…”

Behavioral approach to quality: An empirical study in Slovak SMEs

“…A directed failure in such culture represents the environment for learning, while solving problems is done in a unified style, decisions are made on the basis of data and objective facts, beliefs and attitudes, as well as the assumptions and values related to good or bad, are clearly defined in such culture, while at the same time confronted with reality of common business practice. When implementing quality culture, it is important to focus mainly on these issues related to employees of the enterprise, because quality culture is directly conditioned by adequate and appropriate management of people (Paulová & Mlkva, 2011). The success of the implementation, sustaining and improving the system of HR management depends on people who will build, maintain, and continuously improve it in the future.…”

“…The overall potential of employees is achieved through common convictions, cultivating and supporting mutual trust, and enabling for taking over the personal initiative (Park et al, 2013). Engagement of employees and communication with them helps in utilizing their abilities and skills to the benefit of the organization (Paulová & Mlkva, 2011). It is essential that the employees know and further spread the mission and the goals of the enterprise, which should be formulated clearly, so that every employee could understand what, when, and how to do a given task.…”

“…Managers should be willing to listen to their subordinates (affective component), and be able to evaluate the situation and make the right decision based on the suggestions and recommendations from their subordinates (behavioral component). This kind of managing of an enterprise brings about the motivation and willingness of the employees to change (improve) the labor relations and the processes in the enterprise, which leads to building trust between superiors and subordinates, and is typical for behavioral approach to quality (Bergquist & Westerberg, 2014;Kumar et al, 2009;Paulová & Mlkva, 2011).…”