Quality (philosophy)

Marketing

Quality assurance

Engineering

Philosophy

Service (business)

Social psychology

Quality management system

Competence-based management

Quality management

Computer science

Business

Quality policy

Total quality management

Process management

Excellence

Psychology

Political science

Epistemology

Operations management

Strategic financial management

Knowledge management

Lean manufacturing

Strategic planning

Competence (human resources)

Total Quality Management & Business Excellence

Few empirical studies have focused on what quality management practitioners actually do, with even fewer studies focusing on what it actually takes to do quality management work, i.e. the competencies of quality management. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a competence-based terminology for describing general competencies of quality management work in organisations and to create a competence framework in order to understand what is needed to be a quality management practitioner. This paper is based on an embedded, qualitative multiple-case study design incorporating four Swedish large size organisations where designated quality management practitioners (n = 33) were selected and interviewed. A quality management competence framework incorporating four main quality management competence dimensions is presented: the human, the methods & process, the conceptual and the contextual competence dimensions. Four generic quality management role responsibilities are also posited: centralised & strategic, centralised & operational, local & strategic and local & operational role responsibilities. The competencies and role responsibilities are discussed in relation to the notion of emergent quality management and the emerging need of more integrative and business excellence-oriented quality management.

Towards a quality management competence framework: exploring needed competencies in quality management