The development of quality management in Thailand

This thesis presents the results of an investigation into the development of quality management in Thailand. The research was conducted in order to draw up an overall picture of quality progress in Thai industry, to provide useful insights for Thai companies and policy-makers, as well as to compare Thailand with other developing countries. This research has adopted an integrated approach to research methodology comprising both survey and case study methods. Four linked empirical research projects were conducted to obtain an insight into quality management, particularly the ISO 9000 series of quality systems standards, Total Quality Management (TQM), and a 'foundation level' quality system, within Thai industry. The in-depth study of ISO 9000 implementation identifies the driving forces encouraging Thai industry to pursue ISO 9000; four types of ISO 9000 implementation process; implementation factors and obstacles; the impact of implementation process and future plans after a company has achieved ISO 9000 registration. The study of TQM implementation in companies located in Thailand reveals that the companies studied have each adopted different, but successful, approaches to TQM implementation. The Thai Foundation Quality System Standard (TFQSS) has been proved to be suitable for Thai SMEs. Findings from the four individual research project together provide some new insights into the development and implementation of quality management in a Thai perspective. As a result of the study, a TQM framework was developed. The framework identifies three broad dimensions of quality management in a Thai organisation, which are: - Three aspects of quality management; Five stages of development; and Four implementation paradigms. An organisation that wishes to embark on a quality journey can examine its status against the framework in order to start, or to improve a particular aspect that is found to be unsatisfactory. After identifying some criteria for the assessment of national quality development, a simple model of quality management in developing countries is proposed to depict comparative characteristics of quality management within these countries. It is concluded that, among developing countries in South and East Asian region, Thailand is in the middle of the spectrum of development

The development of quality management in Thailand

This thesis presents the results of an investigation into the development of quality management in Thailand. The research was conducted in order to draw up an overall picture of quality progress in Thai industry, to provide useful insights for Thai companies and policy-makers, as well as to compare Thailand with other developing countries. This research has adopted an integrated approach to research methodology comprising both survey and case study methods. Four linked empirical research projects were conducted to obtain an insight into quality management, particularly the ISO 9000 series of quality systems standards, Total Quality Management (TQM), and a 'foundation level' quality system, within Thai industry. The in-depth study of ISO 9000 implementation identifies the driving forces encouraging Thai industry to pursue ISO 9000; four types of ISO 9000 implementation process; implementation factors and obstacles; the impact of implementation process and future plans after a company has achieved ISO 9000 registration. The study of TQM implementation in companies located in Thailand reveals that the companies studied have each adopted different, but successful, approaches to TQM implementation. The Thai Foundation Quality System Standard (TFQSS) has been proved to be suitable for Thai SMEs. Findings from the four individual research project together provide some new insights into the development and implementation of quality management in a Thai perspective. As a result of the study, a TQM framework was developed. The framework identifies three broad dimensions of quality management in a Thai organisation, which are: - Three aspects of quality management; Five stages of development; and Four implementation paradigms. An organisation that wishes to embark on a quality journey can examine its status against the framework in order to start, or to improve a particular aspect that is found to be unsatisfactory. After identifying some criteria for the assessment of national quality development, a simple model of quality management in developing countries is proposed to depict comparative characteristics of quality management within these countries. It is concluded that, among developing countries in South and East Asian region, Thailand is in the middle of the spectrum of development

ISO/TS 16949: analysis of the diffusion and current trends

The automotive industry has always shown a particular interest toward quality management systems, which resulted in the development of several different specific standards. As a result of this, by the mid-1980s, automotive suppliers were subject to numerous national and customer specific regulations. The proliferation of these standards and the need to create a single reference model led to Technical Specification (TS) 16949, an ISO technical specification aimed at representing a comprehensive quality management system for the global automotive industry. Since its early introduction, TS 16949 has encountered a certain success thanks to its feature of unifying and harmonizing the already existing standards. This paper studies the global evolution and diffusion of this technical specification, observing its impact on the local economies. The argument is supported by many empirical data

A proposal of a new paradigm for national quality certification systems

The goal of this paper is to suggest a new incentive model that is capable of creating the conditions for the autonomous growth of diffusion and credibility of the ISO 9000 national quality certification syste

What are the impacts of implementing ISOs on the competitiveness of manufacturing industry in China?

Based on the proposed ‘PIE’ analytical framework, this paper argues that the preparation, implementation and evaluation of international standards (ISOs) affect the competitiveness of (foreign-financed) export-oriented manufacturing industry in southern and southeastern China, both in the short- and long-term. During the period of preparation, the decision to adopt ISOs is mainly driven by market demand and/or by the decisions of established competitors. Negative effects due to the diversion of scarce resources and institutional resistance to change during the period of transitional implementation are offset by the overall enhancement of the firm's productivity in the long run. ‘Tailoring for the external audit’ and ‘second-best’ practices are two strategies commonly employed by Chinese firms to lower the transaction costs involved in ISO audits

Barriers and Incentives to the Adoption of ISO 14001 by Firms in the United States

This paper summarizes four novel advanced antenna concepts explored in the framework of the WINNER+ project. The concepts are related to multiuser MIMO communication in cellular networks, focusing on the acquisition and application of channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter in time-division-duplex (TDD) mode. The concepts include new ideas for CSI modeling and sounding for the purposes of multiuser precoding, and methods for pilot signal design with the aim to support the estimation of different CSI quantities. Furthermore, a new relaying strategy for terminal-to-terminal communication is described. All the ideas are feasible for adoption into practical upcoming communication systems such as LTE-Advanced, and most of the proposed concepts have only a minor impact on standards. Our study indicates that the CSI at its best is not only about estimating the channel responses between different antenna pairs. What counts is the nature of the intended communication link as well as the form in which CSI is applied.QC 20111102</p

Exploring performance attribution: the case of quality managment systems adoptions and business performance

Purpose. Accreditation to the ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems Standard has proven to be a persistent and growing phenomenon in services and manufacturing, yet to date little attempt has been made to explore how performance results in cross-sectional research may be attributed to different causation mechanisms and how their influences may alter over time. Methodology. The paper defines four possible causation mechanisms before searching and analysing the empirical literature on quality management system certification to ISO 9001 and business performance for evidence of their causal influence. Findings. From the analyses it is found that the benefit that can safely be attributed to the treatment-effect of ISO 9001 accreditation is lower waste; while the benefits of lower costs and better quality are less likely unless motives for adoption are developmental rather than externally driven. From an analysis of longitudinal studies a strong selection-mechanism is found where more profitable firms have a greater propensity to adopt than less profitable firms. From the finding propositions are developed to show how the influence of these mechanisms change over time. Implications for research. The existence of the selection-mechanism has profound implications for interpreting business performance achievements because the benefits that are attributed to the treatment-effect from adopting quality management system standards are likely to be greatly inflated by the influence of the selection-mechanism. The author suggests that richer theory is needed that can incorporate bi-directional influences and new research is needed to explore the underlying causes of the selection effect. Value of paper. The paper is believed to be the first to systematically explore attribution of performance in the ISO 9001 literature. Its findings provide new insights into the complexities of attribution of performance in studies of new practices and systems. Keywords: Performance, Causation, Quality, ISO 9001 Certification

ISO 9000 Series Certification Over Time: what have we learnt?

The ISO 9000 experiences of the same sample of organisations over a five year time period is examined in this paper. The responses to a questionnaire sent out at the end of 1999 to companies which had a reasonably long term experience with the ISO 9000 series quality system are analysed. These companies were ISO 9000 series certified before 1994 when the authors conducted their first survey on the same sample. The main aim is to explore the links between the motivation for undertaking the ISO 9000 series and continued certification, with the impact on the type of TQM practices that have been adopted after certification, and what kind of gains have been achieved. Challenges faced by these organisations over time are also addressed.sustainability;longitudinal research;total quality management;ISO9000