• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.199-235
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• 2006

Research interest in TQM has recently begun extending beyond manufacturing to moreinnovative R&D activities. Despite numerous studies of the relationship between TQM and organizational performance, little are known about the relationship between TQM and R&D performance. This is especially true for manufacturing-based R&D performance. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between TQM and R&D, and also explore several contingencies that moderate the relationship. The study uses data from 133 R&D divisions of Korean manufacturing firms to test hypotheses regarding the relation of TQM with R&D. TQM measures are aligned with the six criteria of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and the R&D performance measures consist of incremental and innovative R&D aspects. The findings from structural equation modeling show that TQM practices contribute to R&D performance significantly in aggregate, and their specific contributions vary according to the contingencies, which provide further understanding of the relationship between TQM and R&D in the manufacturing sector. Therefore, the results could offer firms a better strategy for their R&D management. This study is, however, exploratory in nature; the conclusion is tentative and may thus be different in other research settings.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.575-586
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• 2016

Purpose: This paper proposes to improve the existing survey model for the quality management level of the defense industry by analyzing current quality management level, and to suggest the best survey model. Methods: The survey model was improved by merging and refining the questionnaires developed in 2014 for the purpose of reducing the answering burden and misunderstanding for questionnaires. In addition, a detailed video manual for filling the questionnaires was developed. Results: An improved survey model is presented and the quality management of the domestic defense industry is analyzed to derive some long-term policies for improving the quality level of defense industry. Conclusion: The proposed survey model will be continuously adopted to investigate the quality management level of the defense industry and target to provide the basic data for establishing the new defense policies.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.54-69
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• 2001

This study was conducted to assess factors associated with the degree of performance of qualify improvement(QI) activities. A mailed questionnaire survey was conducted between September 15 and October 30, 2000, with the staffs being charge of QI at each of the hospitals with 400 beds or greater. Of the 108 hospitals eligible for inclusion in our study, 79 participated, yielding a response rate of 73.1%. After excluding 12 hospitals that did not perform any QI activities, 117 responses from 67 hospitals were used for the analysis. Using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria(MBNQAC), perceived performance of QI was measured in terms of the improvement of the quality of clinical practice, clinical supporting department, administrative procedure of receiving care, customer satisfaction, efficiency and standardization of work process. Factors evaluated for the association were the extent of QI implementation, compliance to 5 QI principles, participation of hospital CEOs, budget allocation, history of QI, and bed size. Path analysis was performed to assess the relationship between QI performance and these factors. Major findings of this study are as follows. Hospitals showing higher degree of QI implementation (path coefficient=0.5967, p<0.001)) and better compliance with the basic principes of QI(0.5736, p<0.05) tended to achieve better performance. Path analysis results showed that interest and participation of hospital CEOs(0.1954, p<0.05) and compliance with the basic principes of QI(0.4028, p<0.0001) indirectly affected the outcomes of QI by influencing the intermediate variable of the level of QI implementation. This study results suggest that having employees have a good orientation of the basic concept and principes of QI through relevant training be the most important requirement to achieve better outcomes from QI activities. In addition, to educate leaders of hospitals the need of active implementation of QI is important to encourage their participation and draw strong support for QI programs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.133-140
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• 2018

In this study, a correlation between execution of quality management activities and their results was verified by applying the Malcolm Baldrige model (hereafter referred to as the MB model) as a quality management performance measurement indicator for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea. To achieve this goal, we need to determine whether the categorical requirements in the MB model are recognized consistently in SMEs, as a prerequisite. To this end, factor analysis was conducted for measurement variables in each category, which revealed that the process indicator was made up of six factors and the outcome indicator was made up of five factors, like those configured in the MB model. This result can be interpreted to mean that the requirements in each category of the MB model were well produced and recognized consistently throughout SMEs in South Korea. In addition, the analysis of causality between the process indicator (quality management activities) and the outcome indicator (management results) showed high causality between them. Although the quality management levels of SMEs in South Korea are inferior to those of conglomerates or other national quality award-winning companies, this study is significant in that the causality between quality management activities and results was verified, since this study targeted SMEs in South Korea as the target of investigation. Thus, it is empirically proven that the MB model can contribute to improved management results for SMEs in Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.363-371
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• 2001

Objectives : To assess the degree of quality improvement (QI) implementation and to identify its associated factors. Methods : A mailed questionnaire survey of the QI staffs at hospitals with 400 beds or more was conducted between September 15 and October 30, 2000. Of the 108 hospitals eligible for inclusion in our study, 79 participated, yielding a response rate of 73.1%. After excluding 12 hospitals that did not perform any QI activities, 117 responses from 67 hospitals were used in our analysis. The degree of QI implementation was measured using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria (MBNQAC). Factors evaluated for association with the degree of QI implementation were cultural, technical, strategic, and structural factors of the hospitals. Results : The average 01 implementation score across the 7 dimensions of MBNQAC was 3.34 on a 5-point scale, with the highest score for the area of customer satisfaction (3.88) followed by information and analysis (3.59) and quality management (3.35). The results of regression analysis showed that hospitals with a ofter information system (p<0.05) and using scientific and systematic problem solving approach (p<0.01) tended to perform a higher degree of QI implementation. While statistically insignificant, positive associations were observed for the factors of group or developmental culture, the degree of employee empowerment, and the use of prospective strategy. Conclusions : It appears that the most important factors contributing to active implementation of QI in Korean hospitals were the use of scientific skills in decision making, and having a quality information system to produce precise and valid information.