Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1998. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 14, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Paul J. Baker (chair), Dianne E. Ashby, William C. Rau, Nancy E. Gibson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-144) and abstract. Also available in print.

This graduation theses is focus to implementation of CIP-World (continuous improvement program) and to fullfilment of requirements of Star Power Factory audit in Siemen Nízkonapěťová spínací technika Trutnov, s.r.o. company.

The primary motivation of this PhD by publication has been the apparent disconnect between the metrics of hospital quality of care at national and board level and patients’ experiences. Exploration of the gap led to the realisation of two key points. Firstly, the concept of healthcare quality continually evolves. Secondly, the NHS Scotland Measurement Framework does not include a measure of patient experience at the microsystem level (e.g. hospital ward). This is needed to counterbalance easier to obtain metrics of quality (e.g. waiting times). Resource tends to follow measurement. Papers 1 and 2 were exploratory, investigating theoretical and practical aspects of measuring quality of hospital care at the clinical microsystem level. With the associated Chapters, they highlighted both the necessity and the possibility of measuring the patient experience at the micro level of the healthcare system. They also drew attention to the inadequacy of “satisfaction” as a metric, leading to closer examination of “experience” as the decisive metric. This required the development of a systematic review protocol (Paper Three), then a systematic review (Paper Four). The review (Paper Four) examined the utility (validity, reliability, cost efficiency, acceptability and educational impact) of questionnaires to measure the patient experience of hospital quality of care, with a newly devised matrix tool. Findings highlighted a gap for an instrument with high utility for use at the clinical microsystem level of healthcare. Paper Five presents the development and preliminary psychometric testing of such an instrument; the Care Experience Feedback Improvement Tool (CEFIT). The thesis provides, as well as the matrix tool and CEFIT, theoretical and methodological contributions in the field of healthcare quality. It contributes to an aspiration that the patient’s voice can be heard and acknowledged, in order to direct improvements in the quality of hospital care.

In the sector of teaching, the search for the satisfaction of clients became the need of survival in the competitive market. In this scenario in constant change, the service organizations, specially the education one, need continuous improvement in their processes. The study presents important structural indications to the general direction of the institution in study, referred to the practices related to the organization environment and offers suggestions to improve the quality of services done, having as reference the development of people by means of training and capacitation. The data were collected at College Centenario, Santa Maria RS, with a population of all teachers and employees of the different sectors. The conception used in the process of the development of the research had as a direction the adaptation of the criteria of programs such as Malcolm Baldrige and Gaúcho Program of Quality and Productivity (PGQP), aiming the continuous improvement. The analysis of the data was done according to the descriptive statistic, inferencial statistic. The results showed that the components analyzed, the organizational environment and the organizational culture are very important to constitute the institutional evaluation to identify problems aiming the implementation of actions that can improve the organizational environment and therefore the quality of services done. / No setor de ensino, a busca pela satisfação dos clientes tornou-se uma necessidade de sobrevivência no mercado competitivo. Nesse cenário, em constantes mudanças, as organizações de serviço, principalmente, da educação, precisam de melhoria contínua nos seus processos. O estudo apresenta indicações estruturais importantes para a direção geral da instituição em estudo, no que se refere às práticas relacionadas ao Clima Organizacional, e propõe sugestões de melhoria da qualidade dos serviços prestados, tendo como referência o desenvolvimento das pessoas por meio de treinamento e capacitação. Os dados foram coletados no âmbito do Colégio Centenário, Santa Maria - Rio Grande do Sul, sendo a população alvo todos os professores e funcionários dos diversos setores. A concepção utilizada, nos processos de desenvolvimento da pesquisa, teve como base uma adaptação dos Critérios dos Programas Malcolm Baldrige e Programa Gaúcho de Qualidade e Produtividade (PGQP), visando a melhoria contínua. Para análise dos dados, foi utilizada a estatística descritiva e a estatística inferencial. Os resultados evidenciaram que os componentes analisados, Clima Organizacional e Cultura Organizacional, são muito importantes para a Avaliação Institucional, a fim de identificar problemas que visam à implementação de ações que possam melhorar o ambiente organizacional e, conseqüentemente, a qualidade dos serviços prestados.

The purpose of the presented research is to identify these of the areas that significantly matter for the strong positive correlation between the Employee Enagement and the Service Quality in a particular business case concerning business process improvement of an order management team in a multinational company. The significant areas are identified through a correlation analysis of the answers to an online survey. The results are used for further Measurement, Analysis, Improvement and Control of the key areas identified. The main findings are aimed to serve as a scientifically validated plan of action for the group in charge for the business process improvement in the order management team which is studied. Particularly, recommendations are provided how to increase the First Time Right performance metrics of the order management team through focus on the Define part of the DMAIC model in the Six Sigma methodology for business process improvement. Main findins: there is evidence for strong significant positive correlation between the employee engagement and the service quality factors in the answers of the respondents to the online survey questions; the team members' perception of the leadership style is positively correlated with their perception of the service quality.

The master thesis examines quality management in the company MOTOR JIKOV Strojírenská a.s. First, the system of quality management is described theoretically and this knowledge is then utilized to evaluate the selected company. Accordingly, measures for further improvement are proposed concerning new product development, application of specific methods and exploration of customers? satisfaction.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:09:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 1675.pdf: 3472865 bytes, checksum: cdd740eb5820a30c37b4efc5f281f779 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-01-30 / Several factors have been demanding from the building enterprises to search for better quality in their gerencial organization, methods and construtive techniques have been used, like the cost reductions for their permanency in the market, trough the rationalize of their process and the legal aspects of the Consumer Defense Code, among others. For that a building execute the requisits related to the aspects of performance from their functions during their utilization, is necessary during their life, to use a pre-determinated plan of maintenance, that must be seen as another stage of the constructions process, as well as the conception stage, project and building execution. The construction building patology study, is a fundamental instrument to be possible to identify and to understand the falilure incident on performance during the utilization of the buildings components.The present production tryed to show the performance requirements in two medium to high standard entrerprise buildings, that has norms and procedure of quality control. Information were utilized from the project stage until the execution and post-occupancy stage of the enterprise, with purpose to localize possibles pathologies in fase of utilization, and track them with their history of projects or with sistem and construtive procedure. Based on information obtained in this study, the results were realized with the purpose of systemaze the information to elaborate the grafics and other tools to enable a better comprehension of problems detected.Through the results obtained, together with the project studied and construtives methods adopted trought the building enterprise, were realized the Identification and the caracterization of the main pathology . The objective of this production is to provide information to searches in this pathologies in the Hydraulics and Sanitary buildings Systems and buildings enterprises to aim to aid on control and syatematizing the necessaries maintenance, to prevent the same problems in future buildings executed by the enterprises and the executer of theses systems. / Diversos fatores têm exigido das empresas construtoras a busca por melhorias de qualidade em sua organização gerencial, métodos e técnicas construtivas adotadas, tais como a redução de custos para sua permanência no mercado, através da racionalização dos seus processos, e os aspectos legais do Código de Defesa do Consumidor, entre outros. Para que uma edificação cumpra os requisitos relativos aos aspectos de desempenho de suas funções durante sua utilização, é preciso que, durante sua vida útil, seja utilizado um plano de manutenção pré-determinado, que deve ser encarado como uma outra etapa do processo de construção, além das etapas de concepção, projeto e execução do empreendimento. O estudo das patologias da construção civil é a ferramenta fundamental para que sejam possíveis a identificação e compreensão das incidências de falhas de desempenho durante a utilização dos componentes da edificação. O presente trabalho buscou avaliar os requisitos de desempenho em dois edifícios residenciais em altura de médio a alto padrão, de empresa construtora que possui normas e procedimentos de controle da qualidade. Foram utilizadas informações desde a fase de projeto até a execução e pós-ocupação do empreendimento, a fim de mapear as possíveis patologias na fase de utilização e rastreá-las com base em seu histórico de projetos ou sistemas e procedimentos construtivos. Com os dados obtidos no estudo de caso foram realizadas as análises dos resultados, com o objetivo de sistematizar as informações para, então, elaborar os gráficos e outras ferramentas que possibilitem a melhor compreensão dos problemas detectados. Por meio dos resultados alcançados, juntamente com o estudo dos projetos e métodos construtivos adotados pela empresa construtora, foram realizadas a identificação e caracterização das principais patologias detectadas. O objetivo do trabalho é o de fornecer dados para os pesquisadores da área de patologias nos Sistema Prediais Hidráulicos e Sanitários e empresas construtoras, visando auxiliá-las no controle e sistematização das manutenções necessárias, de forma a prevenir os mesmos problemas em futuras obras realizadas pela empresa e projetistas desses sistemas.