University of Technology, Sydney. / This overall objective of this research was to identify factors that were important in forming middle managers' attitudes toward quality and quality programs in their organisations. An underlying assumption of the research, supported by the literature, was that a middle manager's attitude toward his/her quality program could be an important indicator of behaviour toward the program e.g. resistance, willingness to be involved. Reviews of the literature on middle management, quality, attitude measurement and research more specifically related to the research topic was undertaken. The work of Ajzen (1988) was particularly useful in devising an overall theoretical framework for the research . A number of hypotheses related to the overall research question were formulated. Twenty-one organisations agreed to participate in the research. These all had a quality program. Some of the organisations were quite advanced in quality, a number had won Australian Quality Awards, others were much less advanced. Organisations were drawn from manufacturing and services in both private and public sectors. Data was collected in two main ways. Firstly, a questionnaire was designed, piloted and distributed to approximately 1100 middle managers in participating organisations. The response rate was approximately 50%. Secondly, in depth interviews were carried out with middle managers, senior managers and quality managers in a number of the participating organisations. The results generally confirm the importance of the middle management group as key to the success of a quality program. Middle managers across all of the participating organisations generally believed that the TQM approach to management was an effective one. Their views on the effectiveness of IS09000 were less positive. Middle managers generally believed that the quality programs were more likely to benefit their organisations rather than to directly benefit themselves, although quality programs did provide some opportunities for some middle managers. Middle managers generally believed that their quality programs provided both operational and strategic benefit for their organisations. Paradoxically, a widely held belief among middle managers was that quality programs did not reduce short term thinking and over-reacting to short term goals. Positive attitudes to quality in the organisation were associated particularly with the values and beliefs that middle managers held regarding: a) program support from top management, from their direct boss and from their colleagues; b) a range of program outcomes for the organisation and c) a range of program outcomes related to the individual middle manager. For middle managers actively involved in their organisations quality program the clarity of their program role was positively related to program attitudes. Training/education in quality was also significantly related to some beliefs and attitudes towards quality and quality programs. Middle managers generally believed that quality programs involved a significant increase in paper work and bureaucracy. However this was not a significant influence on their attitudes toward quality in their organisations. An important finding was that for a wide range of beliefs and attitudes related to quality no significant differences were found between the types of jobs held by middle managers. An exception was the quality specialist group who generally had significantly more positive attitudes and beliefs about quality and their quality programs than did other job categories. Middle managers seemed relatively at ease with most of the changes that were taking place as part of their programs. In particular they had relatively positive views on devolution of responsibility to lower level employees. Middle managers also seemed relatively at ease with their own performance being more tightly monitored with program implementation. The research supported the more optimistic view of middle Management that has been reported recently (e.g. Fenton-O'Creevy 1998). The notion of the middle management still had currency in all of the organisations participating in the research despite the many structural changes that had taken place.

University of Technology, Sydney. / This overall objective of this research was to identify factors that were important in forming middle managers' attitudes toward quality and quality programs in their organisations. An underlying assumption of the research, supported by the literature, was that a middle manager's attitude toward his/her quality program could be an important indicator of behaviour toward the program e.g. resistance, willingness to be involved. Reviews of the literature on middle management, quality, attitude measurement and research more specifically related to the research topic was undertaken. The work of Ajzen (1988) was particularly useful in devising an overall theoretical framework for the research . A number of hypotheses related to the overall research question were formulated. Twenty-one organisations agreed to participate in the research. These all had a quality program. Some of the organisations were quite advanced in quality, a number had won Australian Quality Awards, others were much less advanced. Organisations were drawn from manufacturing and services in both private and public sectors. Data was collected in two main ways. Firstly, a questionnaire was designed, piloted and distributed to approximately 1100 middle managers in participating organisations. The response rate was approximately 50%. Secondly, in depth interviews were carried out with middle managers, senior managers and quality managers in a number of the participating organisations. The results generally confirm the importance of the middle management group as key to the success of a quality program. Middle managers across all of the participating organisations generally believed that the TQM approach to management was an effective one. Their views on the effectiveness of IS09000 were less positive. Middle managers generally believed that the quality programs were more likely to benefit their organisations rather than to directly benefit themselves, although quality programs did provide some opportunities for some middle managers. Middle managers generally believed that their quality programs provided both operational and strategic benefit for their organisations. Paradoxically, a widely held belief among middle managers was that quality programs did not reduce short term thinking and over-reacting to short term goals. Positive attitudes to quality in the organisation were associated particularly with the values and beliefs that middle managers held regarding: a) program support from top management, from their direct boss and from their colleagues; b) a range of program outcomes for the organisation and c) a range of program outcomes related to the individual middle manager. For middle managers actively involved in their organisations quality program the clarity of their program role was positively related to program attitudes. Training/education in quality was also significantly related to some beliefs and attitudes towards quality and quality programs. Middle managers generally believed that quality programs involved a significant increase in paper work and bureaucracy. However this was not a significant influence on their attitudes toward quality in their organisations. An important finding was that for a wide range of beliefs and attitudes related to quality no significant differences were found between the types of jobs held by middle managers. An exception was the quality specialist group who generally had significantly more positive attitudes and beliefs about quality and their quality programs than did other job categories. Middle managers seemed relatively at ease with most of the changes that were taking place as part of their programs. In particular they had relatively positive views on devolution of responsibility to lower level employees. Middle managers also seemed relatively at ease with their own performance being more tightly monitored with program implementation. The research supported the more optimistic view of middle Management that has been reported recently (e.g. Fenton-O'Creevy 1998). The notion of the middle management still had currency in all of the organisations participating in the research despite the many structural changes that had taken place.

The ISO 9000 series of standards for international quality control and quality assurance, released by the International Standard Organization (ISO) on March 15, 1987 for establishing universal quality standards as a basis for international division of administrative responsibilities, had caught international attention. The second edition of ISO 9001-9003 standards was revised and released in 1994 to address the transition in entrepreneurial environment. The third edition of ISO 9001 standards was further revised and released on December 15, 2000. The manufactory and construction industries have demonstrated significant outcomes in improving corporate cultures and systems, reducing cost while increasing productivity, enhancing quality and market competition, and gaining clientele satisfaction after investing in vast amount of human resources and funds to introduce the ISO. The healthcare organizations had been less cognizant of the ISO series. The comprehensive national health insurance, which has been put into practice for six years since March 1995, has forced the healthcare organizations into fierce competitive edge. Hospitals take client-satisfaction as a competitive advantage for ongoing management and survival by providing higher quality medical services. This study investigates a case of hospital experiences in establishing international quality assurance system, such as : the definition and content of ISO, the reasons for establishment, education and training, control policy for persistence, auditing and perpetual improvements. Further, a detailed introduction is given following a review of literature to depict the successful experiences of the case hospital. Through surveys and interviews, practical knowledge and applicable experience can be identified. It is firmly believed more hospitals and healthcare centers will adopt ISO and benefit from adoption. The research findings are as follows : 1. Promoting ISO motivates hospital quality management and increases client confidence and satisfaction. 2. Success to certification basically lies in decisiveness, supportiveness of high-level management, and consensus among staff. 3. Most common obstacles in certification process are : insufficient manpower, heavy workload, and employee repulsiveness. 4. Perpetual participation in quality control practices is based upon leadership and team cooperation. 5. Significant improvements are demonstrated in standardization of documentation and workflow and elevation of management levels. 6. Hospital induction requires the management emphasis, educational training of the employees, accumulation of ISO-relevant information, and in-field observation of certified and successful hospitals. Keywords : ISO 9000s, healthcare management system, quality assurance

No description available.

This study aimed to suggest a model of the activities that Higher Education (HE) students undertake when they involve themselves in the Quality Assurance Process (QAP) in their institutions. Also, it aimed to identify the factors that may influence the extent and the quality of student involvement. The data was collected from a case study university in order to test the theoretical proposed model of student involvement in the institutional QAP. A mixed methods approach was used to answer the research questions. The quantitative data was collected by using the web-based questionnaires with 535 students and 67 staff. The qualitative data was collected by interviewing 11 students and 9 staff, and focus groups with 18 class representatives. The findings showed that the proposed model is confirmed and the students could participate in the QAP in their institution by carrying out three salient activities, these were: involvement in responding to QA questionnaires; involvement in QArelated committees at School, College and University levels; and involvement in direct QAP procedures. Moreover, ten factors were revealed that could impact on student involvement in the institutional QAP. The most significant ones were: communication between different groups (students and their student representatives; class representatives and the Students’ Association (SA); the SA and students; the HE institution and students; and between the SA and the HE institution), student awareness, student disinterest in involvement, and the training of student representatives. The findings affirmed the importance of student involvement in the institutional QAP and this practice should be given considerable attention in order to increase the extent and the quality of student involvement.

This thesis analyses the effects of the Bologna Process on the implementation of Quality Assurance standards in Turkish higher education. Using a qualitative case study approach, this thesis explores the changes and policies that have been adopted to promote quality assurance at the institutional, national and international levels. In order to better understand how quality assurance systems are shaped within the Bologna Process, I conducted interviews with eight Turkish Bologna experts. The experts provided first-hand experience and knowledge of the QA systems implementation process. Further, I performed a detailed document analysis to examine the policies related to the quality assurance system. Through these methods, I uncovered a number of unique challenges faced by the Turkish higher education system in the implementation of a sound quality assurance system. One of the most significant challenges relates to the fact that the Council of Higher Education has still not established a fully functional national QA agency in accordance with the European Standard and Guidelines. This discrepancy affects the implementation of a uniform QA system at all levels. The findings suggest that the Bologna Process, which aims to improve transparency in the European Higher Education Area, has had positive impact on QA systems in Turkish HE. The positive effects demonstrate the capacity of the Turkish HE to respond to an increasing need for a highly qualified workforce. With an improved adaptability on the part of the institutions, graduates of Turkish universities will be able to comparably compete with those from other European institutions. / Graduate / 0745 / 0515 / sbugday@uvic.ca

No description available.

In Australia, small and medium enterprises in the manufacturing sector appear to have been slow to undertake the adoption and implementation of quality assurance processes. Over the last two decades, policy makers and researchers have tended to focus on the technology uptake issues as a lever to stimulate economic activity. However, there has been less research and associated public policy initiatives on socio-technical systems (STS) like quality assurance programs or on implementation rather than uptake issues. By implementation it is meant those actions by the firm after the decision to adopt the new system has been taken, including the adaptation of existing routines to support the new equipment or processes. In industry, failures and delays in implementing new systems have meant that many firms have not reaped the promised benefits. / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2006.

The deployment of service quality as a source of competitive advantage is becoming increasingly important to higher education institutions as the higher education market becomes globalised and competitive pressure intensifies. To some institutions, the focus on service quality is a necessity due to governmental requirements and the need to be more accountable to the public. To others, the interest in service quality takes on a more pro-active stance since there are many advantages associated with it: student satisfaction and retention, positive word-of -mouth recommendations, higher market share, and improved financial performance. / In order to achieve superiority in service quality, higher education institutions must have the means to measure it. Currently, two of the most valid and reliable measurement scales used in the evaluation of service quality are the SERVQUAL and the SERVPERF. Despite their wide application in a multitude of services, there have been arguments that one of them measures service quality better than the other. Few studies have empirically tested the relative measuring ability of the two scales, and there is little evidence in the literature to suggest that it had been investigated in the higher education service sector. / This dissertation examines the relative predictive ability of the SERVQUAL and the SERVPERF in a higher education setting through the use of a questionnaire survey. In addition, the dimensionality, reliability and validity of both measurement scales were compared and contrasted. The findings revealed that instead of the postulated five factors of service quality, a two-factor model is appropriate in the higher education context. The items of reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy all loaded onto one factor, while all the items of tangibles loaded onto another. Both scales have high reliability, as well as convergent and discriminant validity. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the two-factor SERVPERF is far more superior to the two-factor SERVQUAL in measuring service quality in higher education. / The research findings imply that there is no necessity to measure expectations when evaluating students' perceptions of higher education service quality. Only their perceptions of actual performance suffice. Furthermore, the use of the SERVPERF would automatically shorten the SERVQUAL questionnaire by half, that is, from 44 items to 22 items. / The SERVPERF, however, has shortcomings since it does not fully capture the essence of the service quality construct. Too much emphasis has been placed on tangibles and processes. The literature suggests that there is a possibility that other determinants could be important too. Future research should also compare and contrast international and local student's perceptions of higher education service quality as well as those of self-funded and aid-funded students. / Thesis (DBA(DBusinessAdministration))-University of South Australia,

The decreasing Australian health dollar requires closer scrutiny on what outcome is purchased for it. Quality outcomes are produced by quality services, it is important to identify the constructs of quality care from individual stakeholders' perspectives. Empirical research on quality constructs is limited to medical and nursing literature. Within Physiotherapy and Chiropractics, little research has been undertaken to examine the constructs of quality care from individual stakeholder perspectives, or to develop monitoring systems that reflect the nature and philosophy of Physiotherapy and Chiropractic care / This research explored and expanded upon current knowledge on the constructs of quality and current quality monitoring standards within Physiotherapy and Chiropractic private sector services in Australia. This research explored individual primary stakeholder perspectives of quality (patients, providers and funders). The study identified factors that acted as barriers and incentives in the provision of quality care. This research generated a model of innovative quality monitoring strategies, which reflected stakeholders' perspectives, and could be utilised across private and public funding sectors / This research utilised a mixed method approach of qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. The main methods comprised of interviews with key stakeholders, surveys of patient's perspectives of quality care and an educational outreach program for providers / The findings highlight the multi-dimensional and multifactorial nature of health care quality and its constructs from the perspectives of different stakeholders. Patients and providers' expectations of quality were congruent and contained quality constructs ranging across structure, process and outcome dimensions. This research identified that patient expectations of quality are underpinned by patient-centred care and effective communication between patient and provider. In contrast, funders' perspectives of quality were unidimensional with predominant emphasis on cost of services. This study found funders' monitoring standards were inadequate in identifying poor practices or providing incentives to improve practice. This research provided ways in which funding agencies could continue to use traditional methods of monitoring (such as costs) as well as employing innovative strategies such as patient perspectives on the quality of care they would receive / This research provides the first known evaluation approach for patients to provide feedback on their expectations of quality of Physiotherapy and Chiropractic services. The unique evaluation instrument is profession-specific and it considers patients' expectations using an episode-of-care model rather than the traditional occasion-of-service model. The findings from the survey of Physiotherapy and Chiropractic patients identified the importance of meeting patient expectations prior to, during, and after, the first occasion-of-service with the provider in the episode, and then at three subsequent service points in the episode / This research identified providers' perspectives of an educational outreach program, which aimed to inform and educate them regarding the quality of care they provided. The findings indicated that providers were genuinely interested in uptake of patient feedback into clinical practice. Numerous dissemination strategies were possible within their practices and within their profession / This explanatory research is the first of its kind in providing foundational research evidence on the constructs of quality within private practice Physiotherapy and Chiropractics from different stakeholders' perspectives. It has also established that patients can be effectively engaged in monitoring quality of care. The findings highlight that patient expectations of quality vary throughout an episode-of-care and this needs to be recognised by other stakeholders in quality monitoring and quality improvement initiatives. The findings from this research can form the basis for future research in examining relationships of constructs of quality across other patient populations with other Allied Health disciplines, and in testing innovative quality improvement initiatives / Thesis (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2005