A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, partly for the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg 2016 / This dissertation aims to identify whether or not there is clear and tangible evidence to suggest a relationship between the presence of total quality management (TQM) practices and service quality in the restaurant industry. It attempts to investigate if restaurants that show higher levels of service quality do so because they implement quality management practices in some form or another. The study considers four restaurants in Johannesburg. A research method was devised purely for this dissertation to measure the presence of quality management practices within the restaurant and the level of service quality experienced by the customer. Three research instruments were designed for the study by using various frameworks, specifically TQM (a type of quality management practice), the SERVQUAL instrument (a tool used to measure service quality) and qualitative research interviewing. Quality management practices at the restaurants were assessed using the first research instrument: The TQM Questionnaire, which was conducted as an interview between researcher and restaurant employees. The level of service quality was assessed using the second research instrument: The Customer Survey, which was dispensed to the restaurant customers. The third instrument, an observations table was used to corroborate the results obtained by the first two instruments and was designed by the researcher. The results of the TQM Questionnaire were analysed using content analysis, and each restaurant was assigned a total TQM score, which signified the degree to which they implement TQM practices. These scores were compared to the results obtained from the customer surveys, which assigned each restaurant with a SERVQUAL score that measured the degree of customer satisfaction. The TQM results were compared to the SERVQUAL results for each restaurant in order to identify a relationship between the two aspects. The research identified that 3 of the 4 restaurants showed a clear relationship between the presence of TQM practices in their operations and the level of service quality experienced by the customer. It was identified that restaurants that achieved high TQM scores also achieved the highest SERVQUAL scores. This finding recognises that there is a relationship between TQM and service quality, however the study does not go forward to investigate the nature of this relationship. / MT2016

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. 19 September 2016. / High manufacturing competitiveness in South Africa has the potential to contribute towards mitigating the poor economic performance and high unemployment rate prevailing in the country. However, manufacturing competitiveness is lacking, majorly due to labour productivity issues that are idiosyncratic to South Africa. One of the dilemmas is how to increase manufacturing productivity without major capitalisation, as doing so usually leads to redundancy and retrenchment of employees. A possible solution is to implement manufacturing performance improvement programmes without major capital investment (or capital-labour substitution). Although various programmes exist and are successful elsewhere in the world, these have been found to fail in South African firms due to implementation challenges. This study assesses the results from implementing a manufacturing performance improvement programme called Integrated Work Systems (IWS) in a South African factory of a multinational company (ABC). IWS has already proven successful in the multinational’s factories in other parts of the world. The study aims to determine the critical success-factors and develop a framework for the successful implementation of such a programme in South Africa. Implementation of IWS in ABC SA’s factory was found to be successful in delivering breakthrough results in efficiency and throughput. Critical success-factors established through surveying relevant employees and management in ABC SA were related to the timing and planning of the programme, standardisation of work, regular reviewing and use of leading KPIs, having specific implementation resources and the nature of leadership involvement. The critical success-factors found in ABC SA’s implementation were used as a basis for presenting a framework to guide practitioners in implementing manufacturing improvement programmes that aim to deliver higher levels of sustainable performance and improved shop-floor culture. / MT2017

Globaliseringens och digitaliseringens framväxt har givit upphov till att människor har fått större tillgång till information. I syfte att underlätta hanteringen av massinformation kan bland annat tekniska hjälpmedel användas. Inom organisationer används bland annat tekniska kommunikationsverktyg för att underlätta informationsspridningen inom verksamheten. Fungerar inte kommunikationsverktygen i enlighet med sitt syfte och verksamhetens kommunikationsbehov kan de istället försvåra kommunikationen inom verksamheten. Vid en förstudie som har genomförts på företaget Briab har det visat sig att medarbetare upplevt att de interna kommunikationsverktygen inte fungerat tillräckligt väl för att underlätta företagets interna kommunikation. Utifrån resultatet av förstudien har denna studien har genomförts i syfte att ta fram förbättringsåtgärder för de interna kommunikationsverktygen på Briab. Förhoppningen var att effekterna av förbättrade interna kommunikationsverktyg även skulle bidra till att förbättra företagets interna kommunikation. Studien avgränsades till att undersöka de fyra centrala interna kommunikationsverktygen på Briab: intranätet, Briab Studio, Microsoft Teams och Microsoft Outlook. För att uppnå syftet med studien har en enkätundersökning genomförts på hela företaget. Resultatet av enkätundersökningen kartlade medarbetarnas kommunikationsbehov samt hur de deras upplevelse av respektive kommunikationsverktyg. Resultatet har visat att respondenterna upplever brister hos alla verktyg, men främst hos intranätet och Briab Studio. Respondenterna har bland annat beskrivit att det finns allt för mycket information som inte är uppdateras, att information inte har förmedlats på ett tillfredställande sätt och att det saknats kunskap för hur man ska använda vissa kommunikationsverktyg. Utifrån enkätsvaren har en analys genomförts genom släktskapsdiagram, där svaren kategoriserades och kartlade vilka två huvudproblem som respektive kommunikationsverktyg hade. I syfte att ta fram effektiva åtgärder har grundorsakerna för huvudproblemen hos kommunikationsverktygen kartlagts genom en workshop tillsammans med representanter från företaget. Grundorsakerna var bland annat bristande informationsägandeskap, kategorisering av information och riktlinjer för internkommunikation. Problemen hos de interna kommunikationsverktygen gav upphov till att bristande delaktighet hos Briabs medarbetare, informationsöverflöd resulterade i att medarbetare missade viktig information och bristande riktlinjer gjorde att medarbetare använde kommunikationsverktygen på olika sätt. Utifrån grundproblemen, teorier och medarbetarnas förslag på lösningar, har en åtgärdsplan tagits fram. Genom åtgärdsplanen uppnådde studien sitt syfte att ta fram förbättringsåtgärder för de interna kommunikationsverktygen. Briab har rekommenderats att vidare implementera åtgärderna och följa upp dess effekter för att förbättra de verktygen och förhoppningsvis den interna kommunikationen på företaget. / The globalization and digitalisation have made information more avalible. In order to handle a huge amount of information, technical tools may be used. Within organizations, technical tools are at times used to facilitate dissemination of information. However, if the technical tools are not functioning for its purpose, the tool might insted aggravate the dissemination of information. A pilot study, accomplished at a company named Briab, showed that employeed felt unsatisfied with the technical communication-tools used within the company. Based on the result from the pilot study, this study has been done with the purpose to chart actions of impovements for the internal communcation-tools at Briab. The prospect of improved internal communication-tools was to contribute to improvement of the internal communication as a hole. The study was delimited to the four central communication-tools within Briab; the intranet, Briab Studio, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Outlook. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, a survey was preformed upon the hole company. The result of the survey identified the needs for internal communication and the oponions regarding the internal communication-tools. The survey result showed that the respondents experianced defects regarding all of the internal communication-tools, yet mostly regarding the intranet and Briab Studio. The respondents did, among other, describe that to much information were not updated, that information were not mediated in a satisfying way and that the company lacked knowledge for how to communicate internally. Based on the results from the survey, analysis were done by the means of affinity diagrams, where the answers were categorised and the two main problems, of the respective communication-tools, were charted. In order to provide effective actions of improvements, the main causes of the problems were identified through a workshop together with representatives of the company. The main causes were identified as a lack of information-ownership, categorisation of information and guidelines for internal communication, among others. The problems with the internal communicaiton-tools generated in a lack of concern within the employees at Briab, overload of information resulted in employees missing out on important information and the lack of guidelines for internal communication opened to employees using the communication-tools in various ways. Based on the main problems, theories and the employees suggestion of improvement, an action plan of improvements was made. Through the action plan, the purpose of the study was achieved by charting actions of improvements for the internal communication-tools. Briab has been recomended to implement and follow up on the effect of the actions, in order to improve the communication-tools and hopefully improve the interal communication within the company.

Este trabalho visou a aplicação de uma ferramenta da qualidade chamada Analytical Quality Assurance Cycle, que engloba num ciclo: a Validação de Métodos, já bem conhecida do meio científico; o Cálculo de Incerteza Analítica e Controle de Qualidade Intralaboratorial, estes ainda pouco aplicados no meio acadêmico, mas que unidos se mostraram uma alternativa útil e poderosa para a garantia da qualidade de resultados de um laboratório de pesquisa e desenvolvimento universitário. O projeto de pesquisa que recebeu a aplicação da ferramenta buscava uma otimização de metodologia de extração de contaminantes, denominada Refrigerated Sorptive Extraction que é baseada em sorção por barra de polidimetilsiloxano, e posterior determinação do contaminantes voláteis e semivoláteis por um cromatógrafo a gás com detector de ionização em chama (GC/FID). Uma das otimizações comtemplou a miniaturização do protótipo, o que tornou possível utilizar a dessorção térmica diretamente no injetor do cromatógrafo, o que permitiu ao equipamento determinar concentrações cada vez mais baixas, como foi o caso dos compostos octilfenol e fluoranteno, alcançando a concentração de 0,5 µg L-1. A aplicação da metodologia foi realizada em amostras ambientais reais de água superficial, coletadas segundo os procedimentos descritos no Guia nacional de coleta e preservação de amostras publicado pela Agencia Nacional de Águas (ANA) e Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB). Como um adendo da etapa de Cálculo de Incerteza do ciclo, foram descritos os critérios para o Cálculo de Incerteza da Amostragem, de muita importância para a garantia da qualidade do resultado final. Foram encontrados alguns obstáculos para a aplicação do Analytical Quality Assurance Cycle, que exige a utilização de padrões analíticos com incerteza declarada (produzidos de acordo com a norma ISO Guia 34) e a calibração de equipamentos que interferem na qualidade dos resultados. Nesse trabalho não foi possível utilizar os padrões ISO Guia 34, mas através de um programa de verificação da balança analítica com peso-padrão calibrado em laboratório da Rede Brasileira de Calibração do Instituto Nacional de Metrologia e Qualidade Industrial (RBC/INMETRO), foi possível obter a Rastreabilidade Metrológica para as medições realizadas nas amostras coletadas. Apesar de todo o cuidado com a garantia da qualidade com as ferramentas aplicadas, a Rastreabilidade Metrológica por si só não consegue garantir a qualidade do resultado da medição integralmente. Portanto foi detectada a necessidade de implantar um Sistema de Gestão da Qualidade adaptado ao laboratório para prover a Rastreabilidade Documental que faltava. Foram utilizadas as normas NBR ISO/IEC 17025 e Boas Práticas de Laboratório para fornecer uma base para o sistema implantado. Enfim, todo esse trabalho foi dedicado a aproximar a Metrologia, a Garantia e o Controle da Qualidade aos laboratórios de pesquisa universitários, pois é imprescindível que esses conceitos sejam aplicados à academia para garantir a reprodutibilidade dos resultados gerados. / This thesis presents an application of a quality tool called the Analytical Quality Assurance Cycle, which involves in a cycle: the Validation of Methods, already well known in the scientific environment, the Estimation of Analytical Uncertainty and Intralaboratorial Quality Control. These latter are few applied in the academic medium, but that united tools proved to be an useful and powerful alternative for a guarantee of the quality of results of research and development laboratories at universities. The research project that received the application of this tool sought an optimization of contamination extraction methodology, denominated Refrigerated Sorptive Extraction that is based on sorption by a polydimethylsiloxane bar, and subsequent determination of volatile and semivolatile contaminants by a gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector (GC/FID). One of the optimizations contemplated the miniaturization of the prototype, which enabled the thermal desorption inside the injector of the chromatograph, which allowed the equipment to reach concentrations increasingly low, as was the case of the compounds octylphenol and fluoranthene, achieving a concentration of 0,5 µg L-1. The application of the methodology was carried out in samples of surface water collected according to the National Collection and Preservation Guide published by the Brazilian National Water Agency (ANA) and São Paulo State Environmental Company (CETESB). As an addendum of the Estimation of Uncertainty step in the cycle, was discussed the methods of Estimation of Uncertainty of the Sampling, that it is very important for a guarantee of the quality of the final result. Some challenges were found in the application of the Analytical Quality Assurance Cycle, which requires the use of analytical standards with declared uncertainty (made according the ISO Guide 34) and a calibration of equipment that interferes in the quality of the results. In this project, it is not used analytical standards with declared uncertainty, but the introduction of a program of verification of the analytical balance with standard weight calibrated in a laboratory of the Brazilian Calibration Network of the National Institute of Metrology and Industrial Quality (RBC/INMETRO) provides the Metrological Traceability for the measurements of the samples collected. Despite all the care taken with quality assurance with the applied tools, Metrological Traceability alone cannot guarantee the total quality of the measurement results. Thus, a need was detected to implement a Quality Management System adapted to the laboratory for a probable Documentary Traceability that was lacking. NBR ISO/IEC 17025 and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) were used as a basis for the implanted system. Finally, all this work was dedicated to approximate the Metrology, the Guarantee and a Quality Control to the university research laboratories, for which these concepts are applied in the academy to guarantee the reproducibility of the generated results.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-03T18:33:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Mauro_Stopatto.pdf: 769367 bytes, checksum: 85c4f61cfe1b40a219abee4ef1161ab3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-02-02 / This work has discused the implantation of the Programa de Excel??ncia Gerencial do Ex??rcito Brasileiro (PEG-EB) in the Escola Preparat??ria de Cadetes do Ex??rcito (EsPCEx), has identified the importance of the program and has shown the perception of this implantation by the permanent body of officers, subofficers and sergeants. The military officers had presented their perception in the program and its implantation through the seven criteria about the quality of the Programa de Qualidade do Governo Federal (PQGF). Inside the qualification context, it is presented the main graduation schools of the military, the education growth in the scope of the Brazilian Army and the creation of the new jobs and services, as the Quadro Complementar de Oficias (QCO) and the Servi??o T??cnico Tempor??rio (STT). The evolution of these concepts still presents the concepts of quality through its main theoretical possibilities as well as historical evolution of these concepts. It shows the finest programs: private and public with its historical origins and its evolutions. It approaches the National Prize of the Public administration of the Federal Government and the inserted military organizations in this context. It characterizes the searched organization: mission, vision of future, synthesis of the values, duties and ethics. It displays the evolution of the organizational structure along of history and its modifications. / Este trabalho procura discutir a implanta????o do Programa de Excel??ncia Gerencial do Ex??rcito Brasileiro (PEG-EB) na Escola Preparat??ria de Cadetes do Ex??rcito (EsPCEx), identificar a import??ncia do programa e mostrar a percep????o desta implanta????o pelo corpo permanente de oficiais e pra??as. Os militares apresentaram sua percep????o em rela????o ao programa e sua implanta????o atrav??s dos sete crit??rios da qualidade do Programa de Qualidade do Governo Federal (PQGF). Dentro do contexto da capacita????o, apresenta as principais escolas de forma????o dos militares, a evolu????o do ensino no ??mbito do Ex??rcito Brasileiro e a cria????o dos novos quadros e servi??os, como o Quadro Complementar de Oficias (QCO) e o Servi??o T??cnico Tempor??rio (STT). Apresenta ainda os conceitos de qualidade atrav??s de seus principais te??ricos bem como mostra a evolu????o hist??rica destes conceitos. Mostra os programas de qualidade: privados e p??blicos com suas origens hist??ricas e suas evolu????es. Aborda o Pr??mio Nacional da Gest??o P??blica do Governo Federal e as organiza????es militares inseridas neste contexto. Caracteriza a organiza????o pesquisada: miss??o, vis??o de futuro, s??ntese dos valores, deveres e ??tica. Exp??e a evolu????o da estrutura organizacional ao longo da hist??ria e suas modifica????es.

by Sin Wai-Ling, Winnie and Fung Hon-Wai. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-87). / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.ii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.v / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.vi / Chapter / Chapter I --- INTRODUCTION / Importance of Quality Management --- p.1 / Objectives of the Project --- p.3 / Organization of the Project --- p.3 / What is Performing Arts and Its Education? --- p.5 / Performing Arts Education in Hong Kong --- p.5 / Hong Kong Tertiary Education and Arts Education --- p.6 / The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts --- p.7 / Problem Definition --- p.8 / Chapter II --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY / Project Design and Data Collection --- p.9 / Case Study --- p.9 / Questionnaire --- p.10 / Focus Groups and Interviews --- p.10 / Chapter III --- LITERATURE REVIEW / Why Concern About Quality? --- p.12 / Overseas --- p.12 / Hong Kong --- p.14 / What is Quality? --- p.15 / Meaning of Quality in Higher Education --- p.17 / The Trend --- p.17 / """Fitness for Purpose""" --- p.18 / Who are the Customers? --- p.20 / The Role of the Students --- p.22 / Who Should Set the Standards? --- p.22 / The Need of Communication --- p.24 / Resistance for Quality --- p.25 / Chapter IV --- OBSERVATION OF THE SYSTEM OF QUALITY ASSURANCE AND POLICES OF THE ACADEMY / Activities --- p.27 / Characteristics and its Role --- p.28 / Corporate Structure --- p.30 / The Council --- p.30 / The Academic Board --- p.31 / Management Structure --- p.31 / Quality Assurance --- p.31 / Quality of New Programme Introduced --- p.32 / Monitoring Process --- p.34 / Quality Assurance on the Standard of Graduates --- p.35 / External Examiners --- p.35 / Assessment Methods and Standards --- p.37 / Chapter V --- PERCEPTION ON QUALITY STANDARD AND THE QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM OF THE ACADEMY / The Survey --- p.39 / Format of Questionnaire --- p.39 / Contents of Questionnaire --- p.39 / "Results, Analysis and Interpretation of the Survey" --- p.40 / Overall Response to the Surve --- p.41 / Attitude of Staff --- p.42 / Behaviour of Students --- p.43 / Overall Perception Towards the Quality Standard --- p.43 / Overall Results --- p.43 / Individual Reponses --- p.48 / Summary of Findings --- p.56 / Chapter VI --- DISCUSSION / Concept of BS 5750 and Its Application in Tertiary Education --- p.58 / BS 5750 Against Standard of the Academy --- p.59 / Selection of a Model for Quality Assurance Management System --- p.67 / Problems Associated with Application of Quality Assurance Management Syste --- p.67 / Chapter VII --- CONCLUSION / The Existing Quality Management System --- p.71 / System of the Academy versus BS 5750 Standand --- p.71 / Applicability of the BS 5750 System --- p.71 / APPENDIX --- p.73 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.85

Mellan 10-30 procent av ett företags omsättning beräknas bestå av kvalitetsbristkostnader, alltså kostnader som uppstår på grund av bristande kvalitet på företagets produkter eller processer. Dessa kostnader är ofta av sådant slag som inte synliggörs inom företag som inte aktivt arbetar med kvalitet. På EMBA Machinery AB i Örebro är idag detta inga kostnader som synliggjorts, men som det finns önskemål om att synliggöra och då främst i deras reklamationsprocess. Därav har de efterfrågat ett arbete där kvalitetsbristkostnader i samband med deras reklamationsprocess skall identifieras samt att ett arbetssätt för att reducera dessa kostnader skall arbetas fram. Till detta arbete har olika verktyg som vanligtvis används inom kvalitetsarbete och LEAN production tillämpats. Exempel på de verktyg som använts är enklare varianter av värdeflödesanalyser, Paretodiagram, feleffektsanalyser, Ishikawadiagram och 5 Varför-analyser. Arbetet resulterade i fem åtgärdsförslag för företaget. De fem förslagen är: införa en ny arbetsrutin för reklamationer där hanteringen skall utgå från en kvalitetssamordnare, införa en standardkostnad för fakturering av justeringar som utförs på företaget, anställa en kvalitetschef som följer upp företagets rutiner och arbetar aktivt med förbättringsarbete, digitalisera hanteringen av reklamationer och utbilda ledningen i förbättringsarbete och total quality management. Vid införandet av dessa åtgärder beräknas kvalitetsbristkostnaderna minska med minst 30 %, men förmodligen mycket mer än så. / Between 10-30 percent of a company's turnover is estimated to consist of costs due to poor quality, i.e. costs incurred due to lack of quality on the company's products or processes. These costs are often costs that are not visible in companies whom do not actively work with quality. At EMBA Machinery AB in Örebro these costs are not visible today, but there is a desire to visualize them mainly in their complaint process. Therefore they have requested a project to identify costs due to poor quality associated with their complaint process and to present a new method to work with that will reduce these costs. For this work, various tools that usually are used in quality work and LEAN production has been applied. Examples of the tools used are simple variants of value-flow analyses, Pareto Charts, Failure mode and effects analysis, Ishikawa Graphs, and 5 Why analyses. This project resulted in five action proposals for the company. These five proposals are: introduce a new workflow for the complaint process where the handling will be done by a quality coordinator, introduce a standard cost of billing adjustments performed at the company, hire a quality manager to follow up the company's routines and work actively with improvement work, digitize the handling of complaints and educate the management in improvement work and total quality management. When introducing these measures, cost due to poor quality are estimated to decrease by at least 30%, but probably much more than that.

Esta pesquisa aborda o tema da gestão da qualidade, sob diversos aspectos que vão desde o registro dos mesmos, sua forma de contabilização, a maneira de gestão e por quem são geridos esses custos, até exposições abertas dos entrevistados a respeito da teoria e da prática nesse sentido. Utilizando-se uma amostra de médias e grandes empresas têxteis da região de Blumenau (SC), o estudo implementou uma pesquisa de campo mediante um instrumento de coleta de dados composto por questões abertas e fechadas, bem como com a implementação da escala Lickert. O objetivo principal é saber quais os custos de qualidade que merecem análise de gestão, quem os deve analisar, sob quais aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos e para quais fins, observando a importância dos mesmos para o processo de tomada de decisão estratégica da empresa. As hipóteses indicadas propõem que: (1) a classificação dos custos de qualidade, predominante na literatura, não atende às necessidades dos gestores; (2) os custos fabris de inspeção da qualidade não são segregados dos demais custos de produção; e (3) os custos de qualidade do meio-ambiente nem sempre são considerados pelas empresas como sendo relativos à gestão da qualidade. As conclusões apontam que, efetivamente, a classificação dos custos de qualidade não é a ideal para a atual conjuntura operacional das organizações. Que devido ao princípio do sigilo informacional, não há como se medir a tendência à formalidade ou informalidade no registro contábil desse tipo de custo. Que não há uma definição quanto a incluir ou não os custos fabris no rol daqueles destinados à gestão da qualidade. E que os custos de qualidade ambiental ainda se encontram distantes de um patamar gestor condizente com a tendência mundializada nesse sentido. Sugere-se, ao final, a implementação de estudos, esmiuçando essas variáveis e aprofundando as análises, com amostras ampliadas, tanto em número, como em situação geográfica no País. / This research approaches the managing of expenses with quality, under several aspects varying from their registration, accountancy form, administration means and their management to open exhibitions and interviewees? presentations regarding theory and practice. Through samples from average and big-sized textile industries in the area of Blumenau (SC), this study has implemented a field research along with a data collection tool, composed of open and closed questions, as well as the implementation of the Lickert scale. The main objective is to know which quality costs deserve administration analysis, who should analyze them, under which qualitative and quantitative aspects and for which ends, observing their importance for the process of socket of strategic decision of the company. The proposed hypotheses consider: (1) the classification of the quality costs, predominant in the literature, does not assist to the managers' needs; (2) the industrial costs of quality inspection are not separated from the other production costs; and (3) the expenses with quality of the environment are not always considered by the companies as being relative to quality management. The conclusions indeed point that; first, the classification of the quality costs is not appropriate for the current operational conjuncture of the organizations. Second, due to the principle of information secrecy, there is no means to measure the trends toward formality or informality in the accounting record of such expenses. Third, there is no definition whereas to include or not the industrial expenses in a list destined to quality management. Finally, the expenses with environmental quality are still far away from an appropriate level compatible with the world trend. In the end, the implementation of various studies is suggested, along with a detailed examination of the variables through the presence of more samples and a broader analysis which takes into account the country?s geographical situation.

Este trabalho visou a aplicação de uma ferramenta da qualidade chamada Analytical Quality Assurance Cycle, que engloba num ciclo: a Validação de Métodos, já bem conhecida do meio científico; o Cálculo de Incerteza Analítica e Controle de Qualidade Intralaboratorial, estes ainda pouco aplicados no meio acadêmico, mas que unidos se mostraram uma alternativa útil e poderosa para a garantia da qualidade de resultados de um laboratório de pesquisa e desenvolvimento universitário. O projeto de pesquisa que recebeu a aplicação da ferramenta buscava uma otimização de metodologia de extração de contaminantes, denominada Refrigerated Sorptive Extraction que é baseada em sorção por barra de polidimetilsiloxano, e posterior determinação do contaminantes voláteis e semivoláteis por um cromatógrafo a gás com detector de ionização em chama (GC/FID). Uma das otimizações comtemplou a miniaturização do protótipo, o que tornou possível utilizar a dessorção térmica diretamente no injetor do cromatógrafo, o que permitiu ao equipamento determinar concentrações cada vez mais baixas, como foi o caso dos compostos octilfenol e fluoranteno, alcançando a concentração de 0,5 µg L-1. A aplicação da metodologia foi realizada em amostras ambientais reais de água superficial, coletadas segundo os procedimentos descritos no Guia nacional de coleta e preservação de amostras publicado pela Agencia Nacional de Águas (ANA) e Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo (CETESB). Como um adendo da etapa de Cálculo de Incerteza do ciclo, foram descritos os critérios para o Cálculo de Incerteza da Amostragem, de muita importância para a garantia da qualidade do resultado final. Foram encontrados alguns obstáculos para a aplicação do Analytical Quality Assurance Cycle, que exige a utilização de padrões analíticos com incerteza declarada (produzidos de acordo com a norma ISO Guia 34) e a calibração de equipamentos que interferem na qualidade dos resultados. Nesse trabalho não foi possível utilizar os padrões ISO Guia 34, mas através de um programa de verificação da balança analítica com peso-padrão calibrado em laboratório da Rede Brasileira de Calibração do Instituto Nacional de Metrologia e Qualidade Industrial (RBC/INMETRO), foi possível obter a Rastreabilidade Metrológica para as medições realizadas nas amostras coletadas. Apesar de todo o cuidado com a garantia da qualidade com as ferramentas aplicadas, a Rastreabilidade Metrológica por si só não consegue garantir a qualidade do resultado da medição integralmente. Portanto foi detectada a necessidade de implantar um Sistema de Gestão da Qualidade adaptado ao laboratório para prover a Rastreabilidade Documental que faltava. Foram utilizadas as normas NBR ISO/IEC 17025 e Boas Práticas de Laboratório para fornecer uma base para o sistema implantado. Enfim, todo esse trabalho foi dedicado a aproximar a Metrologia, a Garantia e o Controle da Qualidade aos laboratórios de pesquisa universitários, pois é imprescindível que esses conceitos sejam aplicados à academia para garantir a reprodutibilidade dos resultados gerados. / This thesis presents an application of a quality tool called the Analytical Quality Assurance Cycle, which involves in a cycle: the Validation of Methods, already well known in the scientific environment, the Estimation of Analytical Uncertainty and Intralaboratorial Quality Control. These latter are few applied in the academic medium, but that united tools proved to be an useful and powerful alternative for a guarantee of the quality of results of research and development laboratories at universities. The research project that received the application of this tool sought an optimization of contamination extraction methodology, denominated Refrigerated Sorptive Extraction that is based on sorption by a polydimethylsiloxane bar, and subsequent determination of volatile and semivolatile contaminants by a gas chromatograph with flame ionization detector (GC/FID). One of the optimizations contemplated the miniaturization of the prototype, which enabled the thermal desorption inside the injector of the chromatograph, which allowed the equipment to reach concentrations increasingly low, as was the case of the compounds octylphenol and fluoranthene, achieving a concentration of 0,5 µg L-1. The application of the methodology was carried out in samples of surface water collected according to the National Collection and Preservation Guide published by the Brazilian National Water Agency (ANA) and São Paulo State Environmental Company (CETESB). As an addendum of the Estimation of Uncertainty step in the cycle, was discussed the methods of Estimation of Uncertainty of the Sampling, that it is very important for a guarantee of the quality of the final result. Some challenges were found in the application of the Analytical Quality Assurance Cycle, which requires the use of analytical standards with declared uncertainty (made according the ISO Guide 34) and a calibration of equipment that interferes in the quality of the results. In this project, it is not used analytical standards with declared uncertainty, but the introduction of a program of verification of the analytical balance with standard weight calibrated in a laboratory of the Brazilian Calibration Network of the National Institute of Metrology and Industrial Quality (RBC/INMETRO) provides the Metrological Traceability for the measurements of the samples collected. Despite all the care taken with quality assurance with the applied tools, Metrological Traceability alone cannot guarantee the total quality of the measurement results. Thus, a need was detected to implement a Quality Management System adapted to the laboratory for a probable Documentary Traceability that was lacking. NBR ISO/IEC 17025 and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) were used as a basis for the implanted system. Finally, all this work was dedicated to approximate the Metrology, the Guarantee and a Quality Control to the university research laboratories, for which these concepts are applied in the academy to guarantee the reproducibility of the generated results.

The primary purpose of this study was to develop an industry-specific total quality service framework (as a potential basis for an established total quality service model) for private higher education institutions in South Africa. The framework (as a tool) will contribute to the need to manage service quality of these institutions on a holistic and strategic basis. Service quality is a challenge for any enterprise, especially for those in the service industry. It is of particular concern for private higher education institutions and one of their key challenges due to the increasingly competitive, marketing-oriented and highly regulated environment. In this environment, these institutions have to function, survive and compete, not only with one another, but also with public institutions of higher education. Competition is on the increase, and private higher education institutions need to find new ways to compete if they wish to survive in this dynamic service industry environment. The offering of excellent service quality could add to the long-term sustainability of private institutions and it could therefore also be the differentiating factor for success. The literature review for this study suggested that service quality can only be improved by identifying industry-specific service quality dimensions as a basis for the development of industry-specific frameworks and models. Using a mixed methods research approach (exploratory sequential mixed methods research design), this research was conducted on six private higher education institutes with 13 sites of delivery. Stage 1 of the study consisted of the qualitative exploration of total quality service dimensions from a top management perspective by means of semi-structured in-depth interviews following a conversational mode. A thematic analysis approach was applied during the data analysis. The validity and reliability of the data were tested via different strategies of trustworthiness. The instrument development stage was added as an intermediate stage of the research study. The developed instrument was informed and complemented by literature as well as the qualitative findings. Stage 2 of the research study consisted of the quantitative exploration of the importance of total quality service dimensions from the perspective of the internal (lecturers) and external (students) customers. The questionnaire was distributed via e-mail to all specified students and lecturers of selected private higher education institutions in the sampling frame. Data analysis included an exploratory factor analysis approach, which was followed by a confirmatory factor analysis. A conceptual measurement model was presented consisting of five 26 dimensions (variables) represented by five primary constructs. Both the internal and composite reliability scores were strong and the confirmatory factor analysis yielded a model with good fit. The modified conceptual model demonstrated evidence of unidimensionality and construct validity. The final step in the data analysis process represented thematic analysis of responses to the only open-ended question in the questionnaire, which yielded additional service quality dimensions. The application of the exploratory sequential mixed methods research design thus culminated in the final total quality service framework, which consists of selected top management perspectives (qualitative stage), the conceptual measurement model (quantitative stage) and the additional service quality dimensions identified from the open-ended question analysis. The current study was a pioneering effort that bridged a significant gap with the development of the first total quality service framework for private higher education institutions in South Africa. The framework provides the first building blocks towards a comprehensive total quality service model for measuring, managing and continuous improvement of total quality service in private higher education in South Africa. / Business Management / Ph. D. (Management Studies)