Business Excellence Models - Contributions towards economy, environment and society?

[rajaw]

There is another quick question.
Arethese buisness excellence models makes any difference? I mean Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards (MBNQA), European Quality Award, and Canadian Award for Excellence. Does they make any positive contribution towards economy, environment and society?
In other word is it possible to make people believe in above by giving away some awards or prizes?



If you want a change in the world, be that change by yourself

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by rajaw

There is another quick question.
Arethese buisness excellence models makes any difference? I mean Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards (MBNQA), European Quality Award, and Canadian Award for Excellence. Does they make any positive contribution towards economy, environment and society?
In other word is it possible to make people believe in above by giving away some awards or prizes?
If you want a change in the world, be that change by yourself

Ah, yes! A question often asked by neophytes to Quality. The answer is kind of like a Zen Koan:
"Is the glory of Life in the Journey or the Destination?"

In my opinion, since the ultimate Destination is Death, I put my money on the Journey.

When organizations choose to pursue one of the Quality awards, they almost always say the Journey was as good as, if not better than, the award, itself.

[BadgerMan]

I cannot imagine an organization implementing a MBNQA culture for the sole purpose of competing for the award. If that were the case, not only would they be missing the point, but they would not be successful with regard to the award.

[rajaw]

In case these awards improve tripple bottomline then we can consider them as useful, else they are another kind of marketing tool which satisfy the customer that the company is doing all it can to stay up to date or something.

[Wes Bucey]

Originally Posted by rajaw

In case these awards improve tripple bottomline then we can consider them as useful, else they are another kind of marketing tool which satisfy the customer that the company is doing all it can to stay up to date or something.

In my experience, it is almost impossible to achieve one of these awards without really improving the organization in terms of efficiency and customer-centricity.

Consider that many more companies "start" on one of these award journeys and fall by the wayside than ever complete the journey. Given those kind of statistics, most top guys would do some serious soul searching before embarking a journey that might end up making them look like "also-rans" just for the possible opportunity of bragging about the award later. Nobody writes an ad which says "we tried for the Baldrige and fell on our face."

My memory of companies that deploy winning the award trophy in their advertising is they almost always emphasize the improved metrics as much, if not more than, the award, itself.

I think, rajaw, you're trying to stir up a controversy where one doesn't exist vis a vis Voluntary Quality Awards.

Alternately, if you want to look for the "evil underbelly" of Quality, consider directing your attention at Customer-dictated registrations to national or international Q Standards for their suppliers. Such situations abound with anecdotes of organizations receiving registrations merely by hiring and paying the "right" registrar, regardless of quality of processes and certainly regardless of quality of goods or services.