Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen?

[Craig H.]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Grammar checkers are, in general, not worth the trouble. As far as "the company are..." it's common in British English to use a plural verb with collective nouns.

You're kidding? I don't ever recall seeing that.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

You're kidding? I don't ever recall seeing that.

Am I kidding about what?

Have a look here, where it says,

In British English, singular words like family, team, government, which refer to groups of people, can be used with either singular or plural verbs and pronouns.

* This team is/are going to lose.

Plural forms are common when the group is considered as a collection of people doing personal things like deciding, hoping or wanting; and in these cases we use who, not which, as a relative pronoun. Singular forms (with which as a relative pronoun) are more common when the group is seen as an impersonal unit. Compare:

* My family have decided to move to Nottingham. They think it's a better place to live.
* The average British family has 3.6 members. It is smaller and richer than 50 years ago.
* The government, who are hoping to ease export restrictions soon, …
* The government, which is elected by a simple majority, …
* My firm are wonderful. They do all they can for me.
* My firm was founded in the 18th century.

 

[Craig H.]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

New for me. Well, I guess I have learned something.

 

[davis007]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Proposed Quality Policy:

Quality is as quality does.

It is the policy of this company to do quality so that we are Quality.



Inspired by the many times I have heard comments such as, "Is this part of that quality thing." and "Should we do quality on this?"

 

[Wes Bucey]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

For the record, buying a "canned QMS," including manuals, procedures, etc., is a fairly common practice throughout the world for companies seeking first time ISO registration. The practice merely points up the desperation and gullibility of the top management at such organizations.

It also points up the fact any existing Quality professionals within that organization have not impressed top management with their ability and capacity to help the organization achieve the goal of registration. The situation with top management brings to mind a famous quote by the original Henry Ford, "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."

To our original poster, let me say:
You may very well be able and capable of redrafting all the quality documents to a more fluid and readable form, thus making them more utile for the employees, suppliers, and customers of the organization. The challenge is to make the case to the top management WHY it is to the organization's benefit for you to do so.

FWIW:
Jim Wynne has written what I would have written about the use of "are" in that context.

 

[Benjamin28]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

You may very well be able and capable of redrafting all the quality documents to a more fluid and readable form, thus making them more utile for the employees, suppliers, and customers of the organization. The challenge is to make the case to the top management WHY it is to the organization's benefit for you to do so.

Isn't the policy statement supposed to be authored by upper management in the first place?

 

[Wes Bucey]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Isn't the policy statement supposed to be authored by upper management in the first place?

"Approved" is all that is required. Even the President of the United States doesn't write his own speeches and policy statements.

 

[silentrunning]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

It seems to me that a grumpy auditor on a bad day could have a field day with just the word "how". Demonstrating that this policy is actually in place would be a nightmare.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Demonstrating that this policy is actually in place would be a nightmare.

My point, exactly...

/Claes

 

[harry]

Re: Is this one of the worst policy statements you have seen???

Looks and sounds like one of those over in this region that were translated from their native language to English.