Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) dimensions in Greek Tertiary Education System

<p>The European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model (EFQM Model) and Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Model (MBNQA model) are widely known models and are used as channels of Total Quality Management. MBNQA model can be applied by an organization or institution in order to implement the principles of Total Quality Management and to achieve excellence. In the present research the criteria of MBNQA model, such as Leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer Focus, Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management, Workforce focus, Process management. Results are recorded and the views of Pre-service teachers from ASPETE <strong>(<strong>School of Pedagogical &amp; Technological Education),</strong> </strong>Thessaloniki, Greece, are analyzed in light of these criteria, highlighting thus the Quality Assurance dimensions of the Greek Tertiary education system. 123 Pre-service teachers from ASPETE Thessaloniki participated in the survey. The strong as well as the problematic situations of the criteria of the MBNQA model were registered and analyzed. Furthermore, the reasons of the low performance and obstacles of the learning process were discussed and ways contributing to Continuous Improvement, that requires constant awareness and focus, were proposed. These points support the MBNQA model as an operational framework for Total Quality Management and also strengthen the results obtained in previous studies for the EFQM Model suggesting that quality award models actually provide a suitable framework for quality management.</p>