Developing a Quality Management Systems Framework for Business Management Institutes

There has been an increasing awareness about implementation of quality management systems (QMS) in higher educational institutions worldwide in the recent past. Improved awareness levels among aspiring students, competitive environment, students' preference to seek admission in quality-oriented institutions, compelling norms of regulatory authorities, and the urge of institutions to be among the top are the major reasons for this increased awareness. Existence and continuance of some of the institutes, especially the management institutes, has become a challenging task without focusing on QMS through a strategic approach. Implementation of QMS provides a direction for accreditations by top-rated agencies. This chapter develops a framework to enable the implementation of QMS by the management institutes by conducting a systematic analysis of accreditation standards of various agencies worldwide. The outcomes of this research would enable the management and other stakeholders of business management institutes to focus on key aspects towards implementing the QMS.

Establishing Knowledge Management Model of Quality Management Systems for Higher Education Institutions

Knowledge management is a valuable antecedent in enhancing the competitive advantage and sustainability of an organization. Various quality management standards acknowledge the necessities and importance of knowledge management within quality management since both areas complement each other. Therefore, this state drives the need to conduct more knowledge management research related to quality management. However, research on knowledge management within quality management systems specifically in higher education institutions is still underexplored. This chapter attempts to explore the establishment of a knowledge management model in supporting the implementation of quality management standards. Several knowledge management enabler factors are suggested, namely strategic focus and leadership, culture, organization, structure, technology, processes, top management, measurement, knowledge, and people. An empirical study is suggested in the future to further support the conceptual knowledge management model established in this chapter.

Food Microbial Hazards, Safety, and Quality Control

Food is any material or substance eaten or drunk to provide energy and nutrients for the body's growth, development, and maintenance. Food can be considered safe if it is free from all hazardous substances that can affect consumer health. Food safety issues can place a high burden of responsibility on traders, government bodies, and international organizations. This chapter covers the hazards, their types, foodborne diseases, and strategies to ensure food safety and quality. Different food quality and safety assurance programs are discussed as well like quality management systems, HACCP certification, ISO 9000 family, good manufacturing practices (GMP)/good hygiene practices (GHP), total quality management (TQM), good working practices (GWP), good lab practices (GLP), etc. Moreover, the role of some novel processing technologies is also focused on in this regard.

Quality Management System for HEIs

The development of quality management systems (QMS) in higher education institutions (HEIs) was driven on the one hand by the competitive pressure and, on the other hand, by growing concerns from stakeholders demanding assurance of institutional program quality and their graduates. Adopting QMS is currently mandatory, and quality accreditation, both institutional and program, becomes a plausible strategy to engage and continue offering programs by national and international bodies. This chapter offers an introductory understanding of the quality concept and quality management systems within higher education and sheds some light on the quality management system in Oman.

HOW ISO QUALITY MANAGEMENT STANDARDS CHANGE THE COMPANY LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE? STUDY CONDUCTED ON TWO COMPANIES OF POLISH DNA SEQUENCING INDUSTRY USING THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT MATRIX

This study examines the level of excellence of two companies, using Business Improvement Matrix (BIM), which is based on European Foundation of Quality Management’s Model of Excellence. It compares those organizations and shows how their quality management systems make an effect on BIM results. The researched companies are genXone S.A., which is in the process of implementing a quality management system compliant with ISO 13485: 2016, and Centrum Genetyki Medycznej GENESIS Sp. z o.o., certified with ISO 9001: 2015 since 2018. Both of them belong to sequencing industry in Poland, using new generation sequencing. This study shows that the company that has implemented its quality management system and has fully adopted its standards achieved a higher level of excellence than the company that just started the process of implementation of their quality management system.

Business Excellence Models and External Stakeholders Influencing the Late Adoption of Quality Management Systems in Zimbabwe Hotel Industry

The main objective of this paper was to determine business excellences and stakeholders influencing the late adoption of quality management systems in Zimbabwe hotel industry and suggest recommendation that encourages adoption of quality management systems. The study followed a multi case study approach, with 9 hotels from Harare chosen purposively to represent the hotel industry in Zimbabwe. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to get data from hotel managers, key stakeholders and staff members. Directed content analysis was used to analyse data. The results revealed that hotels in Zimbabwe do not follow internationally recognised business excellence models. Five key external stakeholders – banks, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe, Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe, tourists and Standard Association of Zimbabwe were identified to be influencing adoption of quality management systems in the hotel industry. The study recommended for the establishment of local business excellence models that are specific to hotels in Zimbabwe and for the government to avail accessible revolving bank loans for the hotels to invest towards quality management systems. The determination of the external stakeholders influencing late adoption of quality management systems in the hotel industry and use of business excellence models will help improve the adoption of QMSs under Zimbabwe's National Development Strategy 1 (NDS) to realise Vision 2030 "Towards a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle-Income Society".

ON THE FULL-FLEDGED MISSION STATEMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY SCIENTIFIC LIBRARY

The mission statement of an organization compiled in accordance with the definition of the term “mission” of the dictionary of the ISO 9000 quality management systems standard cannot be recognized as an effective management tool, since the ISO requirements for this document are too generic and vague. The objectives of this work were to clarify the functions of the mission statement of the university library as a management document, to develop a definition of the mission statement, consisting mainly of a list of its functions, and to develop a full-fledged mission statement of the Scientific Library of the Belarusian National Technical University based on the developed functional definition. Accordingly, the methods of work were the retrieval and interpretation of relevant scientific literature and the synthesis of data obtained from it for the development of new documents, viz. the definition of the mission statement and the mission statement of our library based on it. As a result, the intended functional definition of a university library mission statement as a full-fledged effective management document has been given and the mission statement of the Scientific Library of the Belarusian National Technical University has been crafted. The aspects of improving the efficiency of the library after the adoption of the new mission statement are briefly discussed.

Relevant Information for the Accountability of Private Institutions of Social Solidarity: Results from a Fieldwork

The Social Economy (SE) emerges as an interesting alternative to deal with social problems that often cannot be met by the services provided by the State. However, one of the concerns relates to the ability of these institutions to meet the demands of stakeholders concerning accountability. In this sense, the present work aimed to determine if the IPSS are prepared to meet the management requirements by increasing their accountability. For that purpose, we conducted qualitative research, with an exploratory focus, with 31 Portuguese Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS). The interviews took place between June and July 2019, with those responsible for managing the entities. The interviews were guided on a semi-structured script based on the literature review. After Content Analysis, it was found that, in most of the institutions interviewed, the board does not use management tools, such as performance analysis, social impact assessment, strategic planning and quality management systems, even recognising the importance of using them. The fact is due to the lack of access or knowledge about its use. In addition, the majority of the IPSS interviewed showed concern about the transparency and ethics of managers. Current strategic management practices are remarkably targeted at companies in the for-profit sector and can compromise the principle of investments in human and social issues. Thus, the introduction of new activities can further reinforce the pressure felt by these institutions in carrying out operational activities.