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Quality Culture
Changing Hearts, Minds, and Attitudes

Presented by Richard Jones

Quality Manger

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UNDERSTANDING WHAT A QUALITY
CULTURE IS…

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 What is Culture
• Culture is the pattern of shared beliefs and values that provides
the members of an organisation rules of behaviour or accepted
norms for conducting tasks. It is the philosophies, ideologies,
values, assumptions, beliefs, expectations, attitudes, and norms
that knit an organisation together and are shared by employees.
• It is simply “the way we do things around here”

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 Understanding what a Quality Culture
is
• A quality culture is:
• An organisational value system that results in an environment that is
conducive to the establishment and continual improvement of Quality.
• Climate to:
• An open problem-solving atmosphere
• Trust among all employees (staff, operators, managers)
• A sense of ownership and responsibility for goal achievement and
problem solving
• Self-motivation and self-control by all employees

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 Quality Culture: changing hearts, minds, and attitudes
✓ Behaviour matches vision
✓ Customer input is actively sought and used to continually improve quality
✓ Employees are both involved and empowered
✓ Work is done in teams
Senior management are both committed and involved, responsibility for quality is
✓ NOT delegated
Sufficient resources are made available when and where they are needed to ensure
✓ continuous improvement of quality
Education and training are provided to ensure that employees at all levels have the
✓ knowledge and skills needed to continuously improve quality
Reward and promotion systems are based on contributions to the continual
✓ improvement of quality
✓ Fellow employees are viewed as internal customers
✓ Suppliers are treated as partners
✓ Peak performance of people, processes, and products is a top priority
FIGURE 1: Characteristics Shared by Organisations with a Quality Culture
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 Quality Culture Versus
Traditional Culture
Organisations that develop and maintain a quality culture will differ
significantly from those with a traditional culture in the following ways:
The Boss knows best. Managers think and employees do
Lack of team spirit. Everyone for him or herself creates an
unnecessary strain between co-workers. Organisation depends on
few individuals' “heroes” to help in tough times”.
Keep communication limited and secretive. Keep most information at
the top and share only the necessary.
Success is everything; no tolerance for failure. Success is measured
by immediate bottom line without much concern for long term growth
and survival.

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 Paradigm Shift
From To
Control Commitment
Commanding Coaching
Hands Heads/Hearts
Product Process
Inspection Prevention

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LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR A
QUALITY CULTURE…

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10 step model for establishing a solid foundation for a quality culture in an organisation (Goetsch & Davis, 2014)

1 Understand 6 Orient

2 Assess 7 Mentor

3 Plan 8 Train

Expect Monitor
Reinforce & Maintain
5 Model 10 Quality

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1 UNDERSTAND

• Quality professionals need to understand the culture

as a concept.
• Relate the concept of the quality culture with their
roles to establish and maintain a quality culture.
• Example: Most Japanese companies work regular
office hours and they do not permit working at home.

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2 ASSESS

• Quality culture assessment.

• Here is a method used to assess the quality culture.
• Assessment guide in developing an organisation.

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3 PLAN

• Based on survey results, develop a comprehensive

plan for establishing a quality culture.
• Example: Question that relate to mission of the
organisation. Scale between 0 (worst) and 5 (best).
Score mostly less than 3, specific action should be
planned for correcting this problem.

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The Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument
1. Dominant Characteristics Now Preferred
The organisation is a very personal place. It is like an extended family. People seem to share a lot of
A
themselves.
The organisation is a very dynamic entrepreneurial place. People are willing to stick their necks out and
B
take risks.
The organisation is very results orientated. A major concern is with getting the job done. People are
C
very competitive and achievement oriented.
The organisation is a very controlled and structured place. Formal procedures generally govern what
D
people do.
Total:
1. Organisational Leadership Now Preferred
The leadership in the organisation is generally considered to exemplify mentoring, facilitating, or
A
nurturing.
The leadership in the organisation is generally considered to exemplify entrepreneurship, innovating, or
B
risk taking.
The leadership in the organisation is generally considered to exemplify a no-nonsense, aggressive,
C
results oriented focus.
The leadership in the organisation is generally considered to exemplify coordinating, organising, or
D
smooth-running efficiency.
Total:

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4 EXPECTED

• Corporate culture is one of the phenomemon in which

you get what you expect.
• So, make sure that all of the personnel know what
quality-positive attitudes and behaviour are expected.
• Expectations that have been set by the organisation
can be achieved in 8 ways.

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5 MODEL

• Employees are more likely to follow the behaviour of

management than their words.
• Do more than talk.
• According to Prof. David J. Schwartz, The Magic of Thinking
Big (1959) there are 4 leadership rules:
I. Put yourself in the minds of the people you’re leading.
II. Think about the “human way” to handle a situation.
III. Set an example of making progress.
IV. Take time for yourself to think.

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6 ORIENT

• New employee orientation should contain

comprehensive components.
• Relates with what the company expectations of
quality should form part of their orientation program.

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7 MENTOR

• Senior Management: Initiate and lead the process for

transformation, dedicate financial and HR to QI
(Quality Improvement).
• Middle Management and Supervisors: Ensure
employees have direct support required and be held
accountable to QI values and behaviour.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT

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8 TRAIN

• Providing quality training at all levels.

• Quality training program should include both
attitudinal and behavioural topics.
• “HOW” and “WHY”.
• Competition plys an important role in helping an
organisation to achievea good quality culture.

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9 MONITOR

• Habitual.
• Attitudes and behaviour if allowed to continue tend to
become habitual.
• Habitual is difficult to change.
• Needs to be corrected immediately.

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10 REINFORCE AND MAINTAIN QUALITY

• To maintain a quality culture, the organisation needs

to reinforce the quality related to the attitudes and
behaviours that they expect form their personnel.
• Recognition and reward scheme.
• Quality related attitudes and behaviours should be
factors in all decisions regarding:
PAY RAISES, PROMOTION, RECOGNITION AWARDS

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LEARNING WHAT A QUALITY CULTURE
LOOKS LIKE

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 WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER:
COMPANY, SUPPLIERS, CUSTOMERS
• Widely shared philosophy of management.
• Emphasis on the importance of human resources to the organisation.
• Ceremonies to celebrate organisational events.
• Recognition and rewards for successful employees.
• Effective internal network for communicating the culture.
• Informal rules of behaviour.
• Strong value system.
• High standards for performance.
• Definite organisation character.

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• COUNTERING RESISTANCE TO CULTURAL CHANGE
• ESTABLISHING A QUALITY CULTURE
• MAINTAINING A QUALITY CULTURE

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 COUNTERING RESISTANCE TO CULTURAL
CHANGE
• Change is resisted in any organisation
• Continuous improvement = continuous change.

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 WHY IS IT DIFFICULT?
Juran describes organisational change as a “Clash between Cultures”.

ADVOCATES OF CHANGE REGISTERS OF CHANGE

• Desired change • Desired status quo
• Benefits of change • Consequences of change

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 HOW TO FACILITATE CHANGE?
• The responsibility to facilitate change necessarily falls to its
advocates.
1. Begin with a new advocacy paradigm.
• The first step is to adopt a facilitating paradigm.
2. Understand concerns of potential resisters.
• Understand the concerns of resisters like fear, loss of control, uncertainty and more
work.
3. Implement change promoting strategies.
• Involve potential resisters, avoid surprises, move slowly at first, start small and be
flexible, create a positive environment (reward and recognition), incorporate the
change, respond quickly and positively, work with established leaders, treat people
with dignity and respect, be constructive.

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 ESTABLISHING A QUALITY CULTURE
Steps in conversion to Quality:
1. Identify the changes needed (attitude, behaviour, processes, procedures).
2. Put the planned changes in writing.
3. Develop a plan for making the changes.
4. Understand the emotional transition process.
5. Identify key people and make them advocates.
6. Take a hearts and mind approach.
7. Apply courtship strategies.
8. SUPPORT, SUPPORT, SUPPORT

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 MAINTAINING A QUALITY CULTURE
• Establishing a Quality Culture is a challenging undertaking for any
organisation. It is even more challenging to maintain it over time.
• To maintain a Quality Culture organisations must adopt the
following behaviours:
1. Maintain awareness of Quality as a key cultural issue.
2. Make sure that there is plenty or evidence of Managements leadership.
3. Empower employees and encourage self-development.
4. Keep employees involved.
5. Recognise and reward the behaviours that tend to nurture and maintain
Quality Culture.

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Working smarter, not harder…
Working smarter, not harder…