Question 1

Since quality relates to goods or services, only for-profit organizations can benefit from adopting performance excellence procedures.

Accepted Answer

Non-profit organizations can also benefit from adopting performance excellence procedures. By improving their operations and services, they can ensure the effective use of resources and better fulfill their mission to serve their constituents or stakeholders.

Question 2

"Scientific management" involved skilled craftspeople who served both as manufacturers and inspectors, building quality into their products.

Accepted Answer

"Scientific management" actually involved breaking down tasks into smaller, simpler steps that could be performed by less skilled workers, with management overseeing quality control rather than relying on individual craftsmen to build it in.

Question 3

In terms of total quality management, "continuous improvement" refers only to breakthrough improvement.

Accepted Answer

"Continuous improvement" refers to making small, incremental improvements to processes, products, and services on an ongoing basis, not just breakthrough improvements.

Question 4

A successful organization is one which integrates quality principles with its mundane daily work activities.

Accepted Answer

Integrating quality principles into day-to-day work activities is essential for organizational success as it helps to improve efficiency, productivity, customer satisfaction, and overall business performance. By adopting a quality-oriented approach, organizations can identify and address any areas that need improvement, promote a culture of continuous improvement, and enhance their reputation in the marketplace.

Question 5

Competitive behavior-one person against another or one group against another-is one of the basic principles of TQ.

Accepted Answer

Competitive behavior is not a basic principle of TQ (Total Quality). TQ focuses on continuous improvement, teamwork, customer satisfaction, and employee empowerment.

Question 6

A firm that is characterized by flexibility and short cycle times is considered to be agile.

Accepted Answer

Agile refers to a company's ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions and customer needs. Flexibility and short cycle times are key characteristics of an agile firm.

Question 7

Performance excellence can be defined as "any primary or complementary activity that does not directly produce a physical product."

Accepted Answer

Performance excellence refers to activities that directly or indirectly contribute towards the production of physical products or services. It encompasses all aspects of an organization's operations, including product design, production processes, marketing, and customer service. Therefore, the statement is false as it defines performance excellence as activities that do not directly produce physical products.

Question 8

The view of quality as the satisfaction of customer needs is often called fitness for use.

Accepted Answer

Fitness for use refers to the ability of a product or service to meet the specific needs and requirements of the customer, which is directly related to customer satisfaction. Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 9

From a total quality perspective, all strategic decisions a company makes are "customer-driven."

Accepted Answer

Total quality perspective views the organization as a system in which all parts are interdependent, and the ultimate goal is to satisfy the customer's needs and expectations. Therefore, all strategic decisions made by the company should be based on customer requirements and feedback.

Question 10

Employee engagement is manifest by empowerment.

Accepted Answer

Employee engagement is linked to empowerment as it allows employees to have a sense of ownership, control, and responsibility over their work, leading to greater job satisfaction, motivation, and productivity.

Question 11

Total Quality views everyone inside the enterprise as a customer of an internal or external supplier and a supplier of an external or internal customer.

Accepted Answer

This statement accurately describes the Total Quality Management philosophy, which emphasizes the importance of all stakeholders in the quality process, whether they are internal or external to the organization. This perspective helps ensure that everyone is focused on meeting the needs and expectations of their customers and suppliers, in order to achieve continuous improvement and sustainable success.

Question 12

Not-for-profit organizations are adopting quality principles because of their impact on the bottom line.

Accepted Answer

Not-for-profit organizations are adopting quality principles because of their impact on the overall efficiency and effectiveness of their services, not necessarily because of their impact on the bottom line. These principles help organizations to increase customer satisfaction, improve stakeholder engagement, and enhance their reputation, all of which contribute to achieving their mission and goals.

Question 13

Agency theory views the management system as one based on social and human values, whereas total quality is based on an economic perspective.

Accepted Answer

Agency theory focuses mainly on economic and financial incentives, while total quality management is a more comprehensive approach that considers both economic and non-economic factors such as customer satisfaction and employee involvement. Total quality management is based on a philosophy of continuous improvement, while agency theory views the management system as a way to align the interests of owners and managers.

Question 14

According to Noriaki Kano's three classes of needs, the required safety features in an automobile are an example of a satisfier.

Accepted Answer

According to Noriaki Kano's model, the required safety features in an automobile are considered "must-be" needs (or basic needs), not satisfiers. Satisfiers are referred to as "performance needs" in the Kano model.

Question 15

Process time refers to the time it takes to accomplish one cycle of a process.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Process time refers to the time it...

Question 16

A difference between service and manufacturing is that manufacturing is performed away from the customer whereas customers are involved in the service process.

Accepted Answer

In manufacturing, the production process occurs in a factory or production facility, away from the customer. However, in the service industry, customers are typically involved in the service process, either by interacting with service providers or by participating in the delivery of the service itself. This is referred to as co-creation of value.

Question 17

In quality control, tolerances are acceptable deviations from the values assigned to the targets.

Accepted Answer

Tolerances are predetermined acceptable ranges of deviation from a target value in order to maintain quality control. They allow for minor variations in the manufacturing or production process while still ensuring that the final product meets the desired specifications.

Question 18

The Deming Prize was constituted by the United States to raise awareness of quality and recognize national role models.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Deming Prize was constituted by the...

Question 19

After World War II, the first country to adopt quality initiatives and improvement in industry was the United States.

Accepted Answer

Japan was the first country to adopt quality initiatives and improvement in industry after World War II, significantly influenced by the work of quality experts like W. Edwards Deming.

Question 20

The traditional way of viewing an organization is by surveying the horizontal dimension-by keeping an eye on an organization chart.

Accepted Answer

The traditional way of viewing an organization is by surveying the vertical dimension, which involves looking at the hierarchical structure and levels of authority within the organization, as represented in an organization chart.

Quiz 1: Introduction to Quality and Performance Excellence