Quality management practices in Australian industry

Abstract

Over the past few years a dramatic shift towards strategic quality management has been witnessed in some of Australia's leading companies. This dramatic shift in perspective has elicited senior management interest and involvement; linked quality with profitability and seen the inclusion of quality in strategic planning. This paper presents the results of an investigation on the quality management practices of a number of Australian companies with a known commitment to quality. It addresses general management practices, human resource issues, quality control practices and quality program evaluation.