Evolution of quality awards and self-assessment practices in Europe: a case for considering organization size

Abstract

This paper reports on the design and operation of a quality awards process based on self-assessment principles. This form of the Northern Ireland Quality Awards (NIQA) has been in operation since 1991 and has gained a high level of interest and prestige in the region. Some experiences with these awards are discussed, particularly from the perspective of smaller organizations (< 100 employees). Moreover, some research findings are also reported which indicate that total quality management (TQM) implementation in smaller organizations has some significant differences. It is argued that if interest in TQM is to be stimulated through the use of quality awards and self-assessment principles, more consideration should be given to small organizations in order to ensure that the criteria and current assessment practices are appropriate.

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