Special issue on the international dissemination of quality management

Citation

(2008), "Special issue on the international dissemination of quality management", Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, Vol. 18 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/msq.2008.10818eaa.003

Special issue on the international dissemination of quality management

Article Type: Call for papers From: Managing Service Quality, Volume 18, Issue 5

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management

Quality is central to many modern themes and concepts of business management; indeed the current management discourse has been called the ``Culture-Quality'' rhetoric. The dissemination of Quality Management (QM) practices across the globe is one of the most interesting business phenomena we have witnessed in recent decades. As well as the remarkable spread of the ISO 9000 series of quality management standards, we have seen the global adoption of Total Quality Management (TQM), Six Sigma and many associated improvement techniques. These approaches have influenced organizational behaviour and performance in most developed and developing countries, and a better understanding of the way in which they are spread and adopted (and adapted) in different countries is valuable to our understanding of business success and effective organizational management.

There have been numerous studies of the adoption of quality management practices in various countries and industries, most of which have been empirically based, using either surveys or case study methods to investigate QM adoption. There are, however, some established elements of management theory which may help understand these phenomena and place them in context. For example, the study of management trends and fashions (Abrahamson, etc.), themes in the management discourse, (Barley and Kunda, etc.) and national management culture (Hofstede, etc.) provide valuable theoretical perspectives.

Subject coverage

This call for papers seeks both empirically based and theory- based contributions addressing quality management development, with an international dimension. An important focus of this special issue will be developing theory as well as presenting evidence. The following list suggests some of the topics which will be of interest, but is not exhaustive:

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  Comparative international studies of quality management development.

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  Quality management development related to national business culture.

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  Adoption of QM practices in developing and newly industrialized countries.

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  The global spread of the ISO 9000 series standards and their influence on business practice and performance.

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  Mechanisms of international QM dissemination.

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  Quality practices as management fashions.

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  Differences in popularity and adoption of QM practices in different regions and countries.

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  Change and adaptation of TQM and Six Sigma approaches in the course of international spread and dissemination.

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  Introduction of QM practices as agents of organizational culture change.

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. All papers are refereed through a double blind process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the IJQRM web site at: www.emeraldinsight.com/ijqrm.htm

Please e-mail submissions to the Guest Editor at: James.Tannock@nottingham.ac.uk

Important dates

Deadline for paper submission: 1 March 2009Completion of first review: 31 May 2009Deadline for resubmission: 30 June 2009Completion of second review: 1 September 2009Provisional publication date: March 2010 (Volume 27, No. 2)

Guest Editor

Dr James Tannock, Reader and Director of the Centre for Quality in the Global Supply Chain, Nottingham University Business School, Nottingham, UKE-mail: James.Tannock@nottingham.ac.uk