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Thirteen years ago, I first heard mention of three American engineers who had helped Japanese industry in important ways during the Occupation. In the midst of my other activities, I was able to track them down; it seemed to me that they could have valuable information on how Japan's "new" industrial management was shaped - a process about which very little has been written, at least in English. Such information I thought should surely help any of us who are interested in reshaping our own management in any way in the Japanese direction. I was not disappointed in what I found. In the following I have given comparatively little space to my own conclusions, and as much as possible to the material I have unearthed, in the belief that there are many able managers who would like to study the evidence themselves, and form their own conclusions about the significance of these past events for the present. In drawing attention to the hard work and dedication of those discussed in this article, I have wanted to pay tribute to the gift mid-century Americans made to the world - a gift of their sacrifice, generosity, and vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing importance of advanced manufacturing technology, total quality management,and just-in-time to manufacturing firms raises some basic questions as to the strategic use of these techniques in manufacturing. Does strategic use of these techniques influence performance? How is the impact of these techniques influenced by the competitive environment? Are the techniques actually being used strategically? A study in a large sample of manufacturing organizations confirms that the use of integrated manufacturing techniques -- particularly total quality -- influences performance, and that these effects are magnified or diminished by both the competitive environment and manufacturing strategy. It also shows that, in some cases, firms are missing opportunities to combine integrated manufacturing and strategy in ways that would substantially impact their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intent of this article is to review the phenomenal growth of Corporate Social Responsibility reports published by large corporations around the world. The reports provide companies with an opportunity to inform large segments of society about the impacts of their business operations on the environmental, socio-political, and governmental (regulatory) aspects of a society. The mostly voluntary nature of these reports, however, places the burden on the corporations creating them to (a) provide an adequate amount of information, (b) cover all the major issues that are relevant to the company and industry, and (c) provide measures of assurance as to the accuracy of information. In this article, we compare and examine three institutional approaches that have played an important role toward improving the quality and consistency of these reports. The institutions involved are ISO 26000, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)-Sustainability Monitor. We intend to show their different approaches to guiding CSR reporting, and assess their relative strengths and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Floristic Quality Assessments (FQAs) are measurements of a natural area's ecological integrity based on their plant species composition. Widely used by government agencies and conservation organizations to monitor and assess natural areas, FQA data bases have been developed for much of the United States and beyond. 2. Here, we present the Universal FQA Calculator (http://universalFQA.org), a free, open-source web-based FQA Calculator. The calculator offers 30 FQA data bases (with more being added regularly) from across the United States and Canada and has been used to calculate thousands of assessments. The Universal FQA Calculator's growing repository for site inventory and transect data is accessible via a REST API and represents a valuable resource for data on the occurrence and abundance of plant species. 3. We describe the features and implementation of the Universal FQA Calculator, provide a summary of its increasing usage and discuss the benefits of cloud-based storage of ecological assessment data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union recently mandated that audit engagement partners sign their name to the audit opinion. However, there is little evidence demonstrating whether such a mandate had any influence on audit quality. We examine the audit quality effects of a partner signature mandate by comparing multiple measures of audit quality in years after adoption of an audit partner signature mandate in the Netherlands, a country with no tradition of partner signatures, to the audit quality in years prior to adoption, as well as to the United Kingdom, a country with a similar legal and accounting environment, but which did not adopt partner-level signatures at the same time. We detect no substantial change in audit quality using multiple measures and sample selection criteria. Although a null result cannot demonstrate that no effect exists, power tests suggest the lack of an economically significant effect. Our results support the arguments of practitioners who believe that mandatory partner signatures will not influence audit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Toyota production system (TPS), or lean production, has been associated with many benefits for manufacturing firms that implement the system. However, to implement the TPS successfully, it is necessary to integrate the so-called 'hard side' of the system (that is, the technical aspects of material handling) with the 'soft side' of the program (that is, the aspects associated with human factors). The present study makes a contribution to such a holistic view of the TPS by proposing an integrated model that consists of the technical aspects of the TPS, together with elements associated with total quality management (TQM), human resources management (HRM), and certain identified 'people factors.' The study then uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to test this holistic model using data obtained from a questionnaire survey of 153 Taiwanese manufacturing firms. The empirical study confirms the appropriateness of the causal model, which is evaluated by several goodness-of-fit methods. The study confirms the proposition that the inclusion of the 'people factors' together with TQM and HRM significantly improves the realization of benefits associated with the TPS practices of 'just-in-time' (JIT) and 'autonomation.' The conclusion is that such an integrated model provides a much more effective 'lean system' and has the potential to produce significantly enhanced benefits for firms that implement it. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global sourcing has made quality management a more challenging task, and supplier certification has emerged as a solution to overcome suppliers' informational advantage about their product quality. This article analyzes the impact of certification standards on the supplier's investment in quality, when a buyer outsources the production process. Based on our results, deterministic certification may lead to under-investment in quality improvement technology for efficient suppliers, thereby leading to potential supply chain inefficiency. The introduction of noisy certification may alleviate this under-investment problem, when the cost of information asymmetry is high. While allowing noisy certification always empowers the buyer to offer a menu to screen among heterogeneous suppliers, the buyer may optimally choose only a limited number of certification standards. Our analysis provides a clear-cut prediction of the types of certifiers the buyer should use for heterogeneous suppliers, and we identify the conditions under which the supplier benefits from noisy certification. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2013 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze an oligopolistic competition with differentiated products and qualities. The quality of a product is not known to consumers. Each firm can make an imperfect disclosure of its product quality before engaging in price-signaling competition. There are two regimes for separating equilibrium in our model depending on the parameters. Our analysis reveals that, in one of the separating regimes, price signaling leads to intense price competition between the firms under which not only the high-quality firm but also the low-quality firm chooses to disclose its product quality to soften the price competition. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the veracity of two important, yet untested, premises underlying the interpretation of hierarchical variation in workpaper review performance. Prior research has argued that auditors at different hierarchical levels structure their knowledge of workpaper errors differently, and that these differences in knowledge structure give rise to hierarchical variation in the ability of auditors to identify mechanical and conceptual workpaper errors. This study directly examines the way in which audit firm managers, seniors and staff auditors structure their knowledge of audit workpaper errors and finds variation across hierarchical levels. These differences in knowledge structure were found to be associated with variation in workpaper review performance as they related to the identification of conceptual errors, but not, as proposed in prior research, mechanical workpaper errors. These results guide future research efforts aimed at improving workpaper review performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past TQM literature has been inconclusive in resolving the validity of the universalistic approach versus the contingency approach of TQM implementation. In this paper we contribute to the resolution of this debate by using a total effects approach within the contingency perspective. We propose a culture-quality system design-outcomes framework for TQM implementation. We then use this framework to study the differences in total effects relationships among TQM constructs across four contingencies, firm size, TQM duration, unionization, and industry type. Data from a sample of 394 plants (SIC codes 20 through 39) are used to test the validity of our contingency model. Our results revealed that firm size, TQM duration, and industry type moderate the influence of total effects of culture (top management commitment, customer focus, and trust) on final outcomes (process quality, product quality, and customer satisfaction). These contingencies also moderate the influence of total effects of quality system design (design management, training, empowerment, quality information usage, supplier quality management, and process quality management) on final outcomes. The strongest contributor to variation in total effects across groups was industry type, followed by size and then TQM duration. To a lesser extent, unionization was a moderator in total effects relationships. These findings uniquely contribute to the emerging contingency theory of TQM implementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Globalization forces managers to utilize manufacturing capabilities from countries with different cultures than their own, particularly from Asia. Yet quality problems in China have raised concerns among managers and researchers as to how to assure product quality from Asian facilities. Implementing quality management practices may accomplish this, but such practices assume specific cultural values exist in certain Asian cultures. Using global manufacturing and cultural data, this study examines if cultural values in Asian and non-Asian countries moderate how effective quality management practices are at improving quality performance. Through the use of multilevel modeling, differences in quality management effectiveness are found among the East Asian cultures of China, South Korea, and Taiwan. Moreover, this study finds that specific cultural dimensions are statistically related to quality management effectiveness. The results of this study will assist managers in devising plans to assure higher quality from East Asian facilities and in predicting where problems may occur in other countries around the world. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We address the current status of quality management (QM) in companies in this paper. • Interviews with senior executives of 19 companies spanning multiple industries and company sizes indicate that there are now at least five recurring themes related to QM's current role in companies: -- Realized gains from QM keep it a fixture at most companies. -- The aim of well-serving customers is appropriately integrated into quality efforts. -- The realization that pursuit of QM solely for the sake of winning awards can have harmful consequences. -- QM's emphasis on self-assessment and quality models is seen as valuable for providing focus and direction. -- Gaps in integrating QM beyond operations exist in most companies. • Our findings suggest that most businesses continue to have substantial opportunities for improvement in terms of more fully engaging QM throughout the firm. This makes it imperative that strategists engage and ultimately evolve companies so as to achieve their full potential. QM is not a fad of the century just past. Instead, it is a powerful means for companies to continue on a path to superior performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Total quality management (TQM) is an approach to management embracing both social and technical dimensions aimed at achieving excellent results, which needs to be put into practice through a specific framework. Nowadays, quality award models, such as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model, are used as a guide to TQM implementation by a large number of organizations. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of empirical research confirming whether these models clearly reflect the main premises of TQM. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent to which the EFQM Excellence Model captures the main assumptions involved in the TQM concept, that is, the distinction between technical and social TQM issues, the holistic interpretation of TQM in the firm, and the causal linkage between TQM procedures and organizational performance. Based on responses collected from managers of 446 Spanish companies by means of a structured questionnaire, we find that: (a) social and technical dimensions are embedded in the model; (b) both dimensions are intercorrelated; (c) they jointly enhance results. These findings support the EFQM Excellence Model as an operational framework for TQM, and also reinforce the results obtained in previous studies for the MBNQA, suggesting that quality award models really are TQM frameworks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Food Chain Management is a rather new research domain. As a consequence, the domain and the research challenges within the domain are not yet clearly defined. This corresponds with the variety in the definition of food chains and networks that might focus on either closely cooperating enterprises along the value chain with an executive coordination element or, alternatively, on a network of enterprises in dynamically evolving business relationships. Management challenges in closely cooperating enterprises are closely linked to challenges in enterprise management and can draw on research in this domain; however, management activities in and for networks involve additional challenges that require focused research engagement. The dependency of all participants in the chain on consumers as the ultimate customers and the dependency of the quality of final products on the engagement of all participants in the production and distribution of products require new managerial activities and, in turn, support by research. This article discusses the background of future research needs and formulates priority challenges for managerial improvements toward an increased sustainability of the food sector. [JEL classifications: Q010, Q130, D290, L140] © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention to processes has increased, as thousands of organizations have adopted process-focused programs such as TQM and ISO 9000. Proponents of such programs stress the promise of improved efficiency and profitability. But research has not consistently borne out these prospects. Moreover, the expectation of universal benefits is not consistent with research highlighting the important role of firm-specific capabilities in sustaining competitive advantage. In this paper, we use longitudinal panel data on ISO 9000 practices for firms in the auto supplier industry to study two new issues related to the adoption of process management practices. First, we find that, as the majority of firms within an industry adopt ISO 9000, late adopters no longer gain financial benefits from these practices. Second, we explore how firms’ technological coherence moderates the performance advantages of ISO 9000 practices. We find that firms that have a very narrow or very broad technological focus have fewer opportunities for complementary interactions that arise from process management practices and thus benefit less than those with limited breadth in technologically related activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

While Six Sigma is increasingly implemented in industry, little academic research has been done on Six Sigma and its influence on quality management theory and application. There is a criticism that Six Sigma simply puts traditional quality management practices in a new package. To investigate this issue and the role of Six Sigma in quality management, this study reviewed both the traditional quality management and Six Sigma literatures and identified three new practices that are critical for implementing Six Sigma's concept and method in an organization. These practices are referred to as: Six Sigma role structure, Six Sigma structured improvement procedure, and Six Sigma focus on metrics. A research model and survey instrument were developed to investigate how these Six Sigma practices integrate with seven traditional quality management practices to affect quality performance and business performance. Test results based on a sample of 226 US manufacturing plants revealed that the three Six Sigma practices are distinct practices from traditional quality management practices, and that they complement the traditional quality management practices in improving performance. The implications of the findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed and further research directions are offered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

By drawing on multi-case data, there is some evidence to suggest that total quality management (TQM) effectiveness can be viewed as a direct function of the controlling mechanisms that senior managers created prior to TQM implementation. More importantly, control tools of TQM were not used by non-managerial employees, with which they could reduce variability or achieve uniformity; rather, they were regarded as a weapon used by their managers against them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a framework for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of Australian public assets when owned by: (i) a government department, (ii) a State owned corporate body, (iii) private investor's, or (iv) a network of constituents. The framework evaluates the generic characteristics of the four different types of governance architectures by considering their: (i) accountability, (ii) quality of service, (iii) operating costs, (iv) funding (v) cost of finance, and (vi) political outcomes. Network governance introduces distributed: communications, intelligence, decision making, and control which can be used to augment and/or replace the centralised architecture of the other three alternatives. Network governance is identified as a condition precedent for developing self-governance and enriching democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality management provides the framework for the industrial application of statistical quality control, design of experiments, quality improvement and reliability methods. It is therefore helpful for quality engineers and statisticians to be familiar with basic quality management principles. In this article we discuss Dr Joseph M. Juran's important contributions to modern quality management concepts, principles and models. Many people have contributed to modern quality management. However, through his extensive writings covering more than six decades, Juran has managed to distill and synthesize the subject. He has provided us with a coherent framework and terminology and anticipated many of the principles that subsequently became incorporated under the Six Sigma umbrella. We briefly outline Juran's framework and discuss a number of key contributions he has made to the subject of managing for quality. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although managers consider accurate, timely and relevant information as critical to the quality of their decisions, evidence of large variations in data quality abounds. This research examines factors influencing the level of data quality within a target organization. The results indicate that management's commitment to data quality and the presence of data quality champions strongly influence data quality in the target organization. The results also show that the managers of the participating organization are committed to achieving and maintaining high data quality. However, changing work processes and establishing a data quality awareness culture are required to motivate further improvements to data quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study unreliable serial production lines with known failure probabilities for each operation. Such a production line consists of a series of stations, existing machines, and optional quality control stations (QCSs). Our aim is to decide on the allocation of the QCSs within the assembly line, so as to maximize the expected profit of the system. In such a problem, the designer has to determine the QCS configuration and the production rate simultaneously. The profit maximization problem is approximated assuming exponentially distributed processing times, Poisson arrival process of jobs into the system, and the existing of holding costs. The novel feature of our model is the incorporation of holding costs that significantly complicated the problem. Our approximation approach uses a branch and bound strategy that employs our fast dynamic programming algorithm for minimizing the expected operational costs for a given production rate as a subroutine. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the branch and bound procedure for solving large scale instances of the problem and for obtaining some qualitative insights.“Ever increasing quality is mandatory—not only for corporate profitability—but also for corporate survival” Inman, Blumenfeld, Huang, and Li (Int J Prod Res 38(9) (2000), 1953–1976) © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the proliferation of online education, concerns remain about the quality of online programmes. Quality assurance (QA) has become a prominent issue, not only for educational institutions and accreditors, but also for students and employers alike. This paper describes some of the rather unique QA processes used at Universitas 21 Global (U21G), one of the new breed of online academic institutions, and its relation to U21pedagogica, the independent agency that approves U21G’s programmes. These distinctive QA processes relate to five main areas, namely, content authoring, courseware development, adjunct faculty recruitment, pedagogy and delivery. The authors believe that these QA processes have contributed significantly to student satisfaction and student retention at U21G. Furthermore, these QA processes can also be adapted to suit more traditional ‘brick-and-mortar’ universities offering online programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of the fresh-cut produce industry (e.g., bagged salads, baby carrots, stir-fry mixes, cut-fruit mixes) shows firms' motivation to adopt quality management systems and the effects of implementation on firms and their relationships with suppliers and customers. Data from surveyed members of the International Fresh-cut Produce Association suggest that system adoption was very widespread. The effects were intra-firm (e.g., improved management and efficiency of quality systems) and inter-firm (e.g., improved identification and facilitation of trade with firms in the supply chain). Satisfaction with adoption of quality management systems was linked to many of the same factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study was to identify critical factors that measure management efforts with regard to quality, safety, and ergonomics issues for their simultaneous improvement. Eleven identified management activity areas have been synthesized from the literature as the most important areas that meet all stakeholders' needs. Factors were then developed to measure the efficiency of these activities through a questionnaire. The overall response rate of the survey questionnaire was 47%. The reliability coefficients ranging from 0.73 to 0.85 indicated that some scales or management activity areas are more reliable in measuring potential for improvements in terms of quality, ergonomics, safety, and efficiency. The proposed instrument for quantifying management efforts with respect to simultaneous improvements in the areas of quality, ergonomics, and safety was found to be valid and reliable. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 15: 213–232, 2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advent of the Code of Practice for Tissue Banks has led to the requirement for quality systems to be established in all laboratories involved in the production or processing of all cellular tissues to be used therapeutically. The quality system is all-encompassing from process validations and quality assurance to the standard of facilities and staff training. This seems self-evident to those working within the transfusion field but is a relatively novel concept to many hospital laboratories preparing transplant products such as bone marrow or peripheral blood derived haematopoietic stem cells. This review places the current guidelines in an historical context and explains many of the central tenets and requirements of the Code of Practice while outlining a process to facilitate preparation for accreditation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Top-down total quality management (TQM) programs often fail to create deep and sustained change in organizations. They become a fad soon replaced by another fad. Failure to institutionalize TQM can be attributed to a gap between top management's rhetoric about their intentions for TQM and the reality of implementation in various subunits of the organization. The gap varies from subunit to subunit due to the quality of management in each. By quality of management is meant the capacity of senior team to (1) develop commitment to the new TQM direction and behave and make decisions that are consistent with it, (2) develop the cross-functional mechanisms, leadership skills, and team culture needed for TQM implementation, and (3) create a climate of open dialogues about progress in the TQM transformation that will enable learning and further change. The TQM transformations will persist only if top management requires and ultimately institutionalizes an honest organizational-wide conversation that surfaces valid data about the quality of management in each subunit of the firm and leads to changes in management quality or replacement of managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the existence of different patterns of quality management systems (QMS) and the relationship between such patterns and organizational performance by conducting a quantitative and qualitative study of 225 international and local firms in the electronics industry in Hong Kong. A cluster analysis of the survey data results in the identification of four patterns of QMS, which are labeled as undeveloped, frame, accommodating and strategic, respectively, according to the characteristics that each pattern displays. These four types of QMS were found to be associated with various organizational performance measures according to the stage of their development. The study suggests that organizations can improve their time-based operational performance by establishing a frame quality system. However, the overall performance of an electronics company can be enhanced only by the establishment of a strategic quality system (SQS), which requires the involvement of top management. Our investigation further suggests that the development of a QMS is influenced by top management’s view on quality management. If quality management is viewed as an assurance system or a defensive strategy for answering customer requirements, a more advanced system will not be developed. The taxonomy developed here also enables researchers to understand the differences of major functions of quality systems at various stages of their development, the obstacles that management faces in the transformation process, and the corresponding strategies to be adopted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Quality management (QM) has often been advocated as being universally applicable to organizations. This is in contrast with the manufacturing strategy contingency approach of operations management (OM) which advocates internal and external consistency between manufacturing strategy choices. This article investigates, using the case-study method, whether customer focus practices—a distinctive subset of the whole set of QM practices—are contingent on a plant’s manufacturing strategy context. The study strongly suggests that customer focus practices are contingent on a plant’s manufacturing strategy and identifies mechanisms by which this takes place. The findings inform the implementation of QM programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Empowerment is discussed and examined in its operations strategy context. • The relationship between empowerment, productivity and total quality management is analysed. • The ethical and value-based dimensions of empowerment are examined. • Effectiveness in leadership, communication and a commitment to successful strategic change are seen as fundamental for the successful implementation of empowerment. • Improvements in business performance should be allied to a stakeholder management approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable attention has been directed toward developing a more complete understanding of innovation adoption by Information Systems (IS) departments. Much of this research has focused on the adoption of technological innovations, and limited research has focused on the adoption of administrative innovations. This paper focuses on an administrative innovation that is increasingly becoming popular among IS departments, namely Total Quality Management (TQM) in systems development. A synthesis of the IS innovation and TQM literatures was conducted to identify environmental, organizational, and task-related factors that should relate to both the swiftness and the intensity of TQM adoption. The relationships between the identified variables and TQM adoption were examined using data collected from 123 IS departments in Fortune 1000 firms and large government agencies in the U.S. The results indicate that TQM adoption in systems development is influenced by the host organization's quality orientation and factors internal to the IS department including IS management support for quality, the presence of a separate quality assurance function, and the structural complexity of the IS department. Implications of this study for theory, future research, and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The part manufacturer's organizational quality system practices and policies affect the quality and integrity of electronic parts, which in turn affect the level of risk inherent in the use of the parts in the equipment suppliers' systems. An effective parts selection and management process may be followed to reduce the risk inherent in part use. One step in a parts selection and management process is part manufacturer assessment. The results of part manufacturer assessment allow an informed parts selection decision to be made by the equipment supplier. This paper presents guidelines and criteria for conducting part manufacturer assessment and quantifying the findings of the assessment process. The paper also identifies the type of part manufacturer information equipment suppliers must collect and assess, prior to part use, in order to reduce the risks associated with part use. The information may be collected via questionnaires, surveys, site visits, telephone, accredited third-party surveillance organizations, or any other method chosen by the equipment supplier and found to be effective. The information-gathering method will be a function of the supplier's resources, potential volume of business with the part manufacturer, criticality of parts under assessment, and historic experience with the part manufacturer. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the problem of proper reliability management in business operations today, facing increasing demands on essential business drivers such as time to market, quality and financial profit. In this paper a general method is described of how to achieve product quality in a highly time-efficient way that will have a positive effect on the financial margin. The principle of this method is independent of a specific product under consideration, and the method is independent of the tools already used in common practice of a specific business. Moreover, this method offers a company a methodology to control the development and realization of product quality in a business-wise effective way. By doing so, the extent to which a company applies this method reflects its capability to deal with the severe conditions imposed on the business drivers. In this way the extent of application may serve as an indication for the reliability of its operational business processes. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present research that contributes to the debate on the universal applicability of quality management, and in doing so, subject the 'one size fits all' assumption underlying quality management to an empirical examination. Specifically, with the exception of enhancements in instrumentation, we attempted to replicate, as closely as possible, Anderson et al.'s (1995) empirical evaluation of a Deming-based theory of quality management. In our replication, we applied path analysis to secondary, plant-level data provided by a stratified sample of plants in three different industries in Italy. The path analytical results from the current replication study were compared against those reported in Anderson et al. (1995), which used data from U.S.-based plants. These results were then discussed in the context of conducting and interpreting cross-cultural quality management research. We concluded with the need for more replication studies in the quality management discipline and with implications for research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]