National Cultures for Quality Assurance and TotalQuality Management

Abstract : National culture is becoming more and more recognized as a key element in determining the success or failure of quality initiatives. The adoption and the impact of quality management programs have differed from one country to the other. This paper outlines Quality Assurance and Total Quality Management and proposes the national culture dimensions that facilitate their implementation. The model of national culture developed by Hofstede is used for this purpose. The proposals made in this paper have considerable support from existing empirical studies and are likely provide valuable guidelines for companies and particularly MNCs in their quality management decisions.