Organizational Development: A Manual for Managers and ... - FPDL

matters.” (Beckford, 2002) In terms of management perspectives, Beckford’s point is that a major
barrier to quality may be built into the reward system of an organization. It may condition that
management should focus on ‘output today at all costs’, without real concern for or interest in
quality. And, if it is not of primary interest for management, then it is not of interest for anyone else.
It became clear a few decades ago that quality is just a function of an organization. Different
organizations have different problems with quality. Some typical organizational decisions promote
avoiding some typical problems. Some typical organizational weaknesses create conditions that
cause corresponding quality problems. The requirements needed in an organization’s
management system to improve quality were exposed in the defence industries during the late
1940’s and 1950’s, and were subsequently translated into civil applications as national and
international standards. These requirements apply to all elements, aspects and functions of an
organization that may have any impact on quality. These were called a ‘quality management
model’, and then ‘quality management system’.
Quality management systems
Good order is the foundation of all good things.
Edmund Burke (1790)
The ISO 9000:2000 family represents the currently established global standard for the quality
management system (QMS). It is the one most commonly adopted. Although initially these
standards were developed for industries, they are applicable and have become common for the
service sector also. In some European countries, they are widely used in the public sector. They
were implemented in many local governments in the United Kingdom, Poland, Latvia, etc. The
applicability of these standards is unlimited due to the very basic and general nature of their
recommendations and requirements.
To prove compliance of their established QMS with the requirement of the International Standard,
organizations apply to independent certification bodies that undertake audits, issue certificates and
supervise ongoing compliance. It is an important factor for many organizations, since in some
countries certification is almost obligatory for certain industries, and is often specifically requested
by public sector clients.
The ISO 9000 series of standards consist of: ISO 9000:2000 describes the fundamentals of
quality management systems and specifies the terminology for quality management systems;
o ISO 9001:2000 specifies requirements for a quality management system where an
organization needs to demonstrate its ability to provide products that fulfil customer and
applicable regulatory requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction;
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