A process view on managing quality during the creation of technical innovations : lessons from field research

Quality Management (QM) principles have left their marks on business practice for more than a decade. Amongst the many business functions that have faced the widespread introduction of QM standards and methodologies, the R&D function has been amongst the last to undergo their pervasive influence. The uncertain and ambiguous nature of the technical innovation not to introduce 'traditional' QM approaches in R&D settings. These arguments are often based on a rather rigid and mechanistic view on QM. As recent insights show, this need not to be the case. QM can offer an avenue to fundamentally scrutinise and re-think-functional interaction strategies in innovative contexts. Therefore, the process of introducing QM principles is an R&D environment deserves close attention. This paper offers a field-based insight into these fundamental organisational and managerial issues.status: publishe