A study of the effect of quality and productivity improvement practices on company performance in selected China industries.

Chang Yir Lirng.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-102).Abstract also in Chinese.ABSTRACT --- p.iiACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.ivTABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.vLIST OF TABLES --- p.ixLIST OF FIGURES --- p.xiCHAPTERChapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1Chapter II. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.6Chapter II. 1 --- Definition of Terms --- p.6Chapter II. 1.1 --- Definition of Quality --- p.6Chapter II. 1.2 --- Definition of Total Quality Management --- p.8Chapter II.2 --- Long-term Quality Strategic Planning --- p.8Chapter II.3 --- Quality Management in China --- p.9Chapter II.4 --- Quality and Financial Performance --- p.11Chapter II.5 --- "Comparison of Quality Management Approaches of Deming, Juran, and Crosby" --- p.13Chapter II.5.1 --- Edward Deming's Approach --- p.13Chapter II.5.2 --- Joseph Juran's Approach --- p.14Chapter II.5.3 --- Philip Crosby's Approach --- p.15Chapter II.5.4 --- Comparison of Quality Management Approaches --- p.16Chapter II.6 --- Evaluation of Quality Management Frameworks --- p.18Chapter II.6.1 --- International Quality Standards --- p.18Chapter II.6.2 --- The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award --- p.20Chapter III. --- "RESEARCH QUESTION, CONCEPTUAL CONSTRUCT AND RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS"Chapter III. 1 --- Research Question --- p.21Chapter III.2 --- Research Hypothesis --- p.22Chapter IV. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGYChapter IV.1 --- Research Design --- p.25Chapter IV.2 --- Conceptual Constructs --- p.26Chapter VI.3 --- Questionnaire Design --- p.28Chapter IV.3.1 --- Identification and Selection of Measurement Items in the Questionnaire --- p.28Chapter IV.3.2 --- Independent Variables --- p.28Chapter IV.3.3 --- Dependent Variables --- p.30Chapter IV.3.4 --- Measurement Method --- p.31Chapter VI.3.4 --- Translation --- p.32Chapter VI.4 --- Construction of measurement items for constructs of Quality Management --- p.33Chapter VI.5 --- Data Collection --- p.39Chapter V. --- HIGHLIGHT OF FINDINGSChapter V.1 --- Respondent Characteristics --- p.41Chapter V.2 --- Company Demographics --- p.44Chapter V.2.1 --- Company Size --- p.44Chapter V.2.2 --- Employees Turnover Rate --- p.45Chapter V.2.3 --- Company Sales Last Year --- p.45Chapter V.2.4 --- Number of Years Established --- p.46Chapter V.2.5 --- Employees Involved in Quality Improvement Activities --- p.46Chapter V.2.6 --- Other Company Information --- p.46Chapter V.2.7 --- Customer Perception of Company Performance --- p.49Chapter V.3 --- Quality Performance --- p.51Chapter V.3.1 --- Percent of Items Defective --- p.52Chapter V.3.2 --- Internal Waste and Scrap(%) --- p.52Chapter V.3.3 --- Returns and warranty --- p.52Chapter V.3.4 --- Rework costs --- p.53Chapter V.3.5 --- Training and development expenditures --- p.53Chapter V.4 --- Financial Performance --- p.54Chapter V.4.1 --- Last year's net profit --- p.54Chapter V.4.2 --- Last year's return on assets(ROA) --- p.55Chapter V.4.3 --- Past three years' return on assets(ROA) --- p.55Chapter V.4.4 --- Past three years' sales growth/decline --- p.55Chapter V.5 --- Quality Improvement Techniques --- p.56Chapter V.5.1 --- Formal Approach to Quality Improvement --- p.56Chapter V.5.2 --- Separate Quality Department --- p.58Chapter V.5.3 --- ISO 9000 Certification --- p.58Chapter V.5.4 --- Application of Quality Improvement Techniques --- p.60Chapter V.5.5 --- Quality Improvement - Understand and Specify Customer Requirements --- p.64Chapter V.6 --- Productivity Improvement Techniques --- p.66Application Of Productivity Improvement Techniques --- p.71Chapter VI. --- STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONChapter VI.1 --- Analysis of Construct Reliability --- p.73Chapter VI.2 --- Analysis of Validity --- p.73Chapter VI.2.1 --- Content Validity --- p.73Chapter VI.2.2 --- Construct Validity --- p.74Chapter VI.3 --- The Regression Model --- p.75Chapter VI.4 --- Quality Performance --- p.76Chapter VI.4.1 --- Items defective --- p.79Chapter VI.4.2 --- Waste and damage as % of sales --- p.80Chapter VI.4.3 --- Returns and warranty --- p.80Chapter VI.4.4 --- Inspection cost --- p.81Chapter VI.4.5 --- Rework --- p.82Chapter VI.5 --- Operating Performance --- p.83Net profit as % of sales --- p.83Chapter VI.6 --- Financial Performance --- p.87Chapter VI.6.1 --- Last year's net profit as % of asset --- p.90Chapter VI.6.2 --- Sales growth in last year --- p.91Chapter VI.6.3 --- Sales growth in past three years --- p.91Chapter VII. --- CONCLUSION --- p.93Chapter VII.l --- Conclusion --- p.96Chapter VII.2 --- Limitation --- p.96BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.97APPENDIX --- p.10