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Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to present research about identifying critical management behaviour regarding quality orientation in organisations.Design/methodology/approach– In order to describe how quality orientation is manifested in management behaviour, the critical incident technique was chosen. First, quality orientation was defined based on an extensive literature review. Then, critical incidents that represent a behavioural manifestation of each dimension were derived through a deductive approach. Lastly, an expert group consisting of scientists and practitioners were asked to categorise the critical incidents and evaluate their practical relevance and completeness.Findings– The results show that the construct quality orientation is related to the five variables internal customer focus, external customer focus, continuous improvement orientation, systems-thinking perspective, and data-driven. For each variable four critical incidents were developed and evaluated by the expert group. Analyses of the data show fair agreement between the raters with an overall agreement index of 0.38.Originality/value– The results of the present study can be used to support managers in understanding and practising behaviour critical to organisation-wide quality and thereby improving working conditions as well as business results.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how a systematic approach and supporting tools can support the development of a quality culture, and align cultural change with process improvement goals. Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the development and deployment of a systematic approach to developing a quality culture, achieved through a structured approach to mentoring and supporting learning techniques including algorithmic matching of mentors to mentees and a structured mentoring journey built around goals and milestones. Findings – A structured approach to mentoring can deliver significant enhancements to a quality culture, complementing structured approaches to process improvement allowing alignment of cultural and process goals. Research limitations/implications – The approach has been applied in a relatively small number of organisations (eight) at the time of writing. Originality/value – The use of a structured approach to learning enables establishment of a quality culture to be part of a structured quality plan.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the various contributions made by Gurus who have impacted significantly on the theory and practice of total quality management (TQM) over the past 100 years. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses the solid foundation created by the various thoughts, concepts, principles and methods contributed by specifically considered individuals. Findings – The methodology makes the case for the legacy that TQM has created and in particular, its unique additions to theory building. Originality/value – A unique examination of a century of TQM Gurus.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the possible impediments to radical innovation created by the pursuit of quality improvement in the dynamic hi‐tech sector.Design/methodology/approachFirst examines contributions and limitations of extant literature. Then analyzes three cases from the Japanese hi‐tech sector, dynamic random access memory chips , network equipment, and system integration, to understand the conditions under which the pursuit of quality creates impediments for radical innovation.FindingsIdentifies a number of mechanisms, beyond the existing literature, through which the quality culture of Japanese hi‐tech firms can inhibit innovation. Particular attention is paid to the risk averse culture that may be created, thereby damaging the potential to develop radical innovation. Some exploratory strategies are offered through which firms might minimize these problems.Originality/valueThe ways in which the quality culture of Japanese hi‐tech firms poses a challenge for innovation are explored and some exploratory views on how Japanese firms might meet this challenge are offered. Above all, the paper calls for firms to think more strategically and flexibly about the role of quality at the early stages of the product cycle for hi‐tech products.