The origins of World Quality Day may be traced back to 1990 when the United Nations (UN) emphasised the significance of quality management.
This international day of celebration draws attention to the critical role that quality plays in both our everyday lives and the wider range of businesses and industries. The Japanese Union Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) spearheaded the concept in 1960.
They recognised the importance of putting quality first, particularly as Japanese companies started to expand quickly following World War II. In a sense, the post-war economic miracle in Japan was shaped by quality management techniques.
The Chartered Quality Institute (CQI), which was established in 1919, hosted the first official World Quality Day celebration in London in 2008. CQI has been at the forefront of using quality management to advance organisational excellence since its founding.
The goal of quality management is to maintain high standards through a variety of components, including planning, assurance, control, and improvement. Observing this day serves as a reminder to everyone, individuals and businesses alike of the value of aiming for excellence in everything we do.
Making things better, safer, and more dependable, as well as making sure that customers are satisfied and encouraging a culture of continual development, are the main goals.
To observe World Quality Day is to honour the work of all those who contribute to maintaining quality standards. It pushes companies to put in place robust quality management systems, which boosts output, reduces expenses, and increases client loyalty and trust.
Celebrating this day isn’t just for professionals in the field; it’s for everyone to appreciate the importance of quality in creating a better, more efficient, and sustainable world.
World Quality Day Timeline:
- 13th Century: Beginning of Quality Movement: The quality movement begins with artisans organising themselves into guilds.
- 1919: CQI is founded in London, UK
- 2006: Royal Charter Granted: The Queen grants the CQI Royal Charter.
- 2008: The inaugural conference of World Quality Day takes place in London.
Why Is World Quality Day Important? This day dedicated to quality is a reminder that quality prevents mediocrity. Giving our best is ever-important in our businesses, corporate positions, and individual lives. It maintains a standard of excellence.
For organisations and businesses, quality management ensures that a standard of excellence is maintained. It prevents cutting corners and poor output in their dealings. Quality management protects customers and end-users.
When companies, businesses, and manufacturers are held to a certain level of responsibility in terms of quality, customers can be assured of getting good value for their money.
Principles of Quality of Work Life (QWL)
NQ Herrick and M Maccoby give four basic principles of QWL :
1. Principle of Security: Job security and safety measures at the workplace
2. Principle of Equity: No discrimination between similar work and the same level
3. Principle of Individualism: Opportunity of development of personality and potential
4. Principle of Democracy: More authority and responsibility to employees
Why Is Quality Working Important? Quality work can help to improve employee productivity. By setting certain guidelines and reducing the number of edit requests or project changes, employees may have more time to work on other tasks. This can also help employees obtain goals or progress toward key performance indicators faster.
Employees who submit quality work are more likely to receive higher ratings on employee performance reviews. This can help a business meet its goals by tapping into the resources they have available. It can also help employees achieve personal career goals.
When each employee submits quality work, it can improve the morale of the whole company. This is because the company can achieve its goals when each employee completes their expectations and submits quality work. Additionally, employees who complete quality work typically don't have to rely on another team.
When an employee submits quality work, they are more likely to have greater job security. Quality work is important in maintaining customer satisfaction, which can also affect the success of the company. If the company can meet its customer's needs, it may be able to continue operating and employing the team members.
Humanised Work Through Quality Of Work Life: One option is to redesign jobs to have the attributes desired by people, and re-design organisations to have the environment desired by the people. This approach seeks to improve QWL.
There is a need to give workers more of a challenge, more of a whole task, more opportunity to use their ideas. Close attention QWL provides a more humanised work environment. It attempts to serve the higher-order needs of workers as well as their more basic needs.
It seeks to employ the higher skills of workers and to provide an environment that encourages them to improve their skills. The idea is that human resources should be developed and not simply used. Further, the work should not have excessively negative conditions.
It should not put workers under undue stress. It should not damage or degrade their humanness. It should not be threatening or unduly dangerous. Finally, it should contribute to, or at least leave unimpaired, workers’ abilities to perform in other life roles, such as citizen, spouse and parent. That is, work should contribute to general social advancement
Ways to Improve Quality of Work Life:
• Manager should not keep a full-time watch on their employees, no one likes to be watched every minute of their work time. Let them feel free to work, avoid micromanaging.
• Work teams should be from so that employees can plan, coordinate and control the activities and learn interpersonal qualities of achieving goals together. Salaries should be fixed on both individual and group achievement basis.
• There should be scope for career growth, employees should be counselled from time to time so that they can think about the path of their growth in their career and can acquire more knowledge for their development and promotions.
• Management must redesign the narrow jobs with large target units so that workers can feel a sense of belongingness and can give their contribute in achieving the targeted goals.
• Supervisors/ managers always motivate their workers, recognise their work, and give them rewards for doing good work. These are some ways of keeping employees happy at the workplace and making them realise that their efforts and handwork are recognised by the top level.
• Job security is one of the most important factors in determining QWL. Fear of losing a job at anytime can affect the efficiency of a worker.
• Work schedule should be flexible. Alternative or flexible working hours, five days a week work, supervisor behaviour and leadership style are some factors that should not be avoided.
• Management should give challenges to their workforce so that their enthusiasm and willingness to achieve goals can be maintained. They should correct them by identifying and evaluating the reason for some problems.
• A new concept of food at your workplace is a big factor in attracting employees. It not only boosts morale but also makes employees appreciate the company more. Free food has a powerful magic that gives an organisation more credibility.
• Organisational justice, participative management, and quality circle are some principles which should be taken care of by the organisation. They can have positive impact on employees and their thought processes.
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