New Quality Roles, Organizations and Future-Making

By
Hesameddin AREF KASHFI
Academician, International Academy for Quality,
VP for External Affairs, Asia Pacific Quality Organization,
President, Iranian Society of Quality Managers, Iran
harefkashfi@neda.net

Abstract
When looking to quality concept and its evolution form past to present, one easily finds that it
has always been linked with improvement and change and at the service of organizations for
more effective and efficient performance, for success in market and for sustainable business
and excellence and also of society for welfare of the people. In turn, quality programs have
always been followed for improvement and change at different levels. Japan, after WW2, is
always the best clear example. Actually the secret of attraction of quality lies in the dynamic
and evolving meaning it has been implying during the time. As we are always living in a
changing environment, quality has had to evolve for adapting with changing needs. It is a
timeless but dynamic and living entity which continues to exist in future.

As much as the executives try to have the possibility for looking into future from a broader
perspective and then, understanding and analyzing mega trends and their interactions that are
shaping future, they would be more and more able to find out what should be done with their
organizations to improve the likelihood of their success. It is within this environment that they
have an exciting and unique opportunity to influence future organizational direction and, in
other words, to make their own future.

This paper tries to give some general views with regard to new roles quality is taking or
should take in future and, then presents some suggestions for organizations in having an
active contribution to making future as well as their own.

Key words: Mega trends, Organizational transformation, Future-making

Introduction
We are living and working in a very fast changing world with an ever-increasing rate of
change. Whether we choose to work in the private or public sector, we face new challenges
each day every day, with an increasing pressure for improvement and change. Traditional
market boundaries are blurring and giving rise to new competitors in areas that were domain
of business activities of selected few in past. There are external drives as well as internal
which interact with each other and bring about a very complex situation. The mega trends
such as internet, communication amazing facilities and globalization have totally changed our
lives in all aspects. The previous markets and consumers’ behavior are changed in a way that
organizations have no other choice than taking completely new approaches hope to enable
them to cope with the new evolving and ever-changing requirements.

In the past century, quality proved its usefulness by showing the value of conformance to
specifications, of standardization, of customer satisfaction and of taking the time to do things
right the first time. But, for today and with more emphasize for tomorrow, it is not enough.
Dr. Joseph M. Juran prophesied, at AQC of ASQC in May 2004, that 21st century will be
the quality century. I believe his very short citation conveys a very deep and important
message to all involved in quality field at all levels.

Quality can take much more important role than it has had during last decades and can help to
better our lives in may different aspects. The overall impression of some pioneering quality
experts is that quality has not yet realized its full potential to play its complete role and still,
there are many areas in which quality can contribute to development and progress.

Conclusions concerning the present situation for quality reveal that the world has a growing
thirst and need for new quality concepts, methods and tools and techniques. There are many
practitioners joining the quality profession to use it for improvement, change and well-being.
Public services, such as health care, education and other fields, mostly related to government,
are areas greatly connected to welfare of the society and evidently, with quality, they can
bring about significant benefits to individuals, the economy and the society at large.

Mega Trends
To explore new roles, we need first to review the mega trends which are influencing
everything evolving around us. Following are some few general factors which seem having
broad impact on determining our lives as well as our business activities:

1- Change
Change is the most significant factor having great influence in everything around us in its
broadest meaning. Although change, in its philosophic meaning, is not a new phenomenon,
but, nowadays, the speed of change, dimensions, and subsequent effects, are really new issues
never experienced before. Also, although human nature enjoys change but, on the other hand,
from psychological point of view, man prefers to have a secure life and live in known rather
than unknown world. To become ready for future we should change and adapt to the evolving
new challenges which means seeing things in a different way and acting with new paradigms.
Creativity is very close to change, as due to change and to cope with change, we need to
think and create ideas. And finally, innovation is putting those creative ideas into practice and
realizing them in concrete issues. Again in its broadest meaning, it can mean creating future.
However, this factor is the most encompassing on playing a highly decisive and determining
role for all other factors affecting our lives.

2 – E- life
If we consider our business as a means of earning life, e-life signifies all aspects of life ,
including business, which are more and more conquered by information and communication
technology, such as e-commerce, e-business, e-learning, e-money, etc. and the new evolving
components and products such as e-journal, e-book, e-library, e-music. And in brief, e-
(virtually everything). Because of the very amazing, exciting and simple facilities internet
provides for the people all around the world, in different forms and in a variety of ways, more
and more people are getting involved in it. Flexibility, ease, low cost, speed, and many other
considerable features will make e-life and its components a world-wide phenomenon. We are
living in an e-world! Rather all of these features are "quality dimensions" from customers'
perspective. The new products of ICT are considerably changing the way we live in its
broadest meaning. Birth and development of virtual organizations are worth noting in this
connection. Just imagine the connectivity between billions of people all around the world by
mobile phones, the amount of communication between them every moment and the
exchanged information. Everybody is now a broadcasting station!

The immediate close and strong connection of e-life and its ingredients are quite evident
with change and its important relatives: creativity and innovation.

3- Globalization
As a result of internet diffusion in all aspects of life and business, globalization is another
clear significant factor. It provides immense opportunities for everything. Most of them are
unexpected and very exciting. Many borders, if not all in long term, are breaking by
globalization. Global culture, global partnership, global relations, global community, global
citizen, global citizenship, all are developing due to this general factor. Globalization along
with e-life, have eliminated time and space and have brought about many hidden potentials
and capabilities to function. They all together, have introduced uncountable number of
exciting opportunities for life and business composed with complexity and uncertainty. As if
man has been in prison, in a secure and safe prison, with time and space constraints and now,
he is liberated in free space. We are not able to fully and simply imagine the difference
because many of our mental frames have long habits with past and, we need time to
understand the characteristics of the new e-world. It is like a fantastic journey but in real
world which once was just a fiction for making scientific fun and amusement. Now, that
fictitious future has arrived and is right here, close to us!

It is notable to emphasize that globalization is one side of the big coin. All local aspects with
deep roots in history of the societies are the other side which can not be ignored, disregarded
or neglected. Globalization, although having a great influence in everything, can not dissolve
everything in it self. Still, the local specifics continue to exist and will survive. A new word is
introduced as “Glocal” to contain both global and local meanings. And, Glocalization, in
turns, can encompass all issues related to globalization as well as all aspects still having
important role which come from Localization. That is: Glocalization = Globalization +
Localization. Within all of this, we should not forget that most local problems are now got
connected together and have become big regional and / or global problems which are not easy
to solve due to having more complexity. New global platforms are needed.

New Quality Roles

Within the context of the above three mega trends, we may look to new quality roles from
sustainability point of view. Quality and sustainability are deeply connected and provide
winning solutions for environmental performance, social responsibility and economical
results. Although these topics are not new and are collectively termed as “the triple bottom
line”, it is believed they represent critical aspects which demand serious focused attention
with many new quality roles for future. For better remembering, they are also called the
“Three Ps”; Planet, People and Profit, corresponding to environment, society and business
results, respectively. We may explicitly correlate them to sustainability as environmental,
social and economical respectively.

1- Environmental sustainability
Environmental issues are the most important and decisive for sustainability. Without
environmental sustainability, everything will be at risk and quite suspended in long term.
With proper and wise environmental consideration it is possible that man can have happy life
on earth. This factor is vital in its true meaning. All our living conditions are subject to
environment protection. This issue is no longer a local but a global problem which demands
global commitment. Major aspects of this issue include clean water accessibility, energy
conservation, resources protection, pollution prevention, global warming and its broad
impacts. Some pioneers of environmental sustainability, William McDonough and Michael
Braungart have put very deep and long term directives which could be explored in the
questions they have raised: “How can we support and perpetuate the rights of all living things
to share a world of abundance? How can we love the children of all species – not just our
own- for all time? Imagine what a world of prosperity and health in the future will look like,
and begin designing for it right now.

2- Social sustainability
This is also another dimension of sustainability but with regard to society. It comes after the
environmental concerns since society can continue to live within a safe and healthy
environment. Evidently, sustainability in business is conditioned to a sustained society. Only
those organizations respecting social responsibilities will have chance to survive. Benefits of
society are above all stakeholders. After benefits of society, in its general terms, benefits of
organization and its stakeholders can make sense in long term. Groups of well- thinkers have
developed valuable foundations for social responsibility in the form of the Global Compact of
the United Nations and also the comprehensive standard developed by International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) as well as many others. While appreciating all efforts
and endeavors in this connection, we need a general awareness and culture development for
social responsibility among people who are somehow involved in business activities in public
services organizations and with more importance in private sector. Organizations need more
practicable theories and systems, tools and techniques to implement social responsibilities
concepts with a win-win policy. Ethical behavior, transparency, corruption prevention,
purposefulness and providing a meaningful life for people connected to the organization and
some other similar issues fall into broader considerations of social responsibility.

3- Economical sustainability
Economic sustainability is maintained if performance of the organization keeps improving in
terms of the three classic “columns” of business; Quality, Cost and Delivery (QCD).
Although these terms are not new, but there are very important challenges as new quality
roles explored in each of these dimensions.

- Quality: Among the quality gurus, Dr. Armand V. Feigenbaum is the first one who
pointed out to the relation between quality and value. Indeed, in the final analysis, quality
and value are really the same. Any of quality characteristics bear within itself part of the
overall value the customer is ready to pay for it when purchasing a product either being
good or service. This definition for quality which was once introduced “Quality is the
state in which all value entitlements are fully realized for customers and all other
stakeholders” seems comprehensive and a suitable one quite to the point when stressing
on value creation. Value is a highly personalized concept, especially in services, and
considering sophisticated consumers and their behavior in today’s open markets, it needs
new approaches to guarantee customer delight and loyalty as well as other stakeholders’.
Business results, performance excellence, and generally, excellence in all aspects all are
subject to quality in its classical meaning as the core issue. Consumer sophistication and
value creation have cause and effect relation. In other words, the values to be created
should meet customers’ expectations. This is, more than just meeting implicit and / or
explicit (needs and / or wants, respectively) requirements. Value creation is directly
related to attractive quality (Kano Model) and its evolution in time according to change in
customers’ expectations. Creativity and innovation are considered as absolutes for
attractive quality and value creation. Quality should encompass creativity and
 innovation field and to be effective, new tools and techniques for enhancing these
capabilities should be developed. This is in line with Dr. Edward Deming’s
recommendation, in late 1993, for touching customers’ heart to have his or her loyalty.
Examples of successful organizations who have invested on this winning strategy at
global level are many, among them perhaps Nokia may be the best. As a challenge, we
need mastering in Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and its implementation not only
for customers but for all stakeholders. As it is said, a successful organization is a value
generating machine and in this regard, giving utmost importance to innovation is a
must.

- Cost: Cost has always been one of the main concerns of customers. Besides, with the
emphasize on decrease in resources and their limitations and the problems connected with
environmental sustainability, cost considerations become more important than before.
Also, welfare of society is impossible with producing costly products. Power of purchase
of consumers should be taken into account for a product which is naturally expected to
succeed. We always talk about cost and benefit (value) ratio. Reducing wastes and in
general, considering economics of quality, is very important and decisive. The meaning
behind cost is directly related to economic aspects of quality. However, the main idea is
that, in one hand organizations should improve realization of value for stakeholders (not
only customers, but for all main five stakeholders and including values related to
attractive quality causing delight and surprise ) and on the other hand, they should strive
for minimizing cost with deep process improvement and re-engineering. To compete in
the market, they need considerable achievements in both areas.

- Delivery: Delivery, after cost, is still of great concern and importance. Fast delivery, as
a policy from one side connected to value creation and from the other side connected to
economics of quality and minimizing costs, re-engineering the processes for having
shorter cycle time and fast-to-market products is a competitive advantage in today global
markets. It is also a challenge for re-engineering throughout the whole supply chain.
However, as specialties are getting narrower and narrower every day organizations would
not be able to do the entire job themselves in the most effective and efficient way. It
means the market requirements are getting more subtle and as such, they can be achieved
through outsourcing. Providing all kind of services and producing all parts of a product,
specially in complex products which need high level of knowledge and skill in all
specialties and disciplines, will be totally out-of-date. The tight and immediate connection
between value creation, cost considerations, and finally outsourcing is worth noting here.

It is already proved through best practices and successful organizations that depending on the
nature of product and also to specific market, an optimization between the above three
competitive dimensions is the winning strategy. Finding this optimum level by itself, which is
dynamic and complex issue, is a challenge for organizations seeking sustainability in
business.

Also, it is worth noting that most researchers in quality field believe that human-side, or as it
is said soft side, of quality still needs much more work for developing effective systems, tools
and techniques to help realization of full potential of people to be deeply motivated for
achieving organization’s objectives. Human sides of quality are also directly related to
improving the creativity and innovative capabilities of the individuals and as a result that of
the organization. To some extent, there are valuable knowledge developed in this area but
they are not sufficient and new efforts are needed to expand them. Creativity tools, techniques,
improving thinking abilities, and the same, are big fundamentals ahead for these objectives.
Realization of full potentials of quality is impossible without realization of full potentials of
people. More attention should be given to develop quality body of knowledge in this area.
There are many new quality roles to be followed in this area.

Organization Challenges
With the increasing rate of change, the immersion in the e-world and practicing e-life and
finally the globalization phenomenon and their multi-dimensional consequences, some of
which probably easy to forecast and mostly not easy and visible, quality can no longer stay
within its previous scope. Once quality was only concerned with products initially goods and
then services, then evolved into organizational level dealing with performance excellence and
business excellence. Nowadays, although it has been touching social issues during last decade
and more apparently recent years, the times is arrived to completely step into social arena and
accept responsibility to challenge social problems. From organizational point of view, growth
and excellence of organizations are conditioned to the growth and prosperity of the society in
which the organizations work and live, and even, in a broader sense, to growth and excellence
of the global community when we consider the connectivity of today’s world, both for life
and business, the so-called e-world.

It means quality should expand to be able to understand, to analyze, and to give solutions for
social improvement rather than just organizational improvement. It means quality needs
integration with social sciences and most of its related fields such as economics, sociology,
and the same.

I may recall the very important saying of Dr. Joseph M. Juran on last days of his life, which
conveys an ever-memorable message: “My job of contributing to the welfare of my fellow
man is a great unfinished business.” We may remember that he was calling the 21st century
as quality century.

According to Dr. Juran’s implicit directive, the main imperative for quality is to focus on the
issues which are directly related to the welfare of the people at all levels in the local, regional
and global community. This is not only a great responsibility, but also a true breadth for
growth and prosperity of quality itself. As mentioned once above, it is said that quality has not
reached to its full potential yet. With Dr. Juran’s saying, the meaning is more clear. Now,
this is the best way, and the most effective, for quality to develop towards its full potential.
We may be convinced that this can be the main challenge for quality in near future. Besides,
this is the natural extrapolation of evolution of quality from past to present to future. Having
accepted this as the main challenge for quality in general, the components and the ingredients
can be elaborated and explored. For example, equity, more balanced societies, juridical
systems are big components.

From sustainability point of view, which was discussed above, it is emphasized that
sustainability and excellence of organizations are not any more merely dependent on their
economic progress and performance. There are two big imperatives for organizations before
economic considerations which are their responsibility with regard to first the environment
and second the society. Without having minimum and concrete contribution to the
environment protection and conservation, and also, to having a healthy society, their
sustainability in business is at risk and, soon or late, they encounter deep difficulties
regardless of any improvement initiative they take. It means these two general considerations
should be placed at the top of organizations’ policies before the business issues, and they
should be equipped with systems, tools and techniques, more than before to help them
implement, practice and maintain these policies.

Again, with an inward view, fostering creative and innovative capabilities of the organization
is a great work if they want to stay in market and keep they market share. Having innovative
products and creating value not only for customers but, for all stakeholders is a must.
Developing required culture and then institutionalizing the related concepts (philosophies),
establishing the needed systems, leadership development throughout the organization and
finally gaining skill in using respective tools and techniques are vital projects to be seriously
followed.

The new generation organizations should have an aggressive business philosophy believing
that everything is really possible. This philosophy comprise three main elements:

- Dreaming big dreams is a way to cut loose from the past. Managers should leave their
traditional and usual way of thinking and dream of doing business that have never
been done before. Future- making managers are those who have ambitious goals and
disseminate this throughout the whole organization for motivation. They are passion –
driven, vision –motivated and truly visionary leaders.

- Daring to take risk to make the dreams come true. This needs a deep belief in the
values and also in the mission of the organization. Actually, deep belief realizes and
hidden potentials and capabilities to surface and support the dream. They are ready to
sacrifice everything to achieve the objectives which are behind the dream. It is an old
saying in different languages that if you really wish, you can reach or everything
seriously dreamed can be realized through hard work. In French they say “Vouloir est
Pouvoir”.

- Doing is the practical phase of the process which starts by creating appropriate plans
so that the dreams, supported by profound motivation, become a reality. This is
actually the creation and innovation process. All new things haven’t been existed
before and, before coming to existence, they have been dreamed. For a future-maker
manager, impossible doesn’t exist! We are, indeed, living in an open world with
infinite opportunities!

The above philosophy needs to be institutionalized throughout the organization in a way that
every employee bears the same mentality and take the same thinking habit. Developing
leadership in the organization and improving an appropriate long-lasting rich culture will
serve as an invaluable asset for targeting virtually any far objective and reaching any
ambitious goal.

To make possible such a business philosophy to work, there are certain numbers of
recommendations which have been proved to be effective for future-making:

- Giving everyone in the organization a chance to dream and encouraging creativity,

- Standing on the believes and principles firmly and strongly,
- Giving everyone a high degree of personality and human respect,
- Emphasizing on extensive training and taking initiative to improve culture of the
organization on a permanent basis.
- Having suitable plans for deploying the strategies of the organization.
Whatever we think about the new responsibilities of future-making organizations and their
top executives, there is one pre-requisite and it is open mindedness. Breaking all mental
frames and ready to accept anything! Talking and recommending it is very simple but
practicing it is extremely difficult. However, for the new challenges in the e-world and in
order to be a champion of future, these are fundamentals for all those who would like to
contribute to future – making.

Conclusions
Quality is jumping from its traditional organizational level to social level and is going to play
a vital constructive role in bringing the entire national economies into stronger position in the
global system of trade and commerce. Specially for developing countries, whose economies
are expected to expand in the years to come, quality should help in raising the living standard
of the people who are majority of the world’s population. Contribution to public education,
public healthcare and public social security are few targeted fields of great improvement
which demands huge amount of hard work at national, regional and even international levels.

Dr. Joseph Juran’s saying, due to its high importance, may be reminded again which is
actually mission statement for quality in future: “My job of contributing to the welfare of
my fellow man is a great unfinished business.” It is interesting to remind also a less
frequently heard quotation from Professor Kaoru Ishikawa, perhaps expressed in last years
of his fruitful life: “I am convinced world peace and prosperity needs quality. This is why
quality will have to be taught and spread around the world”. Both quality gurus
emphasize that quality should take responsibilities for improving welfare of the people and
the world community. Organizations should actually take this directive and contribute to this
“great unfinished business”. This is the highway for organizations towards excellence.

As far as individual responsibilities for excellence and prosperity are concerned, I have found
the following quite inspiring. Dr. H. James Harrington, in an interview with Quality Digest,
concludes that to be successful, one must excel today as tomorrow is late. He continues on
emphasizing that to attain excellence one needs to:

- Care more than others think is wise,

- Risk more than others think is safe,
- Dream more than others think is practical,
- Expect more than others think is possible.

In the final analysis, organizations can be divided into three categories regardless of all factors
which make any of them a unique entity compared to others. The first are those who are
totally or partially non-responsive to change and prefer to ignore whatever happening around
them. This is an illusion of course and, as they ignore future, in their real practice, future
ignores them too, as a natural law. The second are those who are behind the change and are
rather active but in a reflexive way. They try to adapt themselves but, indeed, the speed of
change is much higher and they become more and more separated from time. They will soon
or late join the first group unless taking more active or even pro-active approach in their
business philosophy. The third are those who influence future and actively take part in
practice in its realization as well as that of their organization with their thoughtful strategies
and smart, and not necessarily hard, work. In fact, they should be called “Future –Makers”.
We should always remember that even if we do not participate, the future will happen any
way. BUT, advantage goes to those who anticipate the future and try to equip themselves with
all needed to embrace it. Agility is a winning factor in today’s rapidly changing world. The
future mostly belongs to those who pro-actively contribute to making future and cause the
great things to happen.