International Journal for Quality Research

6

Authors: Elizabeta Mitreva

The subject of this paper is linked with the valorization of the meaning and the perspectives of Total Quality Management (TQM) system design and implementation within th e domestic companies and creating a model-methodology for improved perfor mance, efficiency and effectiveness. The research is designed as an attempt to depict the existing condition in the Macedonian companies regarding quality system design and implementation, analysed through 4 po lls in the "house of quality" whose top is the ultimate management, and as its bases measurement, evaluation, analyzing and comparison of the quality are used. This "house" is being held by 4 subsystems e.g. internal standardization, methods and techniques for flawless work performance, e ducation and motivation and analyses of the quality costs. The data received fr om the research and the proposal of the integral methodology for designi ng and implementing of TQM system are designed in turn to help and presen t useful directions to all Macedonian companies tending to become "world class" organizations. The basis in the creation of this model is the rede sign of the business processes which afterword begins as a new phase of the business performance - continued improvement, rolling of Deming's Quality Circle (Plan-Do-Check-Act). The model-methodology proposed in this paper is integral and universal which means that it is applicable to all com panies regardless of the business area.

7

Authors: Ivan Kuric

Paper deals with aspects of quality and accuracy of machine tools. As the accuracy of machine tools has key factor for product quality, it is important to know the methods for evaluation of quality and accuracy of machine tools. Several aspects of diagnostics of machine tools are described, such as aspects of reliability.

8

Authors: N.M. Vaxevanidis, H. Despotidi, H. Prokopiou, A. Koutsomichalis

For the assessment of the quality of research and the scientific contribution of Higher Education Ins titutes (HEIs) and their research groups, a variety of approaches have be en proposed, including expert based qualitative approaches, such as evaluati on by widely accepted researchers in specific disciplines with broad r ecognition in the scientific community (peer-review methodology). However, th e rapid Internet proliferation and the easier access to scientific dat abases, offers an alter native approach to assessing the scientific outcome of a researcher or a Faculty. Nowadays, there seems to be a movem ent towards bibliometric measures and indices. In this paper, the resear ch output of four Engineering Departments, one being part of the School of Pedagogical & Technological Education (ASPETE) and the three others belonging to Technological Educational Institutions (TEIs) is evalu ated by using bibliometric indices such as the total and average pub lications and citations and the mean h- index. For comparison purposes the evaluation also includes two Eng. Depts; one from a University and the other from a Higher Military Educational Institute. It is concluded t hat despite the inherent limitations of bibliometrics the viability of th e adopted method for measuring and evaluating the scientific performance of higher education departments is effective in terms of Robustness, Validity, Functionality and Cost and time effectiveness. The useful results obt ained suggest that such an approach could be used in a broader context.

9

Authors: Jelena Jovanovic

This paper deals with the analysis of the Strategic Management System approach called Balanced Scorecard. At the very beginning of this article, the basic model of this syst em is presented with the detailed description of its function followed by a deep analysis of the numerous reference sources in order to test th e wider capacities of this system. The particular attention is paid to determ ine the number of BSC perspectives. In this sense, we investigate the literatu re concerning the integration of the issues related environmental protection into the basic concept of Balanced Scorecard.

12

Authors: Petnji Yaya Luc Honore, Marimon Frederic, Casadesus Marti

This paper seeks to investigate fr om customers ? perspective, if the implementation of ISO 9001 with the sc ope directly related to customers (offices, claims, etc.), spawn any disc repancies on service quality, customer perceived value, customer satisfactio n, customer loyalty and customer service recovery; in the backdrop of e-services in Catalonia (Spain). The main research target consists of e-banks operating in the region of Catalonia (Spain), besides customers w ho regularly use internet to do their banking. Self completed questionnaire wa s designed from a blend of existing constructs. An analysis of vari ance (ANOVA) was performed to a convenience sample of 428 customers of e-banking services (123 of them reported a complained about the service) and 16 banks. The results reveal that e-banking custom ers in Catalonia were not sensitive to the usage of ISO 9001. However, customers from banks that do not implement ISO 9001 perceived that the pr ices of the service available on their bank site were more economical. Research limitations and implication th is study was done only in Catalonia expandability might be restricted. Furt her investigation may be done in Spain as a whole or in differ ent countries and settings. Originality/value based on literature reviews, this study will be one of the first to carry out such research from customers' perspective and more specifically in Catalonia. The results of the study were useful in validating previous findings.