A study on the state of quality management research based on journal & conference articles

• Autores: Katja Karhu, Tauno Kekäle
• Localización: Conradi Research Review, ISSN-e 1459-0980, Vol. 2, Issue 1, 2003, págs. 67-83
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This article describes the results of a study that investigates which kind of research has been done and where the research emphasis has been in the area of Quality Management (QM) in the late 1990s. The conceptual classification model called the Starburst Model was used to classify articles from two volumes in three leading quality management journals and one conference proceeding series. The most common research area was clearly found to be the alignment and integration, mostly because of the interest in quality management systems during the period. The next most popular areas were quality assurance and problem resolution (statistical methods) that had their high time somewhat earlier. The article also studies the methods used. It seems that if the subject of the article is undefined or new, conceptual papers as well as interviews appear. It also seems that the field is approaching conceptual maturity, the researchers start to initiate case studies to test the conceptual models. When the research area is mature enough so that it can be grasped quantitatively in statistical significance, also surveys and mathematical models start to attract the researches. Case study experiences are used often to describe minor new developments and specific applications throughout the history of the field.