Project management: a quality management approach
Excellent publications have been available on project management for many years and much discussion has taken place extolling the virtues of this aspect of management and its great influence on the overall successful operation of organizations in all sectors. When being considered in its generic form, project management can also be applied to any set of activities, and in this context it is no less than a universal management tool. This paper examines the feasibility and practicality of applying a quality management approach to project management. The model used for the analysis is the criteria of the Canada Awards for Excellence, the internationally recognized quality award program.
The effect of TQM on performance in R&D environments: A perspective from South Korean firms
Abstract This paper presents an empirical study, which examines the effectiveness of Total Quality Management (TQM) practices in R&D environments by demonstrating the effect of TQM practices on R&D performance in terms of product quality and product innovation. Despite numerous studies of the relationship between TQM and organisational performance, little research has been done on the relationship between TQM and R&D performance. This study used data from 130 R&D divisions of Korean manufacturing firms. Two research questions were posed, with the first pertaining to the implementation of TQM principles in R&D environments and the second focusing on the effect of TQM on R&D performance. TQM practices were measured by six criteria of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and R&D performance measures consist of quality and innovation aspects. Using structural equation modelling techniques, the findings showed the integration of the implementation of TQM practices in R&D divisions as well as the significant contribution of TQM to R&D performance. These findings suggest that TQM as a set of generic principles can be adapted in environments other than manufacturing or production areas.
Evaluation of buckling load and dynamic performance of steel shear wall retrofitted with strips made of shape memory alloy
One of the most imperfections of the steel shear wall is out of plane displacements that cause severe damage in both structural and non-structural elements. In this paper, the effects of shape-memory alloys on steel shear walls are investigated. First, a numerical analysis using the finite element method in ABAQUS software has been carried out according to an experimental test. The results of the numerical analysis have been verified with experimental results. Next, shape-memory alloy fibers have been added vertically and horizontally to various parts of the steel shear wall. The results show that retrofitting with the shape-memory alloy reduces the out-of-plane displacement of the steel shear wall under both cyclic and seismic loadings. Besides, the buckling load in the steel shear wall increases when it is retrofitted with the shape-memory alloy. Also, the total out-of-plane movement (accumulated absolute displacements) of the steel shear wall and non-structural damage are controlled by the characteristic of a shape-memory alloy material called “super-elastic”.