Switzerland – the Ideal Cultural Mix?

Swiss managers, significantly more than managers from any other country in the world, have a balanced perspective on all of the important cultural questions. Many people see this as a result of Switzerland's cultural diversity. However, our research has shown that attitudes on these issues are quite similar throughout Switzerland. Swiss businesspeople value balance. They ask a lot of questions about the situation and context before formulating their response.

Not only is Switzerland politically neutral, one could also say that it is culturally neutral (but not without culture!). Perhaps this is why the Swiss are the world's bankers, and why – beyond attractive tax regulations – so many international companies have decided to locate here. However, Swiss businesspeople who work in other countries find it difficult to accept that other places have less neutral – and no doubt equally appropriate – cultural configurations.

UNIT 5. Quality Management

Lead in: total quality management

Vocabulary: key terms

Reading: quality management

Speaking: reply to a letter of complaint

Grammar: Passive

Case Study: Total Quality Management

Translation: key terms

Writing: quality control process; essay

Culture: business etiquette tips

 

Lead in

Define the term quality, quality management and total quality management (TQM) in business context.

Study the Six Sigma definition and discuss its aim.

Six Sigma is a quality-control program developed in 1986 by Motorola. Initially, it emphasized cycle-time improvement and reducing manufacturing defects to a level of no more than 3.4 per million. Since then, Six Sigma has evolved into a more general business-management philosophy focused on meeting customer requirements, improving customer retention, and improving and sustaining business products and services. Six Sigma is applicable to all industries. [19]

 

Compare TQM and Six Sigma.

Vocabulary

These are the terms for you to learn.

A. Make sentences with them.

B. Translate them.

 

1. six sigma quality	2. absolute performance standard	3. open standard	4. performance specification
5. benchmarking	6. quality management	7. qualification process	8. certification
9. standardization	10. key principles of quality management	11. ISO 9001	12. international Standards Organization (ISO)
13. world class	14. total quality management (TQM)	15. compliance	16. price of non-quality (PONQ)
17. acceptable quality level	18. zero defects	19. key principles of quality	20. diagnostic test
21. Shewart cycle	22. deficiency	23. defects per unit (DPU)	24. reliability
25. business process quality management	26. key principles of quality management	27. processing	28. audit
29. one hundred percent inspection	30. global quality tracking system (GQTS)	31. gauge repeatability & reproducibility (GR&R)	32. pareto analysis

2. Match terms 1- 10 with definitions a- j:

Six sigma quality	a)A set of methods for aligning all the components of a business to the quality requirements of the client or customer, in order to maximize quality and reduce waste.
Quality management	b)Formulation, publication, and implementation of guidelines, rules, and specifications for common and repeated use, aimed at achieving optimum degree of order or uniformity in a given context, discipline, or field.
Business process quality management	c)Aggregate of time, money, and opportunity cost losses resulting from doing things wrong.
International Standards Organization (ISO)	d)Certification or confirmation that the doer of an action, or the manufacturer or supplier of a product, meets the requirements of accepted practices, legislation, prescribed rules and regulations, specified standards, or the terms of a contract.
Standardization	e)Non-proprietary protocol or specification governed by an organization open to all who wish to join, such as ISO standards.
6. Compliance	f)A software product that enables organizations to coordinate international quality assurance operations, centralize the identification and distribution of performance metrics.
Shewart cycle	g)Well controlled process that is ± six sigma from the center line of a control chart.
8. Open standard	h)A voluntary, non-treaty federation of standards setting bodies of some 130 countries.
Price of non-quality (PONQ)	i)Four-step process used in quality control as a simplified method of achieving improvements.
Global quality tracking system (GQTS)	j)Management activities and functions involved in determination of quality policy and its implementation through means such as quality planning and quality assurance.