Introductory description

Excellence in a business context is a combination of internal excellence in how things are done (enablers) leading to outstanding business performance (results). Excellence is recognised worldwide through awards such as the European Quality Award, the Baldrige Award and the Deming Award as well as national awards that are based on these. This module introduces the fundamental concepts that underpin non-prescriptive approaches to creating sustainable excellence in an engineering business.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Introduction to managing business excellence.
Fundamental concepts of excellence related to organizations.
System of profound knowledge.
Key principles and practices of organizational learning.
Measurement of results.
Benchmarking.
Comparison of various excellence models.
Self-assessment.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Critically analyse how an aspect of organizational performance could be developed, justifying the approaches that are proposed.
• Analyse how the EFQM excellence model could guide the development of organizational performance.
• Critically discuss how Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge and his 14 Points for Management could support organizational development.

Indicative reading list

The EFQM Model 2020. Brussels, EFQM
Supply chain excellence: a handbook for dramatic improvement using the SCOR model
Book by Peter Bolstorff; Robert Rosenbaum ©2012
Total quality management: strategies and techniques proven at today's most successful companies
Book by George, Stephen; Weimerskirch, Arnold c1998
Out of the crisis Book by Deming, W. Edwards 2000

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Research element

Reviewing the literature to identify contemporary approaches for developing organizational performance.

International

Critically analyse the applicability of the European, American and Japanese excellence models.

Subject specific skills

Understand how non-prescriptive management models help organizations to measure and
improve their progress on the path to sustainable excellence, Understand the concepts that
underpin sustainable excellence, Understand the relationships between enabling activities and
organizational results, Understand the operational aspects of various excellence models.

Transferable skills

Communication, critical thinking, working with others, problem solving, information literacy,
numeracy, digital literacy, ethical values, intercultural awareness, professionalism, organizational
awareness