Chris Jensen Health and Rehabilitation Center in Duluth and Cerenity Residence on Humboldt in Saint Paul are two nursing homes of extremely different quality. Chris Jensen Health and Rehabilitation Center is a one-star nursing home while Cerenity Residence on Humboldt is a five-star nursing home according to the Official U.S. Government Site for Medicare.
According to the information provided on the official site of Chris Jensen, the nursing home aims at providing treatment that concentrates on self-respect, competences, and rights of every individual. Chris Jensen operates on the basis of five primary values including respect, hospitality, stewardship, integrity and humor (Chris Jensen Health and Rehabilitation Center, n.d.). Two principal programs of the nursing home include memory care and palliative care.
Cerenity Senior Care is a five-star nursing home. It focuses on the creation of the warm and respectful atmosphere for clients. This nursing home provides various programs for physical, social, and spiritual care. The mission of the Cerenity Senior Care is to promote the dignity and independence. Nursing home’s values include hospitality, respect, stewardship, and collaboration (Mission & Core Values, n.d.).
The Comparison of Key Elements of Quality
Chris Jensen is a for-profit organization with 170 certified beds. It participates in Medicare and Medicaid. Health and fire safety inspections have identified that the overall rating is much below average. Chris Jensen has 14 health deficiencies and five fire deficiencies.
The situation with staffing is better in comparison to other aspects. However, there are 65 residents, and RN has 45 minutes per resident per day. Quality measures are much below average according to residents’ assessment data. The nursing home has not received any penalties in three years (Compare Nursing Homes, n.d.).
Cerenity Senior Care is a non-profit organization with 30 certified beds. It is a participant of Medicare. There are no health deficiencies and four fire deficiencies for the nursing home. The staffing is perfectly qualified. There are 14 residents, and RN has more than 3 hours per one patient per day. Quality measures are perfect. The center has the best percentage of short-stay residents who were appropriately assessed.
Quality Assurance Plan
The first prominent thing about Cerenity Residence on Humboldt is that it provides social and spiritual care. The cultural competence is of great significance for the high-quality assessment and treatment. Thus, it is advisable for Chris Jensen to promote cultural competence plan that will recognize different needs of patients, and will lead to the better satisfaction (Rose, 2011).
The nursing home should follow the transformational approach to leadership that is of primary significance for the necessary changes. The organization should focus on patients’ satisfaction and staffing. RN should devote more time to every patient. Chris Jensen should draw the attention of stakeholders such as employees and other people involved.
The central problem is that stakeholders can be interested in any assistance only if the nursing home follows its mission, values, and realizes it in practice. Chris Jensen faces difficulty in meeting its values and mission, and that fact explains the necessity to implement the transformational approach.
According to Singh (2009), the Deming cycle comprises of four steps that define the effectiveness of quality improvement plan. These stages include plan, do, study, and act. The program can be used in Chris Jensen Center as well. First, it is necessary to select a process for improvement (satisfaction of patients in terms of cultural competence).
The next step presupposes the gathering of data (if there are necessary spiritual and social support). The thirst step is used to understand the impact of such change (better satisfactions and quality). Finally, the change should be implemented and tested.
References
Chris Jensen Health and Rehabilitation Center. (n.d.). Web.
Compare Nursing Homes. (n.d.). Web.
Mission & Core Values. (n.d.). Web.
Rose, P. (2011.) Cultural Competency for Health Administration and Public Health. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Barlett Publishers.
Singh, D. (2009.) Effective Management of Long Term Care Facilities. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Barlett Publishers.
Standards are the generally agreed ways of doing something which can be repeated over and over again. They are set as rules for guidance on how to produce an item or how a certain activity is to be conducted. Standards help to make life easier and always increase the effectiveness and the reliability of goods and services produced.
Both national and international trade are governed by standards covering environment, labor, products and other commodities; they are applied so as to mitigate against such risks associated with the environment as the health of the population, prevention of deceptive and unethical practices and finally to reduce the transactional costs in business.
The standards always provide a common reference points for quality, authenticity, safety and sustainability.
Standards will always be used as a strategic to enhance competitiveness of organizations and countries. Lack of standards can be a major impediment for trade putting other traders at a very disadvantaged position; harmonized standards promote a fair competition in the market (Australian Business Awards 2011).
Standards facilitate trade through quality and reliability of the products. Human beings engage in trade or the exchange of goods and services and deal with incorrect measures and misrepresentation throughout the history though systems are developed to enforce honesty. The earliest standards in the past were basically to enforce honesty between people.
Importance of standards to international trade
Over the years, there has been a major development in trade, especially on the international level, that is why there has been a rising need by the manufacturers to develop a single worldwide accepted standards and conformity tests.
The health, environment concerns and the safety standards differ among the countries, and therefore governments have accommodated all this when developing global standards. Our societies relies heavily on standards, and all the products and services we consume every day have been subjected to some form of standards.
International standardization has grown tremendously and helped in eliminating of ambiguity in business transactions. Standardization has helped in major progress towards trade liberalization across the globe by providing a common reference that is recognized in different countries. Standards have also enhanced the quality of products and their reliability by providing confidence in the products and services.
For instance, we have the mandatory, obligatory, preferential and even business of marketing standards. ISO the International Organization for Standardization is a voluntary standard setting body which membership is recognized by the authorities in their countries (International Organization for Standardization n. d.). It began in 1942 and has undergone many changes; currently, it offers different standard certification all over the world.
Importance of standards to Health, Safety and consumer rights
The Australians Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is an independent government statutory body in charge of ensuring national consumer protections law. These laws concern unsafe products and unfair trade and therefore guarantee on quality goods and services for the consumers. This commission ensures consumer’s safety and health across countries.
This is the way of ensuring that unsafe products that do not meet the required standards are not sold to the unsuspecting consumers. Every business operation is required to report to ACCC immediately when they realize that the products they supplied may have caused any harm or illness to the consumers.
These are the standards that have been set by the government to ensure that the safety, health and the rights of consumers are guaranteed. This also meets certain standards for the products that are sold to the consumers.
The consumer rights covered here does not involve problems arising through misuse or the act of carelessness on the part of the consumer. All these standards and measures that have been put in place serve also to guarantee the health and safety of the consumer.
Quality Assurance Standards
ISO17025:2005 quality assurance standards which specify the general requirements and the competence to carry out tests and calibrations which include sampling and testing using the standard methods, laboratory developed methods and other non-standards methods (Tawfik, & Fatah 2011).
This certification can be conferred to any organization performing calibrations and tests, thus it is applicable to an organization without taking into account the number of the staff. ISO17025:2005 quality assurance standard certification is for laboratories which show quality and competence particularly in the medical laboratory.
It is conferred to laboratories which have shown quality management system in place and their competence (Langley et al 2009). The standard contains five elements of Management requirements, scope, References, Terms and definitions and the Technical requirements.
The main aspects of this quality assurance standard are Management requirements and Technical requirements which relate directly to operation and effectiveness of the management system. Laboratories use this quality assurance standard to implement quality system that is aimed at improving the ability of the laboratory to achieve consistently good results.
GMP or The Good manufacturing practice is a practice required to be embraced by the manufacturing companies in the pharmaceutical industry, this shows systems of quality control covering the manufacture of drugs, their testing, their active ingredients and diagnosis (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 2011). GMPs are the guidelines which impact on quality of the product.
The main aim of GMP is to safeguard the health and safety of the consumer and produce products of good quality that are effective at the same time. The GMP guidelines are not supposed to give the instruction on how to manufacture products, but rather the principles that should be observed during the manufacturing process.
Different countries have legislated GMP guidelines that companies must follow if they want to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing entity in the country (Hoyle 2009).
GMP guidelines have been incorporated into different legislations in different countries, so they are to be followed strictly whereas the ISO17025:2005 and ISO15189:2007 are not mandatory, but it is for organizations that have shown to maintain quality management systems and strict quality controls.
Both ISO15189:2007 and ISO17025:2005 are certifications for companies involved in the laboratories whereas GMPs are for companies involved in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals products.
All the three quality assurance standards imply that the company produces high quality products that are safe to use and can be trusted therefore ensuring good health for the consumer. It also implies that the organization has quality management systems in place and their products meet the highest standards in the market.
For an ISO1725:2005 certification, the company has to show that in its operations, it takes into account environment issues like degradation, pollution among others. The ISO15189:2007 certification have the same requirements, and in addition, the aspects of clinical tests are taken into account.
The ISO17025:2005 places emphasis on the selection of the tests and calibrations methods employed whereas the ISO15189:2007 emphasizes much on the patient’s outcome. The ISO 17025:2005 sets all the requirements that a calibration and a testing laboratory have to meet to show that their quality system is in place, they have competence and can generate valid results (Hoyle 2009).
The ISO15189:2007 is recognition of testing competence and calibration of medical laboratories and other medical laboratory services like the needs of the patients and the clinical personnel.
It emphasizes more on the care of the patients. Both ISO15189:2007 and ISO17025:2005 are almost similar with some very few differences whereas the GMP is totally different compared to the two quality assurance standard certifications. Business Excellence Models
Business excellence models are said to be frameworks used in an organization that drives actions in a more systematic manner which eventually leads to increased productivity and performance (Juran & Defeo 2010). These models are more holistic in approach and focus virtually on all the aspects of the organization.
Nowadays, there are numerous business excellence models used all over the world; these models are almost the same in nature with some slight variations. The Malcolm Baldrige award model or simply the Baldrige model was started in the United States of America by the congress to promote awareness on quality and recognize achievements of various organizations in the US (Leonard & McGuire, 2007).
These annual awards are presented by the President of the US to organizations who have shown outstanding performance and excellence in innovation and other business activities. Although it started in the US in 1987, it is used by different countries across the world with some slight modifications in the structure now (Porter & Tanner, 2004).
The awards are given to organizations in the manufacturing sector education, health, service and not for profit organizations. Before the recipients receive the awards. they have to show their achievement and their improvements in some of the seven key areas of strategic planning, customer and market focus, analysis, knowledge management, leadership, process management and results.
In assessing the recipients, the board examines the report on organization opportunities and strength in every detail. Since its inception, the Baldrige award has become the most converted and has helped many organizations to improve their performance by improving value to customers.
Most of the awards across the world have been modeled like the Baldrige. The core values of Baldrige include visionary leadership, customer driven excellence, valuing employed and partners. The benefits in participating on such awards are that these enable the organizations to align their processes, resources, people and their customer’s needs. They also help the organization on their daily operations to think strategically.
The Australian Business Awards is another business excellence model, this award is national in nature and used to honor organizations that have shown and demonstrated excellence in their business and product development and have shown a commitment, sustainability and commercial success in their operations.
These awards were started in 2006, and it was a way of recognizing organization that have shown progress in environmental and social contributions. The award is given to all the organizations from private and public companies, government departments to no-governmental organizations.
The award falls into ten categories that is enterprise, innovation, service excellence, public service, E-Business, project management, recommended employer, community contribution and environmental sustainability.
Business excellence models are developed by the national bodies in their respective countries, and the winners of the awards are recognized as leaders in their industry and always branded as the elite in their industry (Cobb 2003). These awards enable organizations to benchmark with other organization in the same industry and help the organizations to assess their performance and identify their strengths as well.
Conclusion
Both the quality assurance standards like the ISO certification and the Business excellence models have a lot in common because the organizations are subjected to independent rigorous assessment and meet the stringent requirements which are awarded or certified. Both the business excellence model and the quality assurance standards focus on the management system in areas, such as leadership, strategic planning among others.
No organization with weak management system ever gets either the award or the certification. All the business excellence models and the quality assurance standards are geared towards the final consumer of the goods or the services. The awards and the certifications will always give the consumer the confidence that the goods and services are safe and of high quality.
It also gives the customer the assurance that the products are consistent in quality and taste. Both the quality assurance standards and business excellence models are the sources of pride for the organization which has received them because this shows that the goods and services are of world class and can effectively compete with others in the industry.
In both instances, the organizations are assessed by a team of independent evaluators who are not biased and cannot be influenced. Both are indications that the company is ethically managed organization and involved in sustainable environmental activities like conserving the environment and limiting pollution and solid wastes.
Currently, environmental issues have become very critical to all and these awards and standards always have an element of environmental dimension. Good business practices are another main focus of both these business excellence awards and the quantity assurance standard if the organization engages in exploitative practices and slavery like conditions.
For instance, poor wages of its staff cannot gain any of this awards or the standard recognition. All these quality assurance standards recognition and the business excellence awards ensure a win-win situation for the organization, their employees, the consumers, the environment and the community at large.
Cobb, C., G., 2003. From quality to business excellence: a systems approach to management. New York: ASQ Quality Press.
Hoyle, D., 2009. ISO 9000 Quality Systems Handbook. 6th ed. New York: Taylor & Francis.
International Organization for Standardization, n. d. International Standards for Businesses, Government and Society. International Organization for Standardization. Web.
Juran, J. M., & Defeo, J. A., 2010. Juran’s Quality Handbook:The Complete Guide to Performance Excellence. Washington, D C.: McGraw-Hill.
Langley, G. J., Moen, R., Nolan, K. M., Nolan,T. W., & Norman, C. L., 2009. The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.
Leonard, D., & McGuire, M., 2007. The executive guide to understanding and implementing the Baldrige criteria. Boston: ASQ Quality Press.
Porter, L. J., & Tanner, S. J., 2004. Assessing Business Excellence: A Guide to Business Excellence And Self-Assessment. New York, NY: Elsevier.
Over a period of time, standardization has been widely known as a process that entails developing and implementing technical commodities standards. Commodities in this case include services and products. Standardization as applicable in social sciences is closely allied to the good-natured solutions for harmonizing problems (Barker & Aydin 1991, p.21).
Often, the term refers to a state where each partaking party is bound to realize shared gains by making mutually consistent decisions. Standards can only be achieved when appropriate decisions are ratified and consistent decisions are made.
Standardization is regarded as an obligation in the current organizational backgrounds. It represents one of the most proficient techniques used to maximize on the utilization of organization resources. It has been embraced at international levels by multinational corporations that are compelled to do so by the globalized markets.
In fact, market globalization call for regulations and standards that have the capacity to provide corporations with eminence unification conditions that are integral in a wide-range of marketable products.
Standardization has been used by multinational corporations for recognitions as well as to take standards elaboration and implementation initiatives (Barker & Aydin 1991, p.21).
This is necessary since commercial enterprises and clients attitudes are based on standardization, believing that corporations that give priorities to standardizations have the chance to dominate the market.
Basically, consumers materialize to be an imperative force which pushes for standardization. They always require commodities that have high market standards. This implies that corporations are obliged to implement standards which link up with product qualities being presented to the market.
Thus, corporations find it a conditional practice that must be approved in order to expand and maintain their consumer bases. The consumer demand impacts are apparent in standardized activities that corporations assume in order to harmonize the efforts of the producers so as to accomplish the individual client complex needs (Barker & Aydin 1991, p.28).
Consumers similarly struggle to stimulate collectivities via selecting products which nearly reflect and correspond to the recipients’ requirements.
Selecting an adequate solution for a need requires familiarity with the market atmosphere and the consumers. For instance, consumers always choose an ambient cost-effective product from a corporation besides gauging its operational efficiency.
The precise and clear definitions of the characteristics of a particular product quantity always tend to amass the consumers loyalty and faith with respect to enterprise, trade and economic ventures within the entrepreneurial purlieu. It allows for the commercialization and development of markets procedural precincts considering client-provider relations.
Such an association requires that the technical clients support and any other technicalities be clarified taking into account the commodities technical systems. When client oriented technical system is provided, it might be deemed as product and service facet of particular fields.
The specific field aspects include legal, organizational, economical, technical and social fields (Barker & Aydin 1991, p.31). Furthermore, it can be linked to isolated activities namely environmental and consumer protections as well as engineering.
The concepts cited in standards can be accredited to the fundamental specialty discipline principles that warrant grounds for systematic terminologies.
Usually, the ideas approach the general and practical modalities of the real-world phenomenon which develops collaborations within the varied science branches. In regard to this, standardization emanates as a basic constituent of the entire scientific activity (Kinney & Clark 2004, p.297).
Standardization places consumers’ rights amongst its various perspectives. In most organizations, consumers’ safety falls under the prioritized aspects considered to be of great essence. Food safety is a clear example that most corporations deem as an isolated and significant concept. Generally, the perspective has hosted variations within the legal and economic systems of various global corporations.
The food safety area has ideally endured modifications from the implementation of universal market regulations that the European Community approved. This community affirmed the regulations and recommendations for suitable foodstuffs (Kinney & Clark 2004, p.301).
For corporations to fully participate in the universal food market, it is a requirement that they must keep to high standardization levels, adhere to civil rights movements and official governments controls.
Corporations are bound to observe the safety of consumers as they exercise entrepreneurial undertakings within the free trade marketplaces. In the recent years, the food safety standardization seems to have been strictly shadowed by various legislations.
The whole chain of food production has experienced amendments for instance, corporations seek to observe the manner in which food crops are grown and animals are raised prior to reaching the consumers.
Higher responsibility standards are set for producers by such corporations concerning food safety and quality (Barker & Aydin 1991, p.31). The stipulations are that any food that is to be taken to the market ought to be safe for consumption purposes and must not cause any disease to the consumers.
A handy assessment of the food security regulations discloses that the European Union and the U.S. extremely honor consumers’ food security. In fact, various common wealth nations want corporations to adhere to food security as a prerogative. To monitor consumer food security, numerous regulations have been set by state administrations. These regulations are firmly traced by specific government regulatory bodies.
The main aim of the regulations is to warrant high food safety standards. This entails protecting the basic consumers’ interests and health via closely monitoring the entire process relating to food products sales, processing, transportation, production, food chain and storage.
The vibrant and preemptive principles concerning food safety consist of the consumers’ protection policies which embrace integrated and wide-ranging approaches (Regulation, 2002).
Corporations in the recent years appear to integrate technical discussions in food productions. The foundation with respect to human health right is considered the utmost reasonable standard given that it must be organized in a sustainable, systematic and operational modus.
According to Hise (n.d., p.15) assertions, corporations which provide health services that are derived from international standards tend to implement integrated, operative and realistic health systems.
Health providing corporations embrace health related determinants and medical cares which are entirely responsive to both international and local precedence that are deemed wholly accessible. The corporations institute standards which replicate service quality being offered (Hise n.d., p.19).
Health service quality standards are reliant on medicine interventions and public health insights. Kinney and Clark (2004, p.292) assert that each and every individual has a right to standard and available healthcare services. Often, standardized health services tend to warrant the population with an operative healthcare system.
Corporation which offer standard health services mostly prosper as a result of the loyalty and acceptability they attain from the global marketplaces. E-commerce has greatly contributed to the amplification of reliable corporations’ clients’ base given that consumers usually seek better health providers advice and information from friends.
Any corporation that does not set high service standards is bound to fail from negative publicity ensuing from the provision of grave and prevalent human rights health problems.
Basically, patients are believed to have the rights to high standard and accessible health services. The strengthening as well as the development of health systems is perceived to be very essential in achieving poverty reduction, economic affluence and securing sustainable development from a vigorous population.
In most global nations, the consumers’ rights with respect to the delivery of high healthcare standards are constitutionally enshrined (Freedman, 2005, p.20). In states where consumers’ rights health standards are not incorporated in the constitution, the health service standards are instituted by various enforced human rights accords.
Systems which reflect high health service standards appear to be apprehensive of the consumers’ rights. Such corporations are attributable to certain features including the citizens’ rights to operational perspectives which ensure that producers meet the utmost attainable service standards.
The attributes further entails the consumers right to view the corporations health in order to strengthen the health systems as the international health standards require. These standards are particularly emulated by the employees found within the corporations that offer health services.
Another important attribute of the health care service provision standards appertains to the welfare of the individuals, populations and the communities. These standards are specifically revealed when technical health matters incorporate experts (Kinney & Clark, 2004, p.301).
Quality assurance standards (QA)
DNA Advisory Board (DAB) QA
Basically, this is a QA panel that was instituted under the DNA Identification Act to review and improve quality assurance acclaimed principles. The DNA Advisory Board realizes its undertakings through commending QA principles to innumerable administrations including QA principles for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories.
These standards categorically define the quality assurance obligations that should be followed to warrant the reliability and quality of data produced by laboratories which utilize the combined DNA index system or perform forensic DNA tests.
The standards are thus particularly apprehensive of safety. They are general and this always results into varying interpretations (Nfstc, n.d, p.1). In fact, the program requires that all laboratories should inaugurate and similarly advance documented quality structures.
According to DNA Advisory Board (1998) stipulations, any adopted system must be suitable during the testing procedures. The generalization of these standards implies that they need expert staffs to perform specific operations.
Furthermore, the standards take into consideration vendor laboratories which execute scientific DNA tests according to Standard Seventeen (17). However, the participations of laboratories are not precluded either in collaboration with the others or by themselves on research and development relating to practices and actions that hitherto have not been corroborated (FBI, 2009).
ESG European QA Standards
The E4 set which consist of of the European symbolic groups namely universities, scholars, new higher education institutes and QA organizations merged to improve the European Standards and Guidelines for QA (ESG).
The guidelines and standards were designed for application to the European quality assurance agencies as well as to each and every higher education institution irrespective of its size, function, structure and national systems where they are situated. ESG was purposely designed to offer quality assurance by improving transparency and promoting mutual trust whereas respecting subject areas and national contexts diversities.
It is not avowed that detailed procedures should be incorporated in the report recommendations chapter given that agency and institutional procedures emerged to be imperative components of their autonomies. The agencies and institutions are bound to cooperate within their individualized contexts when deciding on the technical significances of approving these standards (Bernhard, 2011, p.91).
The ESG report encloses principles, recommendations and procedures that distinguish the state’s higher education classification preeminence, the worth of the supporting organizations and formal independences within such state systems as well as the definite necessities for the diverse learning subjects. The guidelines and standards are indebted to the knowledge acquired thru ENQA, TEEP coordinated pilot project.
Consistent with the institutional autonomy principles, quality assurance has a basic responsibility in higher educational systems which lie with every institution. It offers the foundation for actual responsibility of the educational systems within the state quality context (Bernhard, 2011, p.91).
Therefore, with regard to procedures and principles, a proper equilibrium has been tailed amid the responsibilities being assumed by the peripheral QA processes and improvement as well as the conception of the interior quality philosophies.
Petrochemical and Natural Gas Industries Quality Standard (ISO/TS 29001)
This is visualized as a common and inimitable source of global sectorial quality management standard (Gasiorowski, 2003).
This quality assurance standard addresses the well-being and protection of both the personnel as well as the public. ISO/TS 29001 seeks after ensuring that surrounding environment is well protected and profit streams for both the corporations and national economies are well maintained (Global Group, 2008).
Business Excellence Models (BEM)
BEM is perceived as a remarkable administrative exercise which leads to the realization of outcomes that are anchored on a set of primary principles or conceptions. This practice has generated models stipulating how global organizations ought to operate.
Indeed, business excellence models have developed and continuously advance via studies conducted on this practice alongside the values bequeathed to the universally highest performing corporations. Two of the renowned business excellence models are the Malcolm Baldrige Award (MBNQA) and the Australian Business Excellence Framework (ABEF).
Baldrige Model
Similarly dubbed as Performance Excellence Criteria, the model is alleged to be the utmost effective and prevalent business excellence model set up in the western countries. It was launched by the United States government and it is currently being used by more than twenty five nations who base their frameworks upon it (Nadi, 2001, p.15).
Basically, the Baldrige Criteria comprises of practices which are integrated into six methodological categories and results scope assessment category. The results assessment and approach categories include:
Workforce focus.
Market and clients focus.
Process management.
Strategic planning.
Leadership.
Business results and,
Knowledge management, analysis and measurement.
The Baldrige Values take account of;
Systems perspectives.
Management by facts.
Personal and organizational learning.
Focus on the future.
Visionary leadership.
Managing for innovation.
Social responsibility.
Agility.
Valuing partners and partners.
Focus on creating value and results.
Customer driven excellence.
Australian Business Excellence Framework (ABEF)
ABEF is non-prescriptive management and leadership system which describes the critical organizational systems elements on the basis of twelve quality principles and seven categories (Nadi, 2001, p.28).
Quality principles:
Organizational goals can be achieved when there are clear directions that permits organizational focus and alignment.
Organizational directions can be translated into actions through jointly agreed plans.
Organizational action, direction and strategy can only be influenced by understanding the current and future clients values.
When systems and the associated processes are improved, the outcomes will be improved.
Organizational potentiality can be realized via its personnel participation, resourcefulness and enthusiasm.
Innovations and continual improvements ensue from constant learning.
To improve the outcomes, employees need to work on the systems while all work in the systems.
When knowledge, facts and data are effectively used, they might give rise to better decisions.
Performance and predictability are impacted when all procedures and systems display variability.
Organizations can offer community value if the undertaken actions warrant prosperity, safe, clean and fair society.
Organizational capacity to generate and distribute values to all stakeholders determine its sustainability.
For an organization to attain its full potentials, these principles must be constantly role modeled by the senior leadership while creating supportive environment for their adoption.
The categories:
Business results.
People.
Innovation and leadership.
Services, products and processes.
Market and customer focus.
Knowledge and data information.
Planning and strategic processes.
Conclusion
In its broad sense, quality assurance standard relates to any set of action that has been selected, assumed and implemented so as to avert the occurrence of any quality problem. Business enterprises usually implement quality assurance standards to demonstrate their commitments towards the delivery of quality services and products to the consumers.
Practically, this implies devising systems that could be used to carry out responsibilities that might directly impact on the quality of products. QA documents how corporations intend to meet the clients’ requirements in a reliable and systematic manner. However, QA does not warrant quality product.
Conversely, most nations have developed their specific business excellence models which they use as frameworks in assessing and recognizing organizations performance via the award programmes.
As outlines that corporations and businesses might adopt, BEM offers assistance to businesses to tailor their activities and beliefs in a well-structured and logical modus which brings about enhanced performance. The ABEF and Baldrige Criteria models seem to be wide-ranging given that they revolve around all administrative scopes and parts, particularly aspects which foster organizational performance.
References
Barker, A. T. & Aydin, N. 1991, “Implications of Standardization in Global Markets”. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, vol.3 no.4, pp.15-34.
Bernhard, A. 2011, Quality assurance in an international higher education area: A case study approach and comparative analysis, Springer, Florence.
DNA Advisory Board 1998, Quality assurance standards for forensic DNA testing laboratories. Web.
FBI 2009, Quality assurance standards for forensic DNA testing laboratories. Web.
Freedman, L 2005, “Achieving the MDGs: Health systems as core social institutions”, Development, vol. 48 no.1, pp. 19-24.
Gasiorowski, E. 2003, Quality management system for the oil and natural gas industry. Web.
Global Group, 2008, ISO/TS 29001: Petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries specific quality management systems. Web.
Kinney, E. & Clark, B. 2004, “Provisions for health and health care in the constitutions of the countries of the world”, Cornell International Law Journal, 37, pp. 285–355.
Nadi, F 2001, The quest for global competitiveness through national quality and business excellence awards. Web.
Nfstc, Quality assurance standards for forensic DNA testing laboratories (QAS). Web.
An analysis of why there is no client empowerment and quality assurance in the world today.
Purposes
Best Value reports or Quality Indicators are being used to determine the quality of work offered by social care services in the UK (Dowling 2008, p. 217). It however measures regular performance, not the overall client performance. This process also usually demands a survey from the user where they evaluate whether they are satisfied or not by the services or goods offered by the company (Pfeffer & Coote 1991, p. 110).
This means that the user will not get the opportunity to react holistically regarding the services offered to them. This is clear evidence that shows a lack of client empowerment and quality assurance in organizations. In this project, I will give out clear evidence to back up my proposed research topic on why client empowerment and quality assurance do not exist in the world today. What I hope to accomplish with this project is to expose the reality and give clear insights concerning client empowerment and quality assurance.
For a long period, many people have believed that clients are empowered in the United Kingdom and that the quality of services offered to them is assured. After conducting an interview and a study on career and user experience in the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe, I believe that the outcome of my work will be convincing enough.
Background
I will carry out my study in the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe whereby the old, young, children, parents, able, and disabled people will be involved in the study. My findings and conclusion will be based specifically on career and user experience in the two nations. Each day I will visit two organizations to monitor and have a personal encounter with the clients to determine whether they are empowered or not and whether they are quality assured.
At the same time, I will observe how clients are being treated in organizations. Each day, I will interview two or three potential clients in different organizations for about 10-15 minutes concerning their user and career experience on empowerment and quality assurance. This study will take approximately six weeks since there are many organizations in Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom. My main focus will be to view and observe the interaction between the clients and the organization and determine whether the clients are empowered or not. Interactions with the clients will also give me the chance to accomplish my stated purpose with the study.
Scope
My study on client empowerment and quality assurance will commence from 20th July to 31st August and it will run for approximately 6hours per week beginning from 9 a.m with tea and lunch break. In the morning hours before the tea break, I will visit one organization and after that go to another organization before lunch break. Basically, during these periods, I will typically observe how clients are being treated in organizations. Afternoon sessions will mainly be for interviews. I will interview three potential clients from the organizations I visited in the morning sessions. I am planning to interview 500 individuals; 250 from Eastern Europe and another 250 from the United Kingdom.
Theoretical framework
I will be guided mainly by the user and career experience and my own experience as a person and observational approach. The user and career experience will make me aware of what clients go through and whether their opinions are valued or not valued in the organization. I will also be able to determine whether client empowerment and quality of services offered in different organizations in different nations are the same or they vary depending on gender, class, age, disability, ethnicity, and education (Dowling 2006, p. 182). This is why I am out to interview different kinds of people in the two worlds. The interaction and observational approach will enable me not only to certify user and career experience but also to have firsthand information on the reality that exists in the organization.
Method
Carry out a literature review on client empowerment and quality assurance in Eastern Europe and the United Kingdom.
Evaluate user and career experience by conduction interviews and interacting with clients who differ in class, age, gender, disability, ethnicity, and ability. These groups of people will enable me to know how they are handled in the organizations they go to; whether they are excluded or their opinions are taken seriously or looked down upon because of age or class. The interview will not be structured or formal. I will ask general questions but specifically on empowerment and quality assurance. Some of the questions I will ask are:
What kind of relationship do you have with the company?
Do you enjoy shopping here?
Are the services good and what of the goods offered?
Have you ever given an opinion to the company about a particular product that did not meet your requirements and did they listen to you?
Observe the way clients are being treated and served in different organizations focusing mainly on the way they are handled, the quality of service they are offered, and whether their opinions count (Dowling1997, p. 210).
In the end, I will write a research report that combines my personal experience, what I observed and user and career experience in the two nations. I will compare the results before I make my conclusions and answer the research question.
Timetable
Come up with a research proposal by 30th July
A complete full literature review by 15th September
Complete fieldwork by 18th October
Complete analysis by 30th October
Confer the presentation on 12th November
The complete final report by 1st December
Limitations
Some clients may not give me relevant information especially those who value the company. Time constraints; I will have to carry out my research and at the same time attend my regular classes. This will indeed be strenuous leading to exhaustion (Whyte 1984, p. 126). I may not be able to get enough information within four hours. This means that I will miss out on some important issues like how the organization responds to consumer complaints.
The fact that I am an outsider may also limit my chances of getting the real facts and information concerning client empowerment and quality assurance. The limited-time and tight schedule may deny me the opportunity to carry out proper observation and interaction with the clients. Some consumers may feel threatened since they do not know me.
Delimitations
I am choosing to use open questions and be free with those clients I interview to increase the closure between us and make them feel at ease to give me correct and appropriate information that I require for the study. I am choosing not to observe and interview one particular group of people since this issue affects everyone whether rich, old, poor, white, or black.
List of References
Dowling, M 2008, ‘Client Empowerment and Quality Assurance’, The Public Sector Innovation Journal, vol. 13 no.1, pp. 210-220.
Dowling, M 1997, Measuring Quality in Personal Social Services in Developing Quality in Personal Social Services: Concepts, Cases and Comments, Evers, Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.
Dowling, M 2006, Translating Theory into Practice: The Implications for Practitioners and Users and Carers, Abingdon: Routledge.
Pfeffer, N & Coote, 1991, Is Quality Good for You? New York: Institute for Public Policy Research.
Whyte, F 1984, Learning from the Field: A Guide from Experience, London: Sage.
The garment inspection is done by a factory supervisor. Many of the manufacturers even hire an inspector to inspect the goods but the duties, however, remain the same requiring the supervisor/inspector to look into the details of every produced unit as none of the machines can detect the minor faults, in exceptional cases, there is no great need to inspect the goods at every level as every unit is produced mechanically. However, many third-party businesses offer garment inspection services to various companies.
Main body
The inspection process is a complex one and is performed at every stage of production and the cleared goods are passed over for the next level. The pre-production inspection is the very first stage of goods inspection, this brings out any faults that are already present in the raw material, the idea is to find such faults and fix them while the next stage is the final inspection which is performed on a random basis, it assures that majority of the stock is impeccable and ready to be distributed in the outlets/retail.
The actual process of visual inspection, which could also include the verification methods, includes the checking of the seam and stitching, the stitching of the pockets, and the evenness of the seam. It further includes the inspection of the functioning of the buttons/zip etc. The embroidery is also checked regarding the evenness of any possible designs on the garment. The buttonholes are inspected carefully and so is the labeling information, the correct combination of shades is also inspected carefully.
One of the key inspection tasks is the measurement of the goods, it is extremely important to have equal length and width on both sides of the garment. The last of them is the packaging inspection, which includes the pricing, the packaging material itself, and possibly the size of the packaging material for example a carton. However, machines are also invented that require the operator to give the input regarding the size measurements and every unit is then produced according to the given measurements, such machines have cameras installed giving visual support to perform the job.
There are various standards followed regarding the garment’s quality in Australia, firstly the manufacturers are themselves very careful about the quality of the goods as there is intense competition going on within Australia, and importing goods (usually from China) are also giving a challenging time. The basic quality standards such as quality standards ISO 9001 are followed to keep the manufacturing company and goods certified. This assures the buyers that whatever they are buying is having of good quality and is on most occasions a flawless unit.
Health facilities comprise certain campaigns and awareness that ascertain the long-term solution for the ongoing operations and efforts from the faculties in terms of incorporating management skills. In an effort to analyze the issues that affect the program formed to be delivered successfully, this study will cover the quality assurance program. To this end, it will seek to discuss what ‘never event’ is, the discussions on the type of ‘never events’ that occurred at the meeting, a description of how to address the staff immediately in the meeting, discussion on how to approach the examination on the validity of the statements issued. In an addition, the paper will describe the methodology used to explore the validity of the statements, and the measures to be implemented on an ongoing basis to prevent a recurrence of the ‘never event’ in that meeting.
Description of a ‘never event’
According to Reid (2011), ‘never event’ has been a terminology used mostly in the healthcare department to refer to a shocking contradiction that turned out to be an error in the field of medicine and healthcare. The term was first introduced by the former executive officer of the department of the national forum. The examples of a ‘never event’ ideas are the errors made by the surgeons doing an operating session. The patient’s life is risked forever, and the underlying factors do not justify the act whatsoever. The National Quality Forum has sought to describe the events through the use of other sectors that promote tragic circumstances that would have been avoided for the sake of protection and unethical conduct. The Quality Assurance Program helps in administering the various departments with the right opportunities and strategies to protect the measurements, and provides an opportunity for transformation and innovation from the feedback for revision (Jebb & Crumbie, 2014). The recent revision of the ‘never events’ was in 2011, and the list was added to 29, from 27 in 2007. Some of the categories in the sector include the surgical department, environmental department, radiologic, and the management and care department. The final category is the environment that seeks to explain the nature and the surrounding, based on the leverage of quality care for the environment and monitoring the service of conservation.
The focus on a specific ‘never event’ will be the surgical account that seeks to perform different actions from the approach from the same angle, from the rest of the health institution. There are events that include procedures that require strict instructions to be followed to the later for an effective outcome and sustainable means of power and cognition. Surgical events involve the body of a person that comprises many parts, seeking to achieve quality results and services by the end of the session. However, there are some things that are performed in the wrong manner that include interference of the body from an outside source, through administering the wrong dosage at the depths that are preventable (Mehtsun & Makary, 2013).
The assumptions on the stages to use and steps to follow when administering such expertness have been argued to be intrusive in the department of surgical awareness and the surgeons responsible have been accused for the same reason. The surgery can also be performed in the right manner using the required apparatus, but in a wrong patient, causing condition between the scheduled operating results and the effective means of communication within the health facilities. In most of the time, this occurs due to lack of communication that would affect the tragic event, causing the death of an individual.
There are some foreign products administered to the patients, and this is accidental, causing some dilemma for the same experiment and the procedure tends to backfire, resulting in the active administration and passive communication between the physicians. Unintended administration of drugs has been a case of conflict since the panel fails to follow the right diagnosis and the ethos to help the patient be out of danger (Gitmo, Zoo, & Birdbath, 2013). The intraoperative cases the United States seeks to explain are some case scenarios based on the argument of ideological differences from the force that seeks to clarify the procedures for the same reason and the purposes seem to be fluctuated.
Description on addressing the staff
The staffs are important individuals in the incidences of the ‘never events’ that will seek to explain certain situations, issuing the right segments for the same reason on how things occur or operate. The staffs require training that is thoroughly examined, and a good command of the knowledge based on what they intend to achieve. The intention of communication skills is to promote an understanding based on the awareness on how to administer and address certain issues, with the consideration of covering the prospective factors in the line of the articulation results that will observe the staffs and the activities.
Discussions on the approach of validity and statements
Norton (2011) found out that the main issue is always identifying the underlying factor and the ways of resolving it, based on the environmental factors for the same purpose. It is accurate to observe the thorough methods of promoting growth and development from the mindset of people who attractively consider the outcome as the feedback to soiling issues in future. The decision-making processes are based on the long-term strategies to help in solving the problem. This includes accurately collecting of the right tools to administer an approximate research method, and consider the factors that may hinder the data analysis from taking place. The statements issued should be based on the factors of control and duty regulations that enable individuals identify and master the vital aspects that promote the aspects of ‘never events’ (De Jong & Nicholas, 2011). Consideration of the factors such as payment issues may bring the mentality and enlighten the physicians who may be reluctant to offer their services since they are unable to consider the payment that is usually low.
Implemented measures
The aims and objectives set for an environment are to create awareness from the long-term strategies and improve factors on the behaviors that may promote untrustworthiness. Some of the measures to be set by the physicians are genuine qualities, and the ability to consider certain reputation based on the accurate steps to follow during this period is important too. Considering the staffing environmental working conditions and taking precautions in promoting the right methods for such issues will prevent certain issues from occurring, as there are accurate approaches to take when observing a situation from the concept of the effective communication and strategic planning. Issuing stamen on the certified abilities to consider proper firm background and approaches will promote the factors of adherence and decision-making to be accurate. The availability of resources and funds to be sued in the surgical operations are to be budgeted for to cover for all the expenses required during surgical operations. The environment where the surgeries take place is vital since the approach emulates the decisions that may involve staff meeting and other patterns which have resolved at redirecting their energies in the same manner.
The right method of creating assurance for the data and attempts on the ‘never events’ is to archive the information of the apparatus that were provided and administered on what dates and which methods. Such commodities and factors create an approach for the abilities of the same decision-making. A panel of educated individuals and the responses required for the same project coupled with the advancement of the right people through technological equipment and procedures is the logical step to take. It is accurate to consider some factors that emulate the appropriate strategies that may hinder certain issues from occurring and creating a structured scheduled that provide the quality assurance for the same reason. Having a set of goals to consider when emulating such practices create safety and creativity in the same forum.
Conclusion
The quality assurance program observes and considers the regulations and set of rules that tend to govern certain issues that may be challenging to the rest of the group. It is important to have a focused mind and determination for the immediate success and observations that will promote effective communication in different dimensions. Such issues should consider accountability and the flexibility of people to create time for the practices and passion in the endeavors.
References
De Jong, V., & Nicholas, J. S. (2011). Overview of the quality assurance movement in health care. Best Practice & Research, 25 (3), 337-347.
Gitmo, H., Zoo, Q., & Birdbath, D. J. (2013). the cause of never events in hospitals. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, 4 (3), 338.
Jebb, P., & Crumbie, A. (2014). Never say never event: Should unsafe staffing in hospitals be classed as a ‘never event’? Nursing Standard, 28 (19), 28-29.
Mehtsun, W. T., & Makary, M. (2013). Surgical never events in the United States. Surgery, 153 (4), 465.
Norton, E. (2011). Using an alternative site marking form to comply with the universal protocol. Association of Operating Room Nurses, 93(5), 600-602.
Reid, J. H. (2011). Surgical never events should never happen. The Journal of Perioperative Practice, 21(11), 373-378.
Managing and ensuring quality represents one of the core objectives of an organization. The issue of quality assurance is particularly important for a company operating in the food industry, where product quality defines customers’ well-being. By introducing the principles of cross-cultural communication and aligning with the principal communication and business etiquette of the Indian and Bangladeshi settings, Subway will be able to expand its quality assurance department into the target context.
Business Department and Countries
The department in question operates under a rigid set of standards and criteria. Specifically, Subway’s approach to sourcing its seafood relies heavily on the use of independent providers, namely, local fisheries. The specified approach has allowed the organization to ensure that the products offered to its customers are fresh and healthy. The department in question will be expanded into India and Bangladesh. The rationale behind the specified decision concerns the necessity to ensure that the crucial quality standards are met when offering products in a new setting and adjusting to the specific s of the Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine (Lee & Gyamfi, 2021). Furthermore, expanding into India and Bangladesh will allow Subway to start exploring options for building presence in the South Asian community.
Expansion and the 4 Functions of Management
The four functions of management represent a framework used to identify the goals that managers need to pursue in a specific scenario, as well as set criteria for their achievement. The four functions of management introduce one to the essential structural and procedural aspects of management, therefore, ensuring that the expected outcomes are outlined and that premises for achieving them are created (Lee & Gyamfi, 2021). Therefore, utilizing the four functions model is essential for structuring a management-related plan.
Planning
The planning stage suggests that core factors affecting the performance of an organization are identified, and that main objectives are detailed. In the context of the target situation, the planning stage implies collecting data concerning the challenges of expanding into India and Bangladesh for the quality assurance department (Lee & Gyamfi, 2021). Specifically, economic, financial, technological, cultural, and political constraints must be identified and addressed.
Organizing
In turn, the organization of the tasks management process includes assigning each staff member to specific roles and ensuring that main processes occur seamlessly.
Leading
Leading requires that staff members and teams are directed to the key tasks necessary for completing core goals of the expansion project. Namely, Subway managers will need to delineate the roles and responsibilities of each team member and guide them to ensure the goal completion.
Controlling
The controlling stage is defined by the use of tools for supervising the project completion process (Lee & Gyamfi, 2021). For Subway, the specified stage implies integrating a robust reporting framework.
Cultural Differences/Similarities
India
The Indian cultural setting is quite different from the American one due to the presence of different religious beliefs and cultural practices. Specifically, the presence of the caste system must be taken into account. The specified characteristic of the Indian culture will define the employees’ willingness to align with the guidelines communicated by the HR manager.
Bangladesh
In turn, the Bangladeshi environment will have to be recognized for its rigid workplace etiquette. Thus, to avoid conflicts in the workplace and focus on performance quality, one must ensure that managers are familiarized with the essential principles of the Bangladeshi business etiquette (Chowdhury & Mehjabeen, 2021).
Communication Practices
India
In India, the negotiation process must remain flexible and aligned with the crucial standards for polite communication. Moreover, the principles of caste-based traditions must be followed. Thus, core ideas regarding quality management will be promoted in the target setting.
Bangladesh
In turn, when implementing quality assurance strategies in Bangladesh, one must ensure that the roles and responsibilities are assigned in the course of business meetings. Though typically used for producing ideas in Western culture, the business meeting context involves roles distribution in Bangladesh, which is why alignment with quality standards must start at the specified point.
Conclusion
By aligning with the principles of business etiquette and core traditions of communication within the Indiana and Bangladeshi cultures, Subway will expand its quality assurance department into the target setting successfully. As a result, high-quality products will be delivered to the target population. Furthermore, opportunities for appealing to Indian and Bangladeshi customers will be revealed.
References
Lee, Y., & Gyamfi, N.Y. (2021). The Sage handbook of contemporary cross-cultural management. Journal of International Business Studies, 53, 568 – 571.
Chowdhury, F., & Mehjabeen, M. (2021). The impact of culture on impulse buying behavior in Bangladesh. GATR Journal of Management and Marketing Review, 6(1), 73-85.