5.4 - Quality Culture and its integration into the VET organizations vision

Abstract

As Quality Manager you need to focus on quality management (ex. data collections, quality
management monitors and assessment etc.), and quality culture. According to the “Handbook for VET
providers, CEDEFOP), quality culture is a “soft concept”, depending on the prevailing attitudes and behavior of individuals in the VET organizations. Indeed, quality of culture depends on quality
management and this is understood as the interaction between a well-functioning, professional QMS
- Quality Management System and committed staff.

Why is this important for you as a QM?

• To understand that without a transformation within an organization’s culture, quality management will continue to suffer;
• To guide VET organization towards a professional and demonstrated quality-oriented behavior;
• To increase commitment in producing quality in VET;
• To increase a quality culture within each individuals’ role;
• To improve the quality management and quality of culture as two different but complementary concepts and approaches to quality;
• To engage the staff of the VET organization in building-up and integrate quality culture though the development of a shared vision.

How should I implement the action? 

• Adjust your working environment and the vision of your organization with a bottom up - approach, in order to guide the VET organization towards a change of behavior
• Involve the VET staff to change the vision of your organization: processes, organizational structure, performance metrics, distributions of roles and tasks
• Implement the Vision of your organisation by including quality culture into daily activities and procedures, with the support of all your staff
• Check that all staff are constantly engaged in the development of a quality of culture towards a sustainable improvement in quality.

How should I know if I have successfully implemented this action or to what extent?

• the staff actively participated in the creation of the new vision:
  • you received valuable proposals and suggestions by staff members on how to integrate quality culture in the vision of the organisation
  • the staff participated in events (such as workshops and meetings) to implement the new vision
• the behaviour of the staff has changed and reflects the new vision of the organisation
• you received positive feedback from the staff showing satisfaction with the new procedures and an increased feeling of belonging
• in the medium term, values and attitudes of the VET organization staff have shifted towards a quality of culture and continuous improvement;

Links & further readings (includes also third-party resources- videos, etc.):

• Cedefop. 2015. Handbook for VET providers: Supporting Internal Quality Management and quality culture. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union. Total number of pages (252).
• Lesmeister, Frank. March 14, 2018. How to Create a Culture of Quality Improvement. [https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/how-to-create-culture-quality-improvement.aspx]. Last accessed 30.03.2020.
• Srinivasan A., Kurey B. 2014, Creating a Culture of Quality, Harvard Business Review [https://hbr.org/2014/04/creating-a-culture-of-quality] (last accessed 30/03/2020)