EFQM Excellence Award
The award sponsor
The European Foundation for Quality Management was developed out of the need to have quality of the European companies improved to enhance their global competitiveness. The European Union sponsors the award and the governments in countries falling under the EU have committed themselves to support this excellence award in various ways to make it achieve its intended vision. This nonprofit making organization depends on the support of these governments and other well-wishers within the region to be able to operate.
Background of the award
The European Foundation for Quality Management was established in 1989 after a group of chief executives and company presidents of about 14 companies in Europe approached the European Commission’s president with the idea of starting an excellence award that would monitor quality of the European firms. Over 65 European companies supported this move, and it started its operations a year later (EFQM 2013). The award has been in existence since then, and it has been able to praise various companies for their excellence in maintaining quality. This organization has changed its missions over the years to reflect the changing environmental factors in the business world. However, its vision has always been to help the European companies improve quality of their performance and products in order to remain competitive in the global market.
Focus area of the award
The focus area of this award runs from industry to academic fields with the main aim of developing quality models, and awarding companies, which have sustained quality in their operations as a way of recognizing their effort in ensuring that quality is upheld within their systems.
Relationship with quality management
This award is directly related to quality management. Companies that applied to be considered for an award by this body must demonstrate ability to deliver quality in their performance right from the production stage to the final product they deliver to the market. This body also develops award models, which can be used by members to help in improving the quality of their production process and the products they manufacture.
Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Award
The award sponsor
This award is fully sponsored by the government of the United Arab Emirates. It was found when His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid and his top government officials raised concern over the need to develop a quality award that would enhance quality of products in this country. This organization is a nonprofit making organization that is completely funded by the government of the UAE.
Background of the award
The government of the United Arab Emirates established this body on June 24, 2009, as the highest award in the country for corporate excellence (Emirates Government Excellence Award 2013). It was created to help in finding a way in which the federal government would be able to serve various institutions within the country in order to enable them to improve quality of their production. This award has a heavy government involvement, and this has seen the government supporting various firms in this country to achieve their goals in the global market. The award seeks to ensure a regular review and development of assessment criteria that will help firms keep in line with modern changes in their managements, quality of operations, and excellence in dealing with market forces.
Focus area of the award
It should be mentioned that the focus of the award is promoting corporate excellence of all firms in this country in order to enhance their ability to compete with other major companies globally. It is also focused to determine the overall performance of various firms in this country and praise those firms the operations of which are considered the best when compared to their equivalents.
Relationship with quality management
This award has a direct relation to the quality management. As indicated in its mission statement, it seeks to ensure that firms in the United Arab Emirates maintain excellence in their production process, and that their products are of very high quality.
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
The award sponsor
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is an American award, based on performance excellence of organizations. It recognizes both private and public firms operations. The government of the United States sponsors this award through Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, which operates under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Siebels 2004, p. 56). Besides, the United States Department of Commerce manages this body.
Background of the award
According to Siebels (2004, p. 68), this award was established in 1987 through an Act, with the intention of improving quality of the United States products. It was named Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award after Malcolm Baldrige who was the Secretary of Commerce in this country from 1982 until his death in 1987. This award was developed to help in improving quality and perfect performance in various sectors. The Awards are offered in a wide range from service industry, manufacturing to small businesses, healthcare, education and nonprofit making organizations in this country. Just like other excellence awards in other regions of the world, it has evolved with changes needed in the environment. Its name has evolved too as it was changed to Baldrige Performance Excellence Program in 2010 to show its current focus on the overall performance excellence of organizations.
Focus area of the award
This award concentrates on the overall performance excellence of firms in various categories. As mentioned above, it is offered to both public and private companies, which have demonstrated high degree of quality in their overall operations. This means that the award does not narrowly look at the product of a firm or a single aspect of it, but its overall operations and its sustainability in the market.
Relationship with quality management
This award is related to quality management in a direct manner. As Siebels (2004, p. 98) observes, Baldrige Performance Excellence Program seeks to award firms that have demonstrated high degree of excellence in their overall operations. This means that for firms to get this award, they must demonstrate that they have the capacity to offer value not only on their products, but also on their operations and this quality must be long-standing.
Deming Prize of Quality
The award sponsor
The government of Japan established Deming Prize to help improve the quality of products manufactured in this country. The Award was an idea of the government of Japan and since its establishment the government has always funded it fully. This award operates under the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers. It is important to note that although this award is run under the scientist’s body, it recognizes the operations of firms and individuals in all fields, including arts.
Background of the award
Deming Prize was established in 1950 by the government of Japan in great honor of Edward Deming. When it was grounded, its focus was to award Japanese firms, which demonstrated high degree of excellence in their operations within this country. As it evolved, the award then covered non-Japanese firms operating in Japan. It is currently offered to corporate entities and individual firms on an annual basis, but on two different occasions (Borror 2009, p. 78). There is always the day for honoring individuals who have made massive contribution in the field of science or art in this country, and the day to honor firms, which have demonstrated high level of excellence in their performance within that particular year.
Focus area of the award
This award focuses on performance excellence of firms in all sectors, and great contributions of individuals to various industries. For an individual to win this award, he or she must contribute considerably towards development of a given field. On the other hand, for a firm to win the award, it must demonstrate an ability to deliver quality products and maintain excellent production methods.
Relationship with quality management
This award is related to quality management in that it seeks to praise individuals and firms that have demonstrated excellence in delivering quality in their respective fields. To win the award, a firm should convince the panel concerned that it cherishes quality in all its processes.
Dubai Quality Award for Excellence
The award sponsor
Dubai Department of Economic Development established Dubai Quality Award as a way of improving business operations for Dubai firms operating locally and internationally (Evans 2012, p. 56). This award is funded and closely monitored by this government department with the aim of making local firms committed to the best practice as a way of improving quality of their products.
Background of the award
According to Evans (2012, p. 51), Dubai Quality Award was grounded in 1994 with the goal to improve the performance of companies within the inner borders and abroad. The government had noticed that their local firms needed to expand their operations to regions beyond this country. However, the world market was very competitive, and firms in the global market were offering quality products. The government realized that the only way their local firms could compete favorably in the local market is by producing high quality products sustainably. This forced the government to come up with this quality award.
Focus area of the award
The award focuses on general excellence in the performance of various Emirati firms. It seeks to find ways on how the perfection of these firms can be enhanced to help them compete favorably with other global firms in the world. This award is meant for companies in various fields within this country, it concentrates on constantly improving value of their products and production processes in order to improve their competitiveness in the market.
Relationship with quality management
Just as other quality awards, Dubai Quality Award for Excellence is directed to improving performance of various national organizations of this country. The government has realized that the best way through which local firms can become competitive in the global market is to improve quality of their products.
List of References
Borror, C 2009, The certified quality engineer handbook, ASQ Quality Press, Milwaukee.
EFQM: EFQM Awards 2013. Web.
Emirates Government Excellence Award: Sheikh Khalifa Government Excellence Program 2013. Web.
Evans, JR & Lindsay, WM 2012, Managing for quality and performance excellence, 9th edn, Thomson, Mason.
Siebels, D 2004, The quality improvement glossary, ASQ Quality Press, Milwaukee.