Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

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Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) is the annual national award established by the US Congress in 1987. Its aim is to recognize the improvements in quality among organizations. There were three primary reasons for establishing MBNQA[1]:

  • raising the quality awareness of the US business leaders,
  • providing an extensive framework for measuring the quality efforts of the businesses in the US,
  • providing a template for a comprehensive Total Quality Management system.

Each year up to five awards can be given in each category. In addition, there are numerous organizations which adopt the MBNQA framework for self-assessment purposes only, without an intention to apply for the award itself. One of the reasons is that in the absence of alternative comprehensive guidelines on how to enhance quality within the organization, the award's framework may be an appropriate equivalent[2].

The evolution of the MBNQA theoretical model

When first established, MBNQA was dedicated to service businesses, manufacturers, and small businesses. The scope of the award was expanded in 1999 to cover educational and health care organizations and subsequently in 2005 to include government and nonprofit organizations. According to the 2013-2014 criteria, the MBNQA model consists of seven distinct categories[3]:

  1. Leadership
  2. Strategic planning
  3. Customer focus
  4. Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management (MAKM)
  5. Workforce focus
  6. Operations focus
  7. Results

The model presented above is an update to the previous framework, introduced in 2002. Both models encourage the theory that the leadership triad composed of leadership, strategic planning and customer focus drives the results in business. The main difference between the two frameworks is highlighting the importance of the information systems role in the 2013-2014 version. It is visible in developing the fourth category from information and analysis to measurement, analysis, and knowledge management[4].

Examples of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

  • The first example of a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient is the City of Irving, Texas. In 2018, the City of Irving was recognized for its commitment to continuous quality improvement initiatives and its organizational excellence. The city was recognized for its emphasis on employee engagement, customer satisfaction, and strategic planning.
  • The second example is The Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 1995, The Johns Hopkins Hospital was the first hospital to earn the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The hospital was recognized for its commitment to quality service, safety, and innovation.
  • The third example is Keysight Technologies. In 2019, Keysight Technologies was the first electronics company to earn the award. The company was recognized for its commitment to customer satisfaction and its continuous improvement initiatives.
  • The fourth example is the University of Michigan Health System. In 2011, the University of Michigan Health System received the award for its commitment to patient safety, staff engagement, and service excellence. The health system was also recognized for its commitment to continuous improvement initiatives and its organizational excellence.

Advantages of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is an internationally recognized award that recognizes achievements in quality management and excellence. The award was established by the U.S. Congress in 1987 and is presented annually. The advantages of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award include:

  • Increased visibility: The award provides organizations with significant visibility both nationally and internationally. Winning the award brings recognition and prestige to the organization, which can help it to attract more customers, clients and partners.
  • Improved performance: The award encourages organizations to assess their performance and take steps to improve it. Organizations that win the award must demonstrate that they have achieved excellence in their operations and have achieved their strategic objectives.
  • Enhanced customer satisfaction: Winning the award is a sign that an organization is focused on providing high quality products and services to its customers. Winning organizations must demonstrate that they have an effective quality management system in place and that they are continually striving to improve customer satisfaction.
  • Improved teamwork: The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award encourages organizations to develop and maintain effective teams. Teams are essential for achieving organizational goals and are key to improving performance. Winning organizations must demonstrate that they have successfully created a culture of collaboration and teamwork.
  • Increased employee engagement: The award encourages organizations to engage their employees and involve them in the decision-making process. Organizations that win the award must have an effective system in place to ensure that employees are empowered and motivated to perform at their best.

Limitations of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is an award given by the US government to organizations that demonstrate excellence in quality management. However, the award has certain limitations that must be taken into consideration. These limitations include:

  • The award is only available to organizations in the United States, making it inaccessible to organizations located in other countries.
  • It is a very time-consuming process to apply for the award and to go through the evaluation process. This can be a major deterrent for organizations with limited resources.
  • The award does not necessarily guarantee improved business performance, as the criteria for the award is focused on meeting certain quality standards, which may not necessarily translate into improved business performance.
  • The award does not come with any financial or other tangible benefits, so it may be seen as an intangible reward by some organizations.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Curkovic S., Melnyk S., Calantone R., Handfield R. 2000, 768.
  2. ↑ Ghosh S., Handfield R. B., Kannan V. R., Tann K. C. 2003
  3. ↑ Peng X., Prybutok V. 2014, 630.
  4. ↑ Peng X., Prybutok V. 2014, 630.


Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — recommended articles
Quality management system — Silvestro model — William Edwards Deming — Joseph M. Juran — ISO 9001 — Deming prize — Quality system in local government — Armand Feigenbaum — Quality management principles

References

Author: Magdalena Wojslaw

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