What higher education should be teaching about quality--but is not

World-class companies are making significant investments in quality training programs because of the pressures to achieve competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The traditional suppliers of education, however, seem ill prepared to meet this training and development challenge. The case for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Quality progress 1998-04, Vol.31 (4), p.91
Main Authors: Weinstein, Larry B, Petrick, Joseph A, Saunders, Paula M
Format: Magazinearticle
Language:English
Subjects:
Competitive advantage
Higher education
Polls & surveys
Quality
Quality management
Statistical analysis
Teachers
Total quality
Training
Trends
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Summary:World-class companies are making significant investments in quality training programs because of the pressures to achieve competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The traditional suppliers of education, however, seem ill prepared to meet this training and development challenge. The case for teaching quality in higher education rests on several arguments. First, the need for a commitment to quality has been accepted by business. Second, quality is not just facts, theories, and skill, but an orientation; a way of thinking; and a culture of beliefs, values, and behaviors. Third, to relegate the learning of basic quality skills and tools to corporate training programs is to abrogate a major responsibility of higher education to the needs of the community. The results of a survey designed to determine what topics are being taught in quality-related courses in US higher education today are discussed. A dramatically low correlation between what experts say should be taught and what actually is taught in US higher education was found.
ISSN:0033-524X