Development of a measure to assess quality management in certified firms

The theory of quality management has been studied from different areas: quality leaders' ideas, empirical research and formal evaluation models. This has helped identify a set of critical factors for a successful implementation, as a way to improve customer satisfaction and performance. Our study reviews the literature from these three points of view, in order to identify measures for change towards a quality culture, which can be empirically tested from the answers provided by those responsible for quality in 106 certified firms. The results yield a valid, reliable scale and provide empirical support so that managers know what to do in order to advance towards total quality management.