Quality management practices in Malaysia: Perceived advancement in quality management and business performance

摘要

Quality management is an important aspect that needs to exert conscious and sustainable efforts to continuously improve all facets of business for a firm to survive and prosper. While a substantial body of literature has been developed linking quality management system to business performance, there is a dearth of evidence comparing the soft and hard factors and its impact on business performance between big firms and SMEs, local and foreign owned firms, and between exporters and non-exporters. The purposes of this research paper include assessing the extent, determining the dimensions and identifying which critical quality factors are associated with business performance and addressing the literature gap. A summary of the findings and future direction will be provided.