What sparks quality-driven change programmes in not-for-profit service sector? Some evidence from the voluntary sector

摘要

Quality initiatives in non-profit-organizations have not been subjected to many studies so far since they are primarily meant for public service without any profit motives. However since many governments are funding such organizations it is necessary to improve their performance as they can be subjective to public scrutiny regarding their performance. This article studies the quality management initiatives of three such organizations. The quality initiatives included TQM, European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model, and Six Sigma. This study aims to examine the logic of quality management adoption and implementation decisions and to examine the difference between the experiences in voluntary organizations and others if any present. This study is aimed at contributing to the development of the literature on quality management in not-for-profit sector, theory building through several working propositions and assisting policy-makers in making effective decisions about fair allocation of public funds to the voluntary organizations.