Mid Sweden University

Abstract

Many unsuccessful implementations of QM initiatives can be contributed to the facts that tools and methods have been in focus and the systemic management philosophy have been overlooked. With a main focus on tools important intents and nuances are missed and a focus on values and culture should be equally emphasized. There is a strong connection between organizational culture, values and behaviors and to make values understandable there is a need to translate them into behaviors. Any QM initiative is difficult to implement if the focus is only on the hard quality side, i.e. tools and methods so there is a need to take into consideration the soft side, i.e. people and culture. There is a need to understand what the values mean to an organization and also to connect the values to the creation of customer value.

Purpose - the purpose of this paper is to present a developed and tested systemic method for identifying those specific values that support the higher purpose of an organization, discovering what they mean for that organization and then activating them, in order to enhance the ability to identify and create customer value.

Methodology/approach – Through literature studies of the concept Lean, TQM, organizational culture creation and customer value creation a method has been developed, tested and evaluated.

Findings – A method to understand and live by an organization’s values has been developed and tested, a method that provides opportunities to identify and activate what specific values mean to an organization to enhance its ability to identify and create customer value. The developed method can aid the organization in its work to live by and connects values with working methods, tools and the customer value propositions of an organization.