Knowledge creation through quality management

Abstract

Organisations use quality management (QM) to improve process performance. However, further improvements and business excellence require acquisition and integration of new knowledge organisation-wide. It is a challenge for managers to design and execute QM practices so that they create new knowledge as well. This article shows how six QM practices (continuous improvement, statistical quality control, customer satisfaction management, process-improvement techniques, individual learning, and new product development methods) can contribute to the four types of knowledge-creating processes (socialisation, externalisation, combination, and internalisation). Such knowledge can be created through multiple channels and at various organisational levels. This article is new in describing the dynamics of how knowledge can be created through QM. This is relevant for both researchers and practitioners.

Keywords:

• quality management
• knowledge creation
• heterogeneous knowledge
• continuous improvement
• exploration
• exploitation