The Many Meanings of Quality: Towards a Definition in Support of Sustainable Operations

Figures & data

Figure 1. Timeline of key perspectives on meanings and definitions of quality.

Table 1. Objective and subjective assessments on quality with literature examples.

	Definitions (adapted from Garvin, 1984)	Examples from literature
Objective assessment on quality	The transcendent approach, quality as an innate and objective phenomena The product-based approach, quality as objectively and comparatively measurable (by comparing and ranking similar products) The manufacturing-based approach, quality as meeting objective production and customer specifications	(E.g. Corbett & Cutler, 2000; Craig & Lemon, 2008; Garvin, 1984; Isaksson & Garvare, 2003; Taguchi, 1986; Taguchi & Wu, 1979)
Subjective assessment on quality	The value-based approach, quality as a subjective cost-benefit measure The user-based approach, quality as personal desires and subjective preferences	(E.g. Crosby, 1965; Grönroos, 1984, 2006, 2008; Juran, 1989; Juran & Godfrey, 1998; Parasuraman et al., 1985)

Table 2. Quality parties of interest, individual and collective scopes.

	Definitions	Examples from literature
Individual parties	Single individuals or limited groups of individuals being the primary beneficiaries of value or creators of value from a specific product (goods and or services) and also voicing specific expectations for such products.	(E.g. Deming, 1986; Grönroos, 1984, 2006, 2008, 2011; Juran, 1989; Juran & Godfrey, 1998)
Collective parties	Unlimited groups of individuals being affected by, but not necessarily benefiting from, or having a direct interest in the specific products (goods and or services).	(E.g. Crosby, 1965; Foley, 2005; Garvin, 1984; Radder, 1998; Taguchi, 1986)

Figure 2. A proposed updated framework for the conceptual meanings of quality.

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