Rethinking the importance grid as a research tool for quality managers

Abstract

The importance grid (IG) is a research tool developed for the purpose of categorising product/service attributes according to the Kano model, thus making it a tempting technique for quality managers. However, this paper argues that the IG lacks a clear theoretical foundation, which is why it is not recommended for its intended purpose. Nevertheless, it is shown that a reinterpretation of the IG can provide valuable information for the purpose of prioritising product/service attributes for improvement. It is further suggested to regard the IG and the penalty-reward contrast analysis (PRCA) not as competing techniques, as it is usually assumed in the literature, but rather as complementary approaches. The managerial value of the rethought IG in combination with a modified PRCA (determinance-asymmetry analysis) is demonstrated in a case study on airline passenger satisfaction with airport services.

Keywords:

• importance grid
• attribute importance
• customer satisfaction
• Kano model