RUNNING HEAD: THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH
Thematic Integration of Faith
Name:
Title:
Date:
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 2
Overview that defines Strategic Quality Management as an academic field of study
(significance of the course to business)
Strategic quality management (SQM) is a study that was developed through the linkage
of total quality management and corporate strategy. It is a philosophy of quality management
that is able to view the quality through the overall total performance of an organization. Strategic
quality management is able to view quality through the needs of the customer and the
environmental factors thus determining the competitiveness and sustainability of an organization
in the coming future. Strategic quality management is a relevant course of study as it equips the
learners with the necessary values and general direction that is required for an organization to
achieve its goals. It is relevant in businesses today as it ensures that an organization meets total
quality through customer satisfaction and eventually building customer loyalty thus ensuring
sustainability in the future and competitiveness in the market. Below is a discussion on the
importance of strategic quality management as a field of study and its relevance in business.
Strategic quality management is an important academic field of study as the learners are
able to understand the significance of quality in a business which results in sustainability and
competitiveness. Tracing its history of development, it is clear that this field of study was
developed following the integration of total quality management and corporate strategy. The
strategy has been defined as the application of a business’ resources in pursuing the objectives
and policies of the business. It, therefore, ensures the development of quality and the continuous
improvement of the transformation during the conduction of business operations. Strategic
quality management is guided by ensuring customer satisfaction and also the consideration of the
environmental factors that will influence the performance. The significance of this academic
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 3
field of study includes; improved customer satisfaction, development of strategic leadership,
consistent and efficient production of products, competitiveness, and sustainability.
Customer satisfaction is the best-desired outcome that results as a result of strategic
quality management. As the customer is the main focus of strategic quality management, the
business is able to identify the requirements and needs of the customers, develop plans and
objectives that are aimed at meeting these needs thus ensuring that the business achieves its
goals. Through this model, business is first able to identify the different groups of customers and
match their specific needs and requirements from the business to ensure that the quality of these
needs is met. The quality of products is very flexible where it often changes from time to time
and is influenced by environmental factors. These changes in quality require flexibility in the
business to quickly adapt to the changes and address the challenges facing the business. The
customer determines the quality of service or product where if this changed requirement is not
met, the customer may view the business as offering poor quality products or services. Through
meeting these needs and requirements of the customer, the business is able to ensure customer
satisfaction which further builds customer loyalty. Customer loyalty ensures that a business has
future prospects thus creating long term sustainability and competitiveness.
Continuous improvement is one of the core principles of strategic quality management. It
requires well developed and structured management of the processes and systems used in the
organization. The sustainability of a business can be achieved through continuous improvement
of all the processes and internal activities conducted by the business. The business is able to
provide new and improved products or services to the customers thus adding value to their
customers.
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 4
Strategic quality management ensures that the products that are produced are consistent
thus reducing variation. Through the reduction of variation, the business is able to reduce
wastage of the resources and the defective products that are produced by the business. This
consistency ensures that there is the optimization of the quality of production as well as the
maintenance of good response in terms of production of the products and services. Through
strategic quality management, a business is able to improve the existing standards of quality,
therefore, ensuring effectiveness and improved productivity in the use of all the resources that
are available in the business.
A business is able to achieve strategic and efficient leadership through the use of strategic
quality management. Strategic leadership is a core factor that ensures that a business has quality
implementation of decisions that improve the competitive ability of a business. Leadership is
important as it is able to positively or negatively influence the performance of a business in the
market. Strategic leadership ensures that the leaders are able to analyze the internal and external
environmental factors that affect the performance of a business. Some of the functions of
strategic leadership include; determination of the business strategic decision, establishment of
balanced controls of the business, development, and sustainability of an effective organizational
culture, ensuring ethical practice and effective management of the business resources. Through
strategic leadership, the business is able to make effective decisions that will ensure that the
business remains competitive in the current market. The culture of the business is also able to
ensure creativity and innovation through effective strategic leadership that ensures product
differentiation and improvement (Khan & Naeem, 2018). Strategic leadership will ensure that the
organization is able to achieve its goals and objectives at the end of a specific period.
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 5
Strategic quality management ensures that a business remains competitive in the current
market place. As business strives to ensure that its products and services have the best quality
and meet the needs of the customers, the business is able to maintain its competitiveness. The
business is able to make an evidence-based decision-making process, the business is able to gain
a deep understanding of the current market place. The business can also continue to make the
decisions that achieve positive results while also accounting for the previous decisions. Factual
decision making ensures that a business is able to understand the cause and the effect
relationship in business and further also explain the unexpected results and consequences.
Through continuous customer satisfaction, the business is able to gain customer loyalty which
further ensures that the business remains competitive thus reaching sustainability (Elshaer &
Augustyn, 2016).
Strategic quality management ensures that a business is able to achieve customer
satisfaction, sustainability, efficient use of resources, strategic leadership and competitiveness.
Strategic quality management is, therefore, an important course of study for businesses in the
current market place.
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 6
Discussion of the top 5–8 questions I believe are critical in order to demonstrate that a
student who completes this course can synthesize the key concepts of continuous
improvement and propose strategies for improving an organization using recognized
quality management tools and best practices
There are some top questions that a learner could develop to demonstrate their ability to
synthesize the important concepts of continuous improvement as well as proposing strategies that
can improve an organization through the available tools and practices. Some of these questions
include; “Why is it important to analyze the current market trends or customer needs?” “Why is
it important to analyze the strategic goals of an organization?” “What is the importance of the
mission and vision statements?” “How is one able to cultivate quality management leadership?”
“What is the role of technology in strategic quality management?” and “What strategic plans can
be used in strategic quality management?” Below is an analysis of some of the top questions that
can be asked by a learner to demonstrate concepts of continuous improvement and the ability to
propose strategies that can improve an organization.
Customer satisfaction is the most important factor that is analyzed through strategic
quality management. The question “Why is it important to analyze the current market trends or
client demands?” ensures that the organization is able to meet the needs and requirements of the
customers thus ensuring customer satisfaction. The question seeks to understand the current
market trends and customer demands in the region. Understanding the market needs and
requirements allows an organization to acknowledge the direction that will be embraced by the
customers in regards to the products. The organization is, therefore, able to estimate when the
sales of the products are expected to rise and the amount of risk that the organization is likely to
face. Through this question, a learner is able to understand the current market trends and
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 7
preferences so as to ensure that the organization is flexible. Flexibility ensures that an
organization is able to adapt to the needs of the customers thus ensuring continuous
improvement. This is achieved through the development of new products and services that are
able to increase customer satisfaction, therefore, ensuring customer loyalty and success of the
organization.
It is important to understand the mission and the vision of the organization. The question
“What is the importance of mission and vision statements?” should be addressed by the learner.
The mission and vision statements of an organization outline the direction that an organization
needs to take to ensure that they achieve their goals and objectives. The mission statement is able
to outline the objectives and approach that will be used by the organization to achieve these
objectives. The vision statement is able to outline the future position that the business. Through
this question, a learner can be able to assess the future goals and objectives of the organization.
The learner is, therefore, able to develop the desired strategic plan that will be used by the
organization so as to achieve the mission and vision of the organization. These statements allow
an organization to identify the primary customers, the products and services that will be provided
by the organization and the best available strategies that will be used to achieve the goals.
Learners can work towards developing strategic plans that will ensure that the organization is
able to achieve its mission and vision.
It is important to understand the direction of the leadership of an organization. The
question “How is one able to cultivate quality management leadership?” ensures that a learner is
able to work hard towards building a strategic leadership in an organization. It is important for a
learner to cultivate an environment that supports innovation and continuous improvement.
Achieving quality management leadership is possible through continuous training, certification
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 8
programs, developing management incentive programs and cross-functional programs. An
organization should ensure that they have regular pieces of training and certification programs
that will ensure the leaders acquire the necessary skills and knowledge. These management
incentive programs and cross-functional programs ensure that the leaders acquire the most recent
skills. The strategic leadership will be able to analyze the internal and external factors that are
affecting the organization thus ensuring that the organization builds continuous improvement and
customer satisfaction. Strategic leadership ensures an efficient determination of the business
strategic decision, establishment of balanced controls of the business, development, and
sustainability of an effective organizational culture, ensuring ethical practice and effective
management of the business resources. A learner should be able to cultivate efficient strategic
management leadership to ensure that the organization evaluates the internal and external
environment thus ensuring that it ensures a continuous environment.
A learner should be able to know and understand the strategic goals of an organization.
The question “Why is it important to analyze the strategic goals of an organization?” ensures that
a leader is able to propose strategies that will improve an organization. Strategic planning
provides guidance for the day to day operations that will be done in the organization (Suarez,
Calvo-Mora & Roldán, 2016). Through analyzing the strategic goals, an organization is able to
develop the processes and systems that will be useful in attaining these goals. This involves the
evaluation of both the long term and short term goals of the organization. This will ensure the
efficient and consistent utilization of resources in the organization. Understanding the strategic
goals assists in the decision-making process. One can be able to identify the resources that are
needed by the organization as well as identifying the budget requirements that are needed to
meet the goals of the organization. This will result in the consistent and efficient use of resources
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 9
thus minimizing wastage. The organization is able to maintain consistency thus avoiding
variation and damage of the resources that are used in production.
While analyzing the strategic goals, it is necessary to analyze the role of technology in an
organization. The use of technology has the ability to minimize cost as well as improving the
efficiency of production in an organization. An organization should be able to use the latest
technology to ensure that they meet customer satisfaction. Technology offers the advantages of
superior data collection and data analysis. These will improve the quality of production as well
as improving communication and quality of the product. Technology can be used in the
development of the strategic plans that will be used by an organization.
These are some of the important questions that show that a learner is able to synthesize
the key concepts of continuous improvement and propose strategies for improving an
organization using the available strategic tools.
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 10
Discussion that integrates the concepts from the Keller (2012) text into a cohesive
understanding of why quality management and productivity are significant for advancing
God’s purposes for business on earth
In the ever-changing world, businesses have been constantly evolving. The workplace
has been undergoing incredible transformation especially since the advent of the internet.
Technology has transformed many businesses and workplaces for many people. As a result,
businesses have adopted measures to ensure the quality and productivity of the employees as
well as the systems they put in place. This is to ensure they are able to provide better quality
products as well as giving them an edge over their competitors. The concept of quality
management is defined as any act that ensures that all activities and tasks that are involved in a
business are maintained to the desired level of distinction (Vlăsceanu, Grünberg & Pârlea, 2004).
On the other hand, productivity in the context of the workplace refers to how efficiently
employees/systems are performing to produce desired output (Tangen, 2002). However, looking
at this from a religious point of view, particularly Christianity, other dynamics are at play. The
purpose of working and businesses has a different perspective than most people tend to overlook.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons behind God’s purpose for humans to work
and to engage in business activities. In particular, the interpretations of Keller (2012) on the
purpose of working are factored in this paper to reflect the relationship between quality
management, productivity and God’s purpose for business on earth.
The workplace has become increasingly competitive and somewhat stressful for many
people. In such situations, people often find themselves questioning their purpose of working
why working is hard and how they can be satisfied in their places of work. According to Keller,
the process of creation as narrated in Genesis is described as work. The process of creation
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 11
entails God ‘working’ in order to make something good and useful. Keller contends that God
created human beings and continued to work for them by being their provider (Keller, 2012).
God forms man, plants a garden for him and waters it (Genesis 2:7, 6, 8). In the scripture, it is
written that after God created anything, He saw that it was good (Genesis 1:4). This is meant to
be an inspiration for humans to work. The work, according to Keller, was done out of joy and
satisfaction in contributing towards the welfare of others, us.
Keller describes work as a ‘calling’. This refers to the spiritual aspect of work in which a
person uses the tools and skills that were granted upon him by God to serve other people. In
essence, this means that a person is intended to apply to the best of his/her abilities to best serve
others. In this sense, the concept of productivity sets in. it is manifested in where an employee or
an entrepreneur works to the fullest and shuns laziness as well as shortcuts in the business.
Quality management sets in in the context of how an employee is using his abilities to maintain
the required or even better level of excellence required in the final product or service being
offered to others.
The attitudes of people towards working have completely shifted as a result of a changing
perception of people towards the real world. This shift in mindset has resulted in people getting
less satisfied in their work each passing day. With such an unhealthy approach towards work and
business, it follows that their productivity and attention to quality drops to mediocre levels. This
is in contrast to God’s original plan for working. The Biblical view of the world provides a
steady and healthy approach towards work in contrast to the corrupted secular view. This
corruption is brought upon by the pressures to turn a profit as well as status and pride. Human
beings are designated to be stewards of God’s creation (DeWitt, 1998). As such, it is the
responsibility of humans to take care of God’s creation while creatively and carefully
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 12
transforming the available resources with the aim of creating balance, equality, and satisfaction
amongst all people.
Keller further notes that linking one’s work to God’s purpose provides a sense of dignity.
In essence, this means that all people, regardless of the job they do, big or small, are all
considered to be working in the eyes of God. The sense of dignity and accomplishment is far
much greater to a person who views work as being an avenue of doing God’s work. Being the
best at what a person does is considered to be Christian in the workplace. Integrating this
perspective in the business world will, in turn, result in increased productivity as people will be
doing the best of what they do. Consequently, higher standards of output, quality, will be easier
to achieve. All this is possible by simply following God’s plan for work.
Resources available can at times be scarce. However, approaching the meaning and
purpose of work from a Biblical angle energizes the desire of humans to create value from those
available resources (Keller, 2012). By creating value in the process, the world and the people are
able to grow and thrive. The process of creating value requires hard work and smart work. The
concept behind productivity as well as quality management requires careful planning as well as
motivation for it. The motivation for it is provided for in the Bible as the desire to create value.
For any business to thrive in terms of productivity and quality, competency must be
present. Basically, competency refers to the understanding of work and doing better in the
workplace. Identifying one’s work as a calling, not a necessity improves one’s level of
competency. This is because in so doing, one is able to treat working as worshipping God
through fulfilling the purpose of work that He intended. All this eventually lead to one serving
other people besides themselves in a much better manner. From the Bible, Genesis 11 narrates
the story of the construction of the tower of Babel. The builders were competent in their work as
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 13
they learned to make taller structures than before. This would be described as serving God
through their competence. However, they also wanted status for themselves which was in
contrast to God’s purpose of any work.
The concept of integrating God’s teaching and purposes to daily business activities is
seen to provide a sense of direction. It is evident that God intended people to continue working in
order to bring out the best in everything and everyone. With the integration of His purpose to
work, a business is able to gain direction, competency, dignity, and faith that it needs in order to
be productive and to have quality output.
THEMATIC INTEGRATION OF FAITH 14
References
DeWitt, C. B. (1998). Caring for Creation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
Elshaer, I. A., & Augustyn, M. M. (2016). Direct effects of quality management on competitive
advantage. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management.
Keller, T. (2012). Every good endeavor: Connecting your work to God's work. Penguin.
Khan, B. A., & Naeem, H. (2018). The impact of strategic quality orientation on innovation
capabilities and sustainable business growth. International Journal of Quality &
Reliability Management.
Suarez, E., Calvo-Mora, A., & Roldán, J. L. (2016). The role of strategic planning in excellence
management systems. European Journal of Operational Research, 248(2), 532-542.
Tangen, S. (2002, December). Understanding the concept of productivity. In Proceedings of the
7th Asia-Pacific Industrial Engineering and Management Systems Conference,
Taipei (pp. 18-20).
The Holy Bible
Vlăsceanu, L., Grünberg, L., & Pârlea, D. (2004). Quality assurance and accreditation: A
glossary of basic terms and definitions (p. 25). Bucharest: Unesco-Cepes.
