An integrated sustainable quality management framework for quality-related research

Abstract

The existence of synergies between several quality management systems and sustainability has spurred great interest in better understanding the sustainable quality management (SQM) concept over the past decade. This paper aims to design and develop a sustainable quality management framework (iSQMF) that integrates the quality management practices with the Whole System Design (WSD) practices, including the environmental, social, and economic sustainability aspects. The relevance of the designed iSQMF in supporting quality management research and sustainable initiatives is detailed and reported. In addition, the research presents a twelve-stage planning system as a tool for monitoring and controlling the implementation of SQM programs. The proposed framework holds great potential in not only bringing sustainability concepts actionable but also addressing the institutional and developmental processes in a management system.