Critical success factors of quality managers: A measurement instrument

Due to the resurgence in the importance of quality, quality managers, whose major role is to manage the quality program of an organization, play an increasingly important role. While there is an enormous growth in the research on quality management in general, there is no comprehensive study directed towards the functioning of a quality manager. Although limited research providing anecdotal information is available, no systematic research is found on factors that enhance or inhibit the quality managers' ability to succeed. The purpose of this study is to (1) identify factors that enhance or inhibit quality managers' ability to succeed in the management of the quality function, and (2) develop a reliable, valid, and unidimensional instrument that can be used to assess the likely success of quality managers. A cross-sectional mail survey was conducted to collect data for this study. As the scales developed in this study are reliable, valid and unidimensional, they help set the groundwork for theory development and testing in the future.