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Mapping the terrain of public service quality improvement: twenty-five years of trends and practices in the United StatesSchool of Public Affairs and Administration, Public Administration at Rutgers University-Newark, USA
School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University-Newark, USA
Department of Political Science at East Carolina University, USA The quality movement in the United States has been characterized as an impetus for organizational effectiveness and responsiveness since the late 1970s. ‘Quality’ can be a subjective term as each organization has its own definition and boundaries. Three emphases are evident in the field of quality improvement: quality circles, total quality management, and citizen satisfaction. Practices of quality improvement in the public sector have been driven by demands from citizens for more effective services, outcomes that require the implementation of suitable quality models and standards. Points for practitioners This article presents major intellectual trends in the practice of service quality improvement. Practitioners will be able to comprehend the most fundamental concepts of ‘what is public service quality improvement’. Practitioners will also obtain useful insights into defining quality criteria and assessing organizational improvement models based on substantive principles of quality management for promoting organizational effectiveness and responsiveness.
Key Words: citizen satisfaction • performance management • quality awards • quality circles • quality improvement • TQM
International Review of Administrative Sciences, Vol. 75, No. 3,
403-418 (2009) |
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