International Inspiration from Baldrige

Stories around the world support the assertion that the Baldrige Excellence Framework and its Criteria are the world standard for performance excellence*. The framework, as well as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award that uses the Criteria as its application, is described time and again in the international press as the inspiration for continuous excellence. These international organizations, which are not eligible to apply for the Baldrige Award unless they have U.S. subunits, simply use the Baldrige framework or apply to a quality award that bases itself on Baldrige to obtain or aspire to operational excellence. 

Here are examples of some of this recent press from all different types of industries:

• In Austria, scientists at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences write in "Rural Tourism Opportunities: Strategies and Requirements for Destination Leadership in Peripheral Areas" that rural tourism could be "a remedy that should enhance the local economy, create new jobs, strengthen the regional identity and finance the infrastructure." The Baldrige framework is noted as a source to help leaders in this field recognize the importance of having and communicating a vision, as well as an awareness of quality values.

• In India, two professors answer the question "What Will It Take to Create a World-class [Business] School in India?" by writing that business schools should consider adopting the Baldrige Criteria for Education. "We are aware of many businesses that have achieved significant success by using models like the Baldrige criteria; it is time that B-schools also tie their leadership, strategy, customer focus, information and knowledge focus, workforce focus and process focus with business results across multiple dimensions to evaluate effectiveness of their initiatives," write Sunil Mithas and Henry Lucas.

• In Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Albania, a recent paper "Strategic Planning and Benchmarking Organizational Routines of Universities in the Western Balkans" suggests that universities in the region need more strategic planning and benchmarking after years of civil war and instability. "To be able to build a potential baseline for further research, including the possibility for more comparative research both within and beyond the region, the selection of routines was taken from the U.S. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence in Education," which is "highly respected," writes author Antigoni Papadimitriou of the University of Oslo, Norway.

• In Sri Lanka, AB Securitas, a loss prevention and secure transport service provider in the country, achieved the National Quality Award for business excellence. "The National Quality Award recognizes quality excellence based on the world-renowned Malcolm Baldrige model," according to the Sri Lankan press.

• Also in Sri Lanka, Maliban Biscuit Manufactories Limited received the Sri Lanka National Quality Award (NQA) in the large scale manufacturing category. "Award winners are selected on the criteria used in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards of the USA," according to The Daily News. "The recognition will also help the company to respond more effectively to customer requirements and in the strategic planning process. The national award has reinforced the company's continued commitment to quality, and as the recipient of the NQA, Maliban will be eligible to use this recognition in its advertising campaigns and publicity programmes, which in turn would enhance its standing in the public domain." In addition, the manufacturing arm of Exide Lead Acid batteries, Associated Battery Manufacturers (Ceylon) Ltd. (ABM), was awarded the Merit Certification for the NQA; "the selection and quality excellence is determined according to the world renowned Malcolm Baldrige model," according to The Daily Financial Times.

• In China, the joint venture Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile (DPCA) was recently presented with "China's highest quality accolade," the prestigious National Quality Award, called "China's equivalent of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the United States." The Chinese prize recognizes DPCA for its track record of progress and performance management, said Jean Mouro, DPCA director general. "Our development objectives in China and South east Asia are set with a continuous focus on excellence."

*See 2015 World Standards Day Paper Competition, third-place paper, "The Metrology of Organizational Performance: How Baldrige Standards Have Become the Common Language for Organizational Excellence Around the World."