Quality Planning: The Relationship Between Objectives and Process

Abstract

Examines organizational objectives when conducting quality planning and how different planning objectives are related to its perceived performance. The sample included 42 firms representing five different planning objective orientations. Four distinct cluster groups emerged. The four orientations were named as “strategic impact and communication”, “product/process improvement”, “co‐ordination”, and “no clear objectives”, based on the interpretation of the planning objectives that loaded on each respective factor. The results suggest that certain quality planning objectives were associated with significantly higher perceived performance and the level of planning sophistication only influenced the planning performance of some groups.