Abstract:

Our research paper aims to present the subject of excellence models for performance management, with a case study targeted on the evolution of the “quality concept” in Japan and the Japanese model of excellence. It is our main belief, as research economists, that the future of any type of society including the Japanese one stands in its on-going power to adapt and better anticipate challenges, in the constant need of quality, quality assurance, quality control and reliable models that seek both performance and excellence. Moreover, the “art” of generating quality in a turbulent business environment as the one we live in today, and the possibility to turn it into useful value, is done through the process called business processes management. Quality, as seen through management’ science perspective, is the only reliable source that can truly ensure the competitiveness in a challenging business world. A key element in this type of competition and also in a competitive business processes management process is the existence of well functional and well developed organizations, able to generate performance and moreover excellence. Our study starts with an introduction in which we have emphasized the place of excellence models for performance management; continues with a literature review in which we have presented the opinions that academics, researchers and specialists regarding quality, quality assurance, quality control and reliable models that seek both performance and excellence; presents into the research methodology the way in which we intend to design the study of excellence for performance management and the attempt to present the evolution of the “quality concept” in Japan and the Japanese model of excellence, under the form of a case study; stresses the importance of excellence for performance management by offering the perspective of a theoretical approach as well as by describing the models of excellence for performance management, as drivers of nowadays society; focuses on the Japanese model of excellence - translated into principles CWQC (Company Wide Quality Control based on enterprise-wide quality control), in two major directions, the first one: the evolution of the concept of quality in Japan and the second one: the Japanese model of excellence.