Impact of Quality Management Practices on Suppliers’ Quality Performance: Empirical Evidence from Korean Automotive Parts Suppliers Available to Purchase

Recent research on quality management systemically explored the use of quality management practices and performance. Teh consequences of using quality practices have not been consistently confirmed despite an increasing number of published empirical studies. The results of empirical studies of quality practices and performance are mixed. This study examines which quality management practices indicate high‐, midium‐, and low‐performance under the TQM framework using MANOVA and multiple discrimination analysis (MDA). To measure quality management practices, this study used the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) framework. Based on a survey of 490 suppliers from eleven different industries in Korea, the results revealed that the high performing group surpasses the medium and low performing groups in process management, employee empowerment, employee education and training, and employee satisfaction. Furthermore, the high and medium performing groups exceed the low performing group in human resource planning and evaluation, strategic deployment, leadership system and senior executive leadership.