News Bites
Information of
interest from other publications and organizations
related to people and quality
Baldrige Not-for-Profit Legislation Clears
House Committee
Legislation to
establish a not-for-profit category for the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award cleared the House
Science Committee in early February. The measure
was received with bipartisan enthusiasm. Principal
sponsors are Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC), Rep. Melissa
Hart (R-PA), and Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS). Designated
H.R. 3389, the legislation would amend the
Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to
permit the expansion.
More? Visit
the ASQ Media Room
Feedback Sought on Use of ISO 9001:2000
and ISO 9004:2000 Standards
U.S. organizations are encouraged to share their
experiences, comments, and/or concerns on the use of
the year 2000 editions of ISO 9001 and ISO 9004
standards. The International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 176,
Subcommittee 2, Quality Systems, has developed a
survey to measure user experience with these
standards. The Web site questionnaire solicits
users’ concerns and recommendations regarding
suitability and application of the standards. Web
site responses go directly to the international ISO
group responsible for these standards.
More? See http://isotc.iso.ch/webquest/tc176/index.html
.
Online Master of Science in Quality
Offered
Eastern Michigan University now offers a master of
science degree in quality that uses the American
Society for Quality (ASQ) bodies of knowledge
required for the certified quality engineer (CQE) and
certified quality manager as a foundation. Students
in this program learn a variety of methods that
include the human factors that influence quality and
statistical techniques for continuous process
improvement. The program can be tailored to meet the
diverse needs of any organization seeking
improvement. Out-of-state students can take these
online courses at Michigan in-state tuition
rates.
More? See http://www.ce.emich.edu/
.
New Game Fosters
Communication
Connections,™ a game designed to promote open,
candid dialogue leading to resolution of conflicts,
is now available. Based on Dr. William
Glasser’s work that is covered in his book,
Choice Theory,® A New Psychology of Personal
Freedom, the game guides two to six players
through personal examples of habits that lead to
constructive and destructive relationships.
More? See http://www.theconnectionsgame.com
.
Fortune Reports 100 Best
Employers
In its January 12, 2004, issue, Fortune
presented its annual list of the top 100 employers in
the United States. Companies were selected based on
survey responses from approximately 45,000 employees
selected at random from more than 300 candidate
companies. The survey uses an indexing instrument
created by The Great Place to Work Institute in San
Francisco, CA.
The following companies led this year’s
results:
| Rank |
Company |
U.S.
Employees |
| 1. |
J.M. Smucker |
2,585 |
| 2. |
Alston & Bird |
1,450 |
| 3. |
Container Store |
1,832 |
| 4. |
Edward Jones |
27,092 |
| 5. |
Republic Bancorp |
1,360 |
| 6. |
Adobe Systems |
2,368 |
| 7. |
TDIndustries |
1,393 |
| 8. |
SAS Institute |
4,927 |
| 9. |
Wegmans Food Markets |
28,561 |
| 10. |
Xilinx |
2,037 |
More? See http://www.fortune.com/fortune/bestcompanies
.
Does Your Organization Deserve a
“Plum” or a
“Raspberry”?
Northwestern University has launched a new
interactive Web site where employees, customers,
suppliers, or company representatives can nominate
and/or vote for their companies to receive plums or
raspberries. Plums are awarded to companies that give
respect, accept responsibility, embrace motivation,
and proactively respond to everyone who touches the
organization, creating win/win environments. Of
course, raspberries go to organizations that need to
improve their attitudes and approaches.
More? See http://www.peopleperformanceusa.org
.
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