Abstract

The cultural environment in which we are born and raised—including collectivist or individualistic—creates unique perceptions that affect how quality is applied, inspired and achieved—with each having its own successes and drawbacks. Businesses have their own embedded cultures within a societal culture. How closely they align will influence their perception and status in society, and, most importantly, who they will attract and retain in their workforce. By understanding these cultures, we can learn how to inspire people to collaborate and work to achieve quality by using their predisposed goals, aims and values. Through understanding the core culture within which you apply quality, you can align your strategies and applications more closely to suit the majority, as well as transform and alter best practices from other cultures.