IFB208TC

First Part of Semester 2, AY2023-24

Quality Management and Lean Six Sigma

Assessment 001 (hereafter referred to as A001) consists of an individual written report that carries 65% of the final mark for this module (see Table 1 for additional details). This written report explores several aspects of quality management that have been covered in class.

Table 1. Assessment 001 - Overview

*Maximum mark for this assignment is 100 points.

YOUR TASK

You need to solve three quality management-related questions. Each question carries a certain number of points and has its own specifics - i.e., the questions are NOT intertwined. Given this, you are to read each question carefully and provide a detailed answer in line with the pre-set word limit. There are a number of requirements that are valid for all questions part of this assignment. These requirements areas follows:

•    Language: British or American English (*be consistent across the text)

•    Main text: Times  New  Roman  12; space  between lines 1.5; footnotes allowed, but make sure to number them consecutively throughout the report.

•    Referencing:  all  secondary  information  sources  (both  offline  and  online  ones)  should  be  cited according to the Harvard (Referencing) Style (*see next page for further information).

•    Similarity Rate: no more than 20% (*excluding Title Page and References).

•    Submission Method: online, PDF or WORD format (*PDF is preferred) via Learning Mall Online

•    Submission Deadline: April 21st, 2024, before 18:00 Beijing time.

•     Penalty Policy for Late Submissions: XJTLU’s policy for late submissions will be strictly followed. 

QUESTIONS

SECTION 1. Garvin’s Eight Dimensions of Quality (25 points) (250-350 words)

In line with Garvin’s Theory on the Eight Dimensions of Quality and taking into account each dimension’s definition, you need to answer the following question:

Q1. Which are the most abstract dimensions of (product) quality as per Garvin’s Theory and why?

Weight: 25 points - Choice (15 points), Argumentation of Choice (10 points)

SECTION 2. Product Quality & Business Strategy (25 points) (500-600 words)

The  quality  management  literature  argues  that  product  quality  is  a  competitive  advantage  that  many companies continue to focus on. With this in mind, you need to answer the following question:

Q2. What is the relationship between (product) quality and market share?

Weight: 25 points - Answer (10 points), Argumentation of Answer (15 points)

*Make sure to support your argument by referring to relevant quality management theories and examples from industry.

SECTION 3. Product Quality & Manufacturing Method (30 points) (500-600 words)

The quality management literature argues that, in most cases, handmade products command a higher price tag than mass-manufactured products. With this in mind, you need to answer the following question:

Q3. What makes handmade products more expensive than mass-manufactured ones?

Weight: 30 points - Answer (15 points), Argumentation of Answer (15 points)

*Make sure to support your argument by referring to relevant quality management theories and examples from industry.

INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

REPORT STRUCTURE

   COVER PAGE - your Cover Page should be the same as the Taicang Official Cover Page. Make sure, however,to fill in all pertinent details such as (i) module code and title; (ii) student name and ID; (iii) title of your coursework, (iv) word count, etc. Besides the Taicang Official Cover Page, you are also to include a separate Title Page with the following information: (i) module code and title; (ii) student name and student number; (iii) title of your coursework; (iv) module leader. Feel free to design the title page according to your preferences while ensuring it adheres to the professional standards typically followed in business and management reports.

    MAIN BODY - the report should embrace a question-answer structure. In other words, you must NOT combine either the questions or the answers. Also, you are advised to use sections and subsections. Make  sure  to  identify  each  section  and  subsection  using  Arabic  numbers.  Sections  should  be numbered  1., 2., etc., and subsections should  be  numbered  1.1,  1.2,  etc.  Importantly,  since the questions are not connected, you are NOT expected to include an Introduction and a Conclusion.

    REFERENCES - all secondary sources including books, journal articles, conference papers, etc., which have been used to produce this assignment must be cited accordingly. This coursework requires that you use the Harvard (Referencing) Style also known as the Harvard Referencing System. If you are not familiar with the Harvard Referencing System,  please, make sure to consult the  Internet for additional       details.        For        instance,       you        may        check       the        following       source: https://www.mendeley.com/guides/harvard-citation-guide/.  Importantly,  any  secondary  sources you use for solving the questions must be listed right after your answer. In other words, you should have three reference sections (one for each question) instead of one.

    LENGTH - based on the requirements on p.2, the entire document must be between 1,250 and 1,550 words (*excluding title page, references, tables, graphs and figures). Importantly, should you decide to include an Introduction and a Conclusion, both sections will be counted towards the allowed word limit. With this  in  mind,  reports  below  the  minimum  or  above  the  maximum threshold  will  be penalised accordingly. For every 10-20 words less/ more, you will be deducted 1% of the final mark. For instance, if your report stands at 1,550 words, you will be deducted 3% of the final mark.