Development of the DGQ role bundle model of the Q occupations

Abstract

Purpose Today’s generations face the effect that knowledge is no more usable for decades or even centuries. The pace of change as well as its profoundness has reached levels that cause massive changes in companies, but also whole societies. Some call this phenomenon the 4th industrial revolution or Industry 4.0. Others use the term “digital transformation”. Does this mean that quality managers are becoming obsolete soon? How do the Quality occupations adopt? Which changes need to be accomplished in the field of Quality occupations to provide sustainable competencies for future employees? What tasks and functions need to be carried out? And how can these tasks be defined on a universal basis that fits for different kind of branches as well as small and big companies? Design/methodology/approach Based on Abbotts “System of Professions”, the development of a transformation concept for Quality occupations is carried out. The purpose of this paper is to define basic professional positions in the field of Quality Engineering regarding quality assurance (QA) and quality management (QM) as well as from an operative to a strategic level. Tasks and responsibilities of todays and future businesses models are clustered and enhanced or specified. In a survey, which included 389 executive managers in Germany, the German Association of Quality elevated those jurisdictions and their competences of QA and QM professionals. The results are used to define the new role bundle model for Quality occupations in Germany. Findings The innovative and sustainable role bundle model offers defined Quality occupations for future business models needed for the 4th digital revolution. Thereby, not every role has to be taken by a separate employee in a business organisation. By offering different kind of clusters, the role bundle model helps to create agile role profiles regarding the actual business situation and its size. This way, tasks and jurisdictions within the business organisation can be adapted fast to the changes of the business organisation. Originality/value The innovative concept is based on two success criteria: the creation of Quality occupations according to the changes of digital transformation and a survey involving more than 350 German executive managers in the field of Quality. Based on the results, a role bundle model for Quality occupations is designed that helps to coordinate education programmes at universities and professional trainings in Germany.

Digital transformation as a strategy to reach sustainability

“…Besides, the changes caused by the Fourth Industrial Revolution involve occupational adaptations in order to ensure quality and sustainable business models. In this regard, with the application of a survey to 389 executive managers in Germany, Schlüter and Sommerhoff (2017) create a role bundle model that helps create agile profiles with fast adaptation changes within the business organization. Similarly, Bernardi and Exworthy (2019) investigate how clinical managers use their identities to reconcile differences among institutional logics affecting digital innovations.…”

Government Attention, Market Competition and Firm Digital Transformation

“…Digital transformation will promote workforce upgrading, which can lead to unemployment and the polarization of employment opportunities [29,30]. At the same time, digital transformation has spawned new professions, such as in the field of quality engineering [93], as well as new jobs that are flexible in time and space [19,94]. In China, digital transformation has led to the replacement of low-skilled jobs, increasing the demand for higher qualifications [95].…”

Digital Transformation in Operations Management: a Bibliometric-Based Systematic Review

“…Küsters et al (2017) explained the DT process through a factory case. In another study, Schlüter & Sommerhoff (2017) focused on the impacts of DT on quality management. Apart from the manufacturing context, Pal (2016) addressed DT in meta-data production, Kettunen & Laanti (2017) discussed future software organizations considering the effects of DT.…”