Social responsibility and quality: issues of competitiveness and sustainable development

Abstract

It can be stated that quality is a multifaceted concept, and it makes the difference between any perceivable or conceivable entities visible. The meaning of quality has greatly changed over the years, its content has expanded and quality has become the most important single factor for success. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that “quality means business”. However, quality, as it will be seen, means much more than that. Corporate Social Responsibility and the service of Sustainable Development Goals have become part of organisational quality. Nonetheless, without innovation, there is no quality or competitiveness, thus, there is no business either. This is the 21st century, which, according to Joseph M. Juran, will be the century of quality. It is important to note that companies are not just economic units or merely market participants, but also social factors and entities influencing the environment. For this reason, compliance with social norms and ethical expectations is also an important aspect of their operation. To meet the expected and latent needs of customers and users, and also the requirements of society as well as the natural environment in a way that all stakeholders are equally satisfied is a fundamental issue for companies, today and even more so in the future. The main purpose of this chapter is to discuss how quality should be understood, and what the relationships between the issues involved are. In the chapter, it is argued that quality, Corporate Social Responsibility, innovation, competitiveness and sustainable development are interrelated concepts. Therefore, it is the further purpose of this chapter to discuss how social responsibility and innovation affect quality, and how quality contributes to competitiveness and sustainable development. In this chapter, quality issues are dealt with from different aspects. In the first part, the concept of quality is presented, which deals with the evolving notion of quality and the future of quality in light of social responsibility. In the second part, complexity issues and emergences are introduced, while quality is discussed as an emergent property, and the role played by social responsibility and environmental concerns in competitiveness and sustainable development are explained, and furthermore, innovation from quality and responsibility perspectives are examined.

Consumption of organic and gluten-free products of Abonett Kft. (Ltd.)

“…As it is highlighted by Kis, quality has become a key factor for the competitiveness of enterprises. Thus, businesses should keep up with customers' expectations, as their needs and wants continue to grow and evolve [5], some of them keep traditions and their habits either at home or in different touristic destinations [6]. Sloan's research conducted in 2006 draws attention to the fact that health and its impact on it will play an even more decisive role compared to previous experiences during food purchases in the coming years, as consumers will look for more convenient, tastier, and more efficient foods [7].…”

Sustainability. E-book for students

“…For this reason, compliance with social norms and ethical expectations is also an important aspect of business operation. To meet the expected and latent needs of customers, but also the requirements of society and the natural environment, is a fundamental issue for any businesses today, and even more so in the future (Kis, 2021).…”

Kano modell alkalmazása a logisztikai szolgáltatók kiválasztása során

“…A termékek közötti minőségi különbség a vállalati verseny erényes körét alkotja, a minőség pedig közvetlenül tükrözi, hogy a vállalat milyen mértékben ragadja meg a vevői igényeket. A minőség jelentése nagymértékben megváltozott az évek során, tartalma bővült, és a minőség a siker legfontosabb tényezőjévé vált (Kis, 2021).…”