Quality represents a philosophy, a combination of methods and practices, as well as a commitment to excellence, and has been considered in theoretical research as an important driver of sustainable competitive advantage. The concept of quality has evolved over time, mak
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Quality represents a philosophy, a combination of methods and practices, as well as a commitment to excellence, and has been considered in theoretical research as an important driver of sustainable competitive advantage. The concept of quality has evolved over time, making it a good time to reflect on the philosophy of quality. The concepts of quality management today are derived from human findings that have been experienced, evolved, and remembered throughout history. Therefore, the use of archetypes can lead to a better understanding of direct data from psychological experience and a better grasp of the soft and hard aspects of quality management. For this purpose, the qualitative method of introspection was used to analyze the archetypes related to these two dominant approaches. Twelve academic experts were interviewed about the concept of soft quality management, and a local model for soft quality management was presented. To measure the model, the quantitative method of path analysis was employed, and a questionnaire was developed based on the extracted components. This questionnaire was provided to the managers of 64 active economic units in Guilan province. The components extracted from library resources were analyzed, and three “normative” variables (expressing interpretations and explaining systems of common meanings among groups), “relational” variables (describing human relations within and outside the organization), and “structural” variables (determining patterns within the organization) were explained. According to experts, causal relationships between variables were defined and evaluated. The results of this study provide management guidelines and operational strategies in accordance with the analyzed dimensions of soft quality management.
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