Investigating the factors affecting the development of a National Quality Award (NQA) in Libya

The wide success of Business Excellence Models (BEM) and their associated National Quality Awards (NQA) such as the Deming Prize (DP), the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA), and the European Quality Award (EQA), has encouraged many other countries to develop their own quality award programs. These awards are based on the business excellence principles which grew out of the TOM initiatives of the 1980s. Most of these initiatives have originated in the west or in essentially westernised economies. Hence, there is a belief that these theories are based on a set of values and beliefs that are more aligned with the developed nations. Consequently, this may undermine their success in Middle Eastern countries; however, some existing studies assume their universality. The argument brought forward in this research is that the variations existing between the now available NQA models, are due to the discrepancies found in the values and beliefs of the region were the NQA model was originally developed. Hence, comparative studies suggest that, in most of the NQA model development; the economic structure, social characteristics, and quality maturity level of the country should be taken in account. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the factors affecting the development of a NQA model for Libya. The research will review and analyse most of the available IQA models such as (The European Foundation for Quality Management, the American Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and the Japanese Deming Prize) as identified in the literature. The research objective was achieved through a methodology containing 3 basic phases; desk-top research (phase 1); questionnaire surveys and interviews (phase 2); and data analysis and the final development (phase 3). Each of these phases and methods aimed to collect relevant information for one or more of the processes within the research scope. In the empirical part of the study, the practical value of a theoretical framework is illustrated in the analysis of these prevailing factors. This study also examines these factors within the Libyan context, for the purpose of developing a tailor made NQA model. The findings indicated that Libya is still in the early stages towards TOM initiatives. Based on the findings, an NQA process development framework is devised and recommendations for their development are provided.