Quality management practices in Malaysia: Perceived advancement in quality management and business performance

Quality management is an important aspect that needs to exert conscious and sustainable efforts to continuously improve all facets of business for a firm to survive and prosper. While a substantial body of literature has been developed linking quality management system to business performance, there is a dearth of evidence comparing the soft and hard factors and its impact on business performance between big firms and SMEs, local and foreign owned firms, and between exporters and non-exporters. The purposes of this research paper include assessing the extent, determining the dimensions and identifying which critical quality factors are associated with business performance and addressing the literature gap. A summary of the findings and future direction will be provided.