The course aims to prepare the student on the theoretical, methodological and quantitative management of the application of Total Quality Management. The course provides knowledge, methodologies and tools to manage organizations for a continuous improvement, developing the ability to set and to achieve the strategy of quality in any public or private organizational context. The course includes the integration of managerial elements with quantitative aspects, introducing students to the statistical techniques for quality control.

Quality: conceptual framework. From the control to the management of the Quality.

The application of the Quality management principles. The relationship with the customer: from the identification of the design requirements to the methods of customer satisfaction measuring. Process measurement and monitoring system. Human resources management: leadership, involvement, motivation, empowerment, training.

Tools and methods for Quality management: managerial tools; statistical tools.

ISO models: technical regulations and standardization bodies; the certification and accreditation system.

The Quality Management System: the application of the ISO 9001 standard. Towards Integrated Management Systems: High Level Structure (HLS) and Risk Thinking.

The Environmental Quality Management System: the ISO 14001 standard and the EMAS scheme. Product certification: environmental labeling.

The System and the tools for Corporate Social Responsibility.

The approach to Quality in the agri-food sector: current trends and evolutionary dynamics. System and product certification in the agri-food sector.

Models of excellence: the fundamental concepts of excellence. The "European Foundation for Quality Management" (EFQM) model.

Quality and Industry 4.0: the new Quality 4.0.

Knowledge and understanding: at the end of the course the student must have acquired the knowledge and the ability to understand the specificities of the different quality management systems as stated and represented in the study program. Understanding of the topics covered will be demonstrated through presentation skills, in the sense of personalized exposition and in any case correct also in the specific language, and the ability to autonomously elaborate examples. Knowledge and understanding will be favored both with lectures and examples and through moments of confrontation and debate in the classroom.

Applying knowledge patience and understanding:at the end of the course the student must be able to apply in an appropriate way, in different sector and market situations, the principles and models of the company organization implemented in a quality management system, with particular reference to:

. the fundamental criteria, methods and techniques of quality management and in particular those of Quality Management derived from ISO standards;

· the principles and methods of process management with particular reference to key processes;

· the aspects and elements of the certification of a product and system;

· the methods and techniques of continuous improvement and problem solving.

The development of analytical skills and outcome competencies will be facilitated by business case discussions, group work and in-depth seminars.

Making judgments: at the end of the course the student must have acquired the ability to independently identify and evaluate the adoption of the most appropriate tools for the implementation, in the different types of organizations, of paths aimed at the adoption of quality management systems.

Communication: at the end of the course the student must have acquired clear and effective communication skills, thanks to a good command of the vocabulary related to the topics covered during the course, in order to interpret and communicate, both inside and outside the organizations, management performance with a view to continuous improvement. The specific vocabulary must be acquired through interventions by the student during the lessons requested by the teacher for this purpose. Equally significant will be the group work with the use of IT applications.

Learning skills: at the end of the course the student must have developed good autonomous learning skills that allow him:

· to deepen the conceptual tools and operational skills suitable for dealing with the multiple quality management techniques of organizations and the relative models for evaluating the results achieved;

· to undertake further individual training / refresher courses.

The capacity in question will be solicited both through research activities on the net and through in-depth material provided by the teacher on the platform.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

The course material provided by the teacher is available, together with other supporting activities, within the Moodle platform blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

The course involves the use of different teaching methods: frontal lessons; group works and preparation of papers on case studies; classroom discussions. In particular, during the course, group works will be carried out in order to involve students in the analysis of business cases. Students will be divided in groups and each group will deepen the analysis of a business case. Each group will have to produce a written elaborate which will later be presented and discussed with the rest of the class.

Attendance

Compulsory attendance  is not expected. However attending student (at least 75% of hours attended) will benefit from a different evaluation method.

Course books

F. Murmura, L. Bravi (2020). I Sistemi di Gestione per la Qualità, l'Ambiente e l'Etica, pp. 1-260, Aracne Editrice, Roma, ISBN 978-88-255-3022-3.

Lecture notes and other course materials made available on Moodle platform> blended.uniurb.it.

Assessment

The evaluation is realized through an oral exam in  which the student must demonstrate that he/she has acquired the full ownership of the concepts covered during the course and the necessary skills/competencies identified as an appropriate result objectives to implement strategic and operational systems and tools for the promotion of Quality policy in organizations. In addition, the student must be able to present the arguments rigorously and using appropriate language.

Here below the calculation criteria for the oral exam:

• less than 18: skill level not enough
• 18-20: skill level enough
• 21-23: skill level satisfactory
• 24-26: skill level good
• 27-29: skill level very good
• 30-30 with honors: skill level excellent

The final evaluation of attending student (75% of hours attended)  will be formulated taking into account the written paper, the presentation in the classroom and the discussion of the topic during the group work. To this end, the student must demonstrate that he/she has acquired full knowledge and competence of the concepts related to the subject matter, that he/she can speak with an appropriate language, that he/she  knows how to apply the concepts learned in the analysis and critical assessment of the case studies.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

F. Murmura, L. Bravi (2020). I Sistemi di Gestione per la Qualità, l'Ambiente e l'Etica, pp. 1-260, Aracne Editrice, Roma, ISBN 978-88-255-3022-3.

Lecture notes and other course materials made available on Moodle platform> blended.uniurb.it.

Assessment

The evaluation is realized through an oral exam in  which the student must demonstrate that he/she has acquired the full ownership of the concepts covered during the course and the necessary skills/competencies identified as an appropriate result objectives to implement strategic and operational systems and tools for the promotion of Quality policy in organizations. In addition, the student must be able to present the arguments rigorously and using appropriate language. The final evaluation of the non-attending students will be formulated  through an interview, according to the same methods defined for the attending students.

Here below the calculation criteria for the oral exam:

• less than 18: skill level not enough
• 18-20: skill level enough
• 21-23: skill level satisfactory
• 24-26: skill level good
• 27-29: skill level very good
• 30-30 with honors: skill level excellent

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.