Site name: Baldrige National Quality Program, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

URL: www.quality.nist.gov

Background information: The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is given by the President of the United States to businesses—manufacturing and service, small and large—and to education and health care organizations that apply and are judged to be outstanding in seven areas: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human-resource focus, process management, and business results. NIST’s goal is to assist U.S. businesses and nonprofit organizations in delivering ever-improving value to customers, resulting in marketplace success, and improving overall company performance.

Exercises:

a. Browse the NIST Web site and determine which hospitality organizations have won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

b. Do you think the award has any impact on the hospitality industry? Why or why not?

c. Describe the core values and concepts upon which the seven criteria for excellence are built.

d. Choose one of the seven criteria for excellence and discuss in detail the information the judging panel looks for to determine excellence on that criteria.