Business Performance Excellence is achieved when an organization is generating the maximum level of profitability possible given the human, financial, capital, and other resources it possesses. (Luftig, 1998) Many companies strive to be the best in their market. Most never succeed. Many of the ones that do, do so only temporarily, and subsequently lose their position through misunderstanding how they got there and what is needed to stay there. Very few, as Jim Collins has stated, are capable of going from “Good to Great.” Practical experiences of the use of the Malcolm Baldridge (MB) Model, the criteria and methodology of the American National Quality Award, are considered to be the best business performance excellence model. The model has great tools and techniques in its criteria for enhancing the overall business performance towards excellence.
Presently, more than 70 countries in the world are adopting this Malcolm Baldridge criteria with different names, for boosting the performance of their countries business units e.g., In Japan, it is with the name of “Japan Quality Award” and in Singapore, it is with the name of “Singapore Business Excellence Award”. The Malcolm Baldridge performance excellence model comprises of seven criteria, as seen in the following fig. (Malcolm Baldridge Business Excellence Model) The Baldrige model consists of world best practices that are incorporated into six Approach categories plus a Results category consisting of;
- Leadership
- Strategic Planning
- Customer and Market Focus
- Measurement, Analysis, and Knowledge Management
- Workforce focus
- Process Management
- Business Results
The Baldrige Values are:
- Visionary Leadership
- Customer-Driven Excellence
- Organisational and Personal Learning
- Valuing Employees and Partners
- Agility
- Focus on the Future
- Managing for Innovation
- Management by Fact
- Social Responsibility
- Focus on Results and Creating Value
- Systems Perspective
