Publications
Publications
- December 1987 (Revised August 1990)
- HBS Case Collection
Florida Power & Light's Quality Improvement Program
Abstract
Describes a major electric utility's highly successful effort to institute a comprehensive quality improvement program throughout the organization. Designed to be used in a comparative analysis of the quality improvement effort described in Paul Revere Insurance Co. (A). Students learn that there is no one "right way" to build the concept of defect-prevention into an organization (as espoused by such quality experts as Deming, Juran, and Crosby). Rather, the design and implementation of a quality improvement strategy need to be tailored to such variables as the nature of demand for an organization's service, its service-delivery process, corporate culture, organizational climate, financial performance, industry structure and trends, and competing demands for organizational attention. Important topics dealt with are program implementation, problem-solving methodology/philosophical roots, rewards and recognition, measuring results, maintaining momentum, and limitations/problems.
Keywords
Organizational Change and Adaptation; Quality; Performance Productivity; Utilities Industry; Florida
Citation
Hart, Christopher. "Florida Power & Light's Quality Improvement Program." Harvard Business School Case 688-043, December 1987. (Revised August 1990.)