The relationship between quality management and innovation

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between quality management and innovation, since although quality and innovation issues are dealt with extensively, there is still little information on this relationship. For this study, an exploratory bibliographic research was conducted in order to extract the most important ideas from the literature. Most studies suggest a positive link between quality management practices and innovation performance in firms, although there are also studies suggesting a neutral or negative relationship. The focus on quality as a competitive tool is crucial but insufficient, and innovation emerges as a new way of meeting customer requirements and expectations. The coexistence of quality management practices and innovation management practices seems to be important although difficult to achieve. The literature review was limited to a database. The implementation of quality management systems in parallel with innovation poses enormous challenges, as the philosophy governing the two areas can be contradictory. This requires that companies have well-structured and knowledgeable teams. This study contributed to a better perception and systematization of the relationship between quality and innovation.