Perspective Chapter: The Philosophy and Methodology of Six Sigma

Douglas Matorera

A chapter in Business, Management and Economics Annual Volume 2024 from IntechOpen

Abstract: The chapter details the philosophy and the methodology of Six Sigma. Literature abounds with versions of Six Sigma and discourses on other quality management tools and models, frequently portraying the models as exclusive of each other. This chapter examines the philosophical underpinnings of Six Sigma and its methodological contrivances. The literature review stretched across specialist journals, blogs and texts. Ten quality specialists and six trainers/tutors within Six Sigma curriculum were engaged in qualitative discussions. Gathered data was treated synthetically within a continual comparative framework. Conspicuous observations were the migration of Six Sigma into the service industry accompanied by data science and data analytics. The use of control charts, check sheets, graphs, flowcharts, scatters, Pareto and Ishikawa processes stood at the centre of high-intensity users of Six Sigma. Six Sigma is used in a somewhat monolithic or dogmatic way by many. Failure to appreciate the symbiotic relationship among elements of Six Sigma, or within other models and between Six Sigma and other quality models, would attest to the need to improve conceptual, managerial and technical understanding of the value of Six Sigma in the pursuit of continual improvement, however measured. Further to this, it is recommendable that organisations deliberately embed quality training in their Learning and Development curriculum focusing on skilling more than on fulfilling external, or top-level imperatives.

Keywords: continuous improvement; Design for Six Sigma; marketing for Six Sigma; quality assurance methods; quality control tools; Six Sigma Process Design; technology for six sigma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M00 M2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ito:pchaps:327744

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.115210

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