Excellence Assessment in Defence Industries:
An Action Research study
Abstract
This study intends to explain and document the nature and impact of excellence assessment in Iranian defence industries. This program, due to its vision, purpose, assessment model and procedures, scope of participant industries and its results, is a unique experience in Iranian industries.
An action research methodology is conducted to study the design and implementation of this organizational improvement regime in three cycles. There are five stages in each action research cycle.
Since strategies in each cycle are based on the problems diagnosed by the stakeholders, the excellence assessment model and procedures have evolved and some theoretical and practical findings have emerged. Results of the excellence assessment in defense Industries include: growth of excellence dialogue in defense industries, competition for improvement, management attitude change, better definition of improvement projects, forming of excellence institution in defense industries, professional assessors network development, strategic alignment , encouragement and commitment to excellence.
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