Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award

Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th U.S. Secretary of Commerce, served under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 until his untimely death in a rodeo accident in California in 1987. Baldrige played a significant role in carrying out administration trade policy. He took the lead in resolving difficulties in technology transfers with China and India and held the first Cabinet level talks with the Soviet Union in seven years paving the way for increased access for U.S. firms to the Soviet market. Additionally, he was instrumental in the passage of the Export Trading Company Act of 1982. He advocated against unfair trading practices and was a leader in the reform of the nation's antitrust laws.

Before entering public service Baldrige was chairman and chief executive officer of Scovill Incorporated of Waterbury, Connecticut. Joining Scovill in 1962, he is credited with leading its transformation from a financially troubled brass mill to a highly diversified manufacturer of consumer, housing and industrial goods. During World War II, Baldrige served in combat in the Pacific as Captain in the 27th Infantry Division. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1922, and graduated from Yale University with a bachelor's degree in 1944. During his boyhood he worked as a ranch hand and earned several awards as a professional team roper on the rodeo circuit. He was a Professional Rodeo Man of the Year in 1980 and was installed in the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 1984. His tenure as Secretary of Commerce was one of the longest in history and is possibly the most colorful (Biography of Malcolm Baldrige," 2010).

Discussion

The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is a public/private partnership dedicated to performance excellence. The program is designed to raise awareness about the importance of performance excellence in driving the U.S. And global economy. The program's mission is to improve the competitiveness and performance of U.S. organizations for the benefit of all U.S. residents. The program is a customer-focused change agent that develops and disseminates evaluation criteria, manages the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, promotes performance excellence, and provides global leadership in the learning and sharing of successful strategies and performance practices, principles, and methodologies of excellence ("Baldrige Performance Excellence Program," 2012).

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was established by Congress in 1987 to promote quality awareness, to recognize quality and business achievements of U.S. organizations, and to publicize these organizations' successful performance strategies. Now America's highest honor for innovation and performance excellence, the Baldrige Award is presented annually to U.S. organizations by the President of the United States. Awards are given in manufacturing, service, small business, education, health care, and nonprofits ("Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award," 2010).

Organizations interested in applying for the award must submit details showing their achievements and improvements in seven key areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. Applicants receive 300 to 1,000 hours of review and a detailed report on the organization's strengths and opportunities for improvement by an independent board of examiners ("Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award," 2010).