Quality is a topical issue in manufacturing. Competitive quality performance still eludes many manufacturers in the traditional industrialized countries. A lack of quality competitiveness is one of the root causes of the relative industrial decline and consequent trade imbalances which plague some Western economies. Many explanations are advanced for poor quality performance. Inadequate levels of investment in advanced technology, together with insufficient education and training of the workforce, are perhaps the most prominent. Some believe these problems are caused by a lack of awareness...