Assignment:
This project involves researching and writing a short biography on Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa. Our text addresses many of the areas in the management and control of quality and provides a great amount of information on a number of different quality concepts. However, the authors only mention Dr. Ishikawa in passing. Just who is Kaoru Ishikawa? Prepare a 500-word biographical paper on Ishikawa, describing his contributions to quality. You should not limit your research to online materials. Two of his books are excellent sources: (1) What is Total Quality Control: The Japanese Way (1985) and (2) Guide to Quality Control (1976). Submit the completed paper to your Dropbox.
You will research this person's life and work to determine the impacts that he has had in the world. You will define the quality leader's significant contributions to modern quality practices in terms of major impacts in a specific organization. The project will enable you to understand:
• Ishikawa's key ideas;
• how Ishikawa has influenced quality practices throughout the world;
• how his ideas fit into total quality management; and
• the implications of Ishikawa's ideas for the future of quality.
The paper will be a short biography on Kaoru Ishikawa. It will adhere to the grading specifications as described below. The student will submit a paper of at least 500 words, not including title page and references, by the end of class Week 3. The student will use at least two sources plus the course textbook, for a minimum of three references. All references are to be from academic journals, professional or academic textbooks, authored websites, or standard business publications such as The Wall Street Journal. Not more that 30% of the content will be from direct quotations. The final score will be reduced by one point for each percentage point when the direct quotations are over 30% of the content.
NOTE: Wikipedia and unauthored websites are not acceptable sources. Do not use these types of sources; otherwise, you will lose points.
The format of the paper should conform to the Publication Manual for the American Psychological Association (APA), 6th edition, for the title page, text, citations, references, and so forth. A basic APA tutorial can be found in the Webliography, and a template for the paper can be found in Doc Sharing. Completed papers will be submitted to your Dropbox as MS Word documents. All graphics will be a part of the Word document and submitted as a file. Documents authored in other applications such as WordPerfect or MS Works will not be accepted.
The following are the best practices in preparing this paper. Sample papers, using APA format, are located in Doc Sharing. Other useful information has also been provided there, including an APA paper template.
• Cover page: Include the person you prepared the paper for, who prepared it, and the date.
• Introduction: In APA format, the introduction is understood to be the first content of your work; thus, it does NOT require a title.
The purpose of an introduction or opening:
o Introduce the subject and why the subject is important.
o Preview the main ideas and the order in which they will be covered.
o Establish the tone of the document.
o Include in the introduction a reason for the audience to read the paper. Also, include an overview of what you are going to cover in
your paper and the importance of the material. (This should include or introduce the questions you are asked to answer on each assignment.)
• Body of your work: Include titles to identify different areas that you address. State the main ideas, major points in each idea, and supporting information. Break down each main idea you will use in the body of your paper. Show some type of division, like separate sections that are labeled, separate groups of paragraphs, or headers. You would include the information you found during your research and investigation.
• Summary and conclusion: Summarizing is similar to paraphrasing, but it presents the gist of the material in fewer words than the original. An effective summary identifies the main ideas and major support points from the body of your report. Minor details are left out.
Additional hints on preparing the best possible project:
o Apply a three-step process of writing: plan, write, and complete.
o Prepare an outline of your research paper before you go forward.
o Complete a first draft, and then go back to edit, evaluate, and make any changes required.
o Use visual communication if it will help clarify and support your work. Any material that can be removed and not affect the clarity of your work is essentially filler and should be avoided. Filler distracts from the flow of your work and will most likely cause you to lose points.
• References: APA formatted references are required for this assignment.
A possible outline of the paper is provided below.
• Cover Page
• Introduction
o Overview of the paper
o Purpose and importance of the effort
• Background
o Personal background and life history (education, family life, living situations, etc.)
• Primary work and significant accomplishments
o Summary of his philosophy
o Summary of what he was focused on accomplishing in terms of quality
o Reviews and highlights of his books, articles, and manuscripts
o Detailed description of his key ideas, concepts, and quality approach
o Describe what results he achieved personally from their life work
o Summary of his influence on quality and Total Quality Management (TQM)
• Conclusion
o Summarize the key points of your paper
• References