THE SELF-ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND IMPACTS ON PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of the European Foundation for Quality Management model self-assessment process and its effects on performance in a private manufacturing firm. A case study is used, considering the analysis of primary and secondary data. This paper explains the self-assessment process using a workshop approach, and identifies benefits, difficulties and success factors. It also shows that self-assessment has partly improved performance and the attitudes and behaviour of management and employees, reinforcing the firm’s competitiveness. The contribution of this paper is to provide lessons for managers of other organisations to learn from.