Use of Baldrige Assessment Techniques in Strategic Planning and Assessment for Arts Administration in Higher Education

Larry Weinstein, Randall Paul, Scott Williams

Larry Weinstein (PhD, University of Kentucky) has taught at Eastern Kentucky University and Ball State University. He served on the Board of Examiners for the Baldrige National Quality Award program in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and is currently a senior examiner and judge for the Ohio Award for Excellence.
Randall Paul (PhD, University of Oklahoma) serves as Conductor of the Miami Valley Symphony and as Ohio Chairperson for the International Clarinet Association. He was host for the 1997 Clarinet/Saxophone Festival at Wright State University. He has written articles for The Clarinet and for Counterpoint Magazine and has recently completed several recording projects.
Scott Williams (PhD, Management, Texas A&M University) has had his research published in Competitiveness Review, Journal of Strategic Marketing, Journal of Management Development, Personnel Review, Creativity and Innovation Management, Human Resource Management Review and Industrial and Commercial Training. He has served as Vice-President of Leadership Development for the Western Ohio Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development.

ABSTRACT 
The criteria and core values of the Baldrige National Quality Award provide a seven-part framework for organizational excellence through deployment of effective, systematic, aligned and integrated approaches in the areas of leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; human resources; and process management. The Baldrige assessment process is used throughout the United States by businesses, schools, health-care providers, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies. The authors describe how arts administrators can apply these concepts in self- and organizational assessment, which, in turn, provide the basis for a continuous-improvement plan. They look at several of the Baldrige criteria and illustrate how these apply to arts administration.
KEYWORDS
Quality improvement, Baldrige, assessment strategic planning
RÉSUMÉ
Les critères et les valeurs essentielles du programme de qualité national Baldrige (Baldrige National Quality Award) se concrétisent dans un processus en sept étapes vers l’excellence organisationnelle fondé sur l’adoption d’approches efficaces, systématiques, centrées et intégrées dans les domaines suivants : leadership; planification stratégique; orientation client et marché; mesure, analyse et gestion du savoir; ressources humaines; et gestion des méthodes. Le processus d’évaluation Baldrige est utilisé partout aux États-Unis par des entreprises, des établissements d’enseignement, des fournisseurs de soins de santé, des groupes sans but lucratif et des organismes gouvernementaux. Les auteurs décrivent comment les gestionnaires du secteur des arts peuvent appliquer ces concepts à l’évaluation personnelle et organisationnelle, ce qui, en retour, fournit la base d’un plan d’amélioration continue. Ils analysent plusieurs des critères Baldrige pour illustrer comment ceux-ci s’appliquent à la gestion des arts.
MOTS CLÉS 
Amélioration de la qualité, Baldrige, évaluation, planification stratégique
RESUMEN 
Los criterios y valores fundamentales del Baldrige National Quality Award brindan un marco, constituido de siete partes, para la excelencia organizacional mediante enfoques efectivos, sistemáticos, alineados e integrados en sectores de liderazgo; planificación estratégica; orientación hacia la clientela y el mercado; medición, análisis y gestión de conocimientos; recursos humanos y gestión de procesos. En los Estados Unidos, el proceso de evaluación Baldrige lo utilizan empresas, escuelas, centros de salud, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y agencias gubernamentales. Los autores describen cómo los administradores de las artes pueden aplicar mencionados conceptos para la auto-evaluación y la evaluación organizacional lo que, a su vez, brinda la base para un plan de mejoras continuas, y analizan varios de los criterios Baldrige e ilustran su aplicación en la administración de las artes.
PALABRAS CLAVE 
Mejora de la calidad, Baldrige, evaluación, planificación estratégica