Quality and Psychology

Quality and Psychology

Prediction of human behavior is one of the expected goals of psychology that justify its value as a science.  The combination of percentage and statistics elevated the use of psychology in the realm of productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.  Contemporary industrial psychology has routinely improved the performance of man as a producer of goods and services as well as a consumer of goods and services.

Along the trajectory of this historical tide, the very definition of quality also had its own evolution.  From the usual definition of “we know what it is, we just can’t articulate it” to the more industrial definition of “fitness for use” and “conformance to requirements”, the definition of quality is even expanded to the horizon of “exceeding expectations”.

The transcended definition of quality as “we all know what it is, we just cannot articulate it” indicates the assumption that everyone has a pre-conceived notion of what quality is and the general inability of many to capture its meaning in quantifiable terms. 

The industrial definition of “fitness for use” and “conformance to requirements” reflects the mass production mentality and tendency of the era wherein mass production is equated with mass consumption.

The expanded definition of “exceeding expectations” reflects the present tenor and demand of times – consumers and producers have only one thing in their mind, and that mantra falls on “exceeding expectations” regardless of the requirement and production of goods and services.

In mass consumption, “conformance to requirements” and “fitness for use” is enough to keep the flow of production going but in contemporary requirements, people and typical consumers, want to be wowed with innovation, creativity and simplicity.

Apple computers with its production of elegant computers, I pods, I pads, and I phones have consistently excited consumers with its products and because of its repeatability of delightful products, they are even richer than the US government in terms of cash on hand.

Quality can be predicted through adherence to some ISO procedures.  Quality can be interpreted with adherence to some ISO principles.  Quality can be described with adherence to some ISO notions.  Quality can be understood with some ISO concepts.  Quality can be controlled with some ISO ideas.  Furthermore, quality should be under psychology and not the other way around.  In some cases, it is the quality precept that wags the organization – now that is an anomaly since quality via ISO is just an indicative meter and not a conclusive method of identifying quality in an organization.

Reasons for the No Final Examinations of Students of Our Lady of Fatima University – QC: Possible Remedies for Reducing Incidents

Reasons for the No Final Examinations of Students of Our Lady of Fatima University – QC: Possible Remedies for Reducing Incidents

Dr. Ronan S. Estoque

Psychology Department, College of Arts and Sciences

Introduction

For the university, final examinations represent the culmination of activities and endeavors for the past 18 weeks.  Financially, the final payment for the semester is collected through the issuance of the exam permit.  If one is up to date in the payment of his accounts, an exam permit is issued.  If there is still a remaining balance to be settled, an exam permit is withheld pending the application for a promissory note emanating from the students.

What is alarming and really should be a cause of concern for the administration is the scenario where there is a big figure of students who are unable to pay for the tuition fee due in the final period.

Administratively, NFE students by the thousands also represent a logistical burden for the faculty.  They will have to create a special set of examinations (to avoid leakage) and they also have to correct and check the paper in a time when they are also completing all the other requirements of their respective departments and colleges.

Though the existence of NFE is beyond eradication, their number could be minimized.

Problems

1.  What are the colleges and programs that have NFE’S?

2.  What are the reasons why students have NFE’S?

3.  What are the possible remedies for decreasing the number of NFE’S among students?

Findings

1.  Practically all colleges and programs have NFE’S, namely:

Biology

Business and Accountancy

Computer Studies

Criminal Justice

Education

Hospitality and Institutional Management

Medical Technology

Nursing

Pharmacy

Physical Therapy

Preparatory Dentistry

Psychology

2.  Reasons why students have NFE’S?

Financial Problems

Personal Issues

Academic Reasons

Practicum and Internships

Not attending (FDA and UW)

Will just take the special exams

3.  Possible remedies for decreasing NFE’S?

Proposed Remedies

1.  To offer a promissory note program to pro-actively decrease the number of students with NFE’S. 2.  Leniency in the observance of schedule.  For one reason or another, students are late and are driven and compelled to simply take the special exams. 3.  Improvement on the scheduling of tests and room assignment to avoid conflicts in schedule.  Inevitably, schedules plotted results in students taking the special exams, hence the NFE. 4.  Faster processing of payments.  Long lines prevent students from taking their scheduled tests on time leading to NFE. 5.  Flexibility in the duration of the temporary permits.  Temporary permits are only good for 2 days. 6.  Better safekeeping of examinations.  Sometimes exams results are lost and faculty simply gives a NFE though there was an examination taken in the first place. 7.  Raise the bar of passing students. NFE’s among students gives them a chance to score a passing grade from their faculty or even a tally a higher score (for scholarship purposes).  Raise the bar and improve the standard of passing internal and external examinations. 8.  Fail students outright.  Some faculties are hesitant in failing students and to give them a second change, the scenario of NFE is used. 9.  Allow students to take examinations without permits and simply withheld their grades prior to the payment of accounts.

Reference:

1.  Report on “Student’s Reasons of No Final Examination”.