Since 37 concepts were far too many to reasonably study, Anderson et al. (1994) asked the panel to conduct a cluster analysis in which they attempted to evaluate all 37
concepts and identify clusters of concepts. When compared, the clustering by each panel
member showed a high degree of similarity and resulted in seven concepts, which Anderson et al. identified as the building blocks of Deming’s quality management method. The seven concepts were (a) visionary leadership, (b) continuous improvement, (c) internal and external cooperation, (d) learning, (e) employee fulfillment, (f) process management, and (g) customer satisfaction. Grandzon and Gershon (1998) also chose to measure product/service quality, financial, operational, public responsibility, customer satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. These six variables and the seven variables from the Anderson et al. research resulted in the 13 variables under study.