Quality Improvement and the UNSDGs: Mapping Industry Contributions at the Goal, Target and Indicator Levels

The study examines the extent to which industry-led quality improvement projects contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The objective is to map these contributions to the UNSDGs, targets and indicators to provide a detailed understanding of sustainability alignment through quality management (QM) projects. A qualitative–quantitative content analysis was conducted on 41 award-nominated Indian case studies submitted to the International Academy for Quality (IAQ) Quality Sustainability Award. Each project was mapped to primary and secondary SDG goals and aligned with relevant SDG targets and indicators. The study found that SDG 12 and SDG 9 were the most frequently addressed goals. Even though most projects primarily targeted environmental and economic SDGs, direct attention to social goals was comparatively limited and was more often reflected as secondary contributions than as the primary focus. Approximately one-third of projects submitted to the IAQ award demonstrated cross-SDG contributions, suggesting the multi-dimensional benefits of integrated quality and sustainability initiatives. The study provides new empirical insights into the contribution of QM to UNSDGs.