National Quality Awards, such as the U.S. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) and the Deming Prize, are established to provide a framework for organizational performance excellence. A fundamental tenet of these frameworks is the concept of continuous improvement and organizational learning. The criteria for these awards require applicants to demonstrate mature, systematic processes for evaluating and improving all key aspects of their operations. The goal is not merely to recognize a static achievement but to stimulate a self-sustaining culture of learning, innovation, and ongoing improvement across the entire organization. Therefore, fostering continuous improvement is a primary and explicit intention of these awards.

B. False: This is incorrect. The core philosophy and evaluation criteria of major national quality awards are explicitly designed to promote and assess an organization's capacity for continuous improvement, not just its current state of quality.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2023). 2023–2024 Baldrige Excellence Framework (Business/Nonprofit). U.S. Department of Commerce. The framework's core values and concepts explicitly include "Organizational Learning and Agility," which is defined as the capacity for rapid change and flexibility, requiring a supportive environment for learning and continuous improvement (p. 42).

2. Evans, J. R., & Lindsay, W. M. (2020). Managing for Quality and Performance Excellence (11th ed.). Cengage Learning. Chapter 3, "Frameworks for Quality and Performance Excellence," discusses the objectives of the Baldrige Award, stating, "The purposes of the award are...to provide a vehicle for sharing best practices information among U.S. organizations of all types." This sharing is a mechanism to foster widespread continuous improvement.

3. Prybutok, V. R., & Cutshall, R. (2004). The financial impact of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Quality Management Journal, 11(3), 30-41. https://doi.org/10.1080/10686967.2004.11919118. The study discusses how the MBNQA framework serves as a model for continuous improvement, leading to enhanced organizational performance. The introduction notes that the award was created to promote quality awareness and excellence.