Purpose: This article aims 1) to identify key elements for building quality culture, 2) to design and analyze survey data from defense industry companies, and 3) to suggest directions for enhancing quality culture levels. Methods: Key elements and items for a quality culture are derived by investigating related references and using affinity diagram. Questionnaire items to investigate the quality culture level of the organizations are prepared and the survey data on the level of quality culture of military defense companies are analyzed. Results: 1) Descriptive statistical analyses are presented to compare the levels of the six key elements. 2) In each element items with low scores are identified, which should be improved. 3) Among six key elements, ‘support ’element shows lowest level. 4) The quality culture level of the small-sized companies are relatively low. Conclusion: 1) To improve the quality culture level of the defense industry companies, it is necessary to provide quality education, to enhance recognition and rewards, and to invest resources for employees’ self-development. 2) Small-sized companies can easily be adapted to quality-oriented cultural change if the CEO leadership focuses on quality culture.