Offers the view that TQM concepts apply equally to manufacturing and service industries and examines assertions through a survey of selected manufacturing and service companies involved in TQM implementation. To test the hypothesis a framework of 19 TQM dimensions is developed and, based on this framework, the studied companies are evaluated. It is shown that under varied environmental conditions the TQM tools and procedures may vary but the underlying concepts apply equally to both manufacturing and service companies. The differences in the studied dimensions between manufacturing and service companies signify slow dissemination of TQM knowledge among the service companies. Service operations are generally not sure whether the tested procedures in manufacturing companies will work equally well for them. As a result, commitment for a fully fledged TQM has been lacking in the service industries.

Purpose -This paper focuses on six change management issues that address quality management practices in the service sector, difficulty in taking a holistic approach to total quality management (TQM) implementation in the service environment, and the challenges of delivering organizational reform through TQM. Design/methodology/approach -The study employs a quasi-qualitative case study methodology. Twenty service companies from health care, insurance, consulting, and banking and financial services were studied over a period of two years to assess their change management practices for implementing TQM. Findings -The findings point to a less than total implementation of TQM in the studied companies. Among other issues, unrealistic expectations of employee commitment, absence of process focus, lack of organization around information flow, holes in education and training, and failure to create a continuous improvement culture contributed significantly towards failure. More successful companies focused on avoiding these potholes with strong leadership that emphasized strategic and tactical planning.Research limitations/implications -Based on one successful company, the study provides a guideline for successful TQM implementation in a service setting. However, with only one successful company, it would be difficult to generalize to other companies unless future research investigates other successful companies in similar industries, similar economic environment, and market conditions. Originality/value -The value of the paper lies in the lessons learned that when real and actual approaches to change management follow academic models and techniques of change management, the ability to develop and implement organization-wide change progresses more smoothly.

One of the major obstacles to successful implementation of TQM/CQI in hospitals has been management's failure to consider the workforce cultural situation. This quasi-qualitative study investigates eight workforce cultural factors in seven midwestern hospitals. Results reveal only one of the seven hospitals successfully implementing TQM/CQI.

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If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to compare the approaches towards implementation of business process reengineering (BPR), and to provide some evidence as to which approach offers a greater chance of success. Design/methodology/approach -A hospital case analysis is used to study where both top-down/ participative BPR and enterprise resource planning (ERP)-driven BPR were used to reengineer its processes. Findings -With an ERP-driven BPR, it is easier to define the scope of the project, design of the process changes, mapping of the new system in the software, and to obtain a realistic preview of the outcomes. Research limitations/implications -ERP-driven approach to BPR implementation used in this hospital represented a holistic rather than a piecemeal approach to an organization-wide change effort. There is always a tendency for the motivation and support for such change efforts to dissipate. Research is needed on how to sustain the momentum for such change endeavors. Practical implications -With ERP-driven BPR it is easier for management to offer a realistic preview of the expected outcomes, possible changes in the design and scope of the project, and to guard against unrealistic worker expectations. However, the ERP-driven change approach requires close cooperation and mutual protocols between all the principal stakeholders, i.e. the executive suite, ERP system vendor, business process and support teams, and IT department. Originality/value -The paper offers a rare insight into a company where both approaches to BPR implementation were tried and provides evidence in support of ERP-driven BPR.