The impact of organizational culture on the successful implementation of total quality management

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to determine the impact of cultural values on the success of TQM implementation in Isfahan University Hospitals (IUHs), Iran, 2004.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper survey questionnaires were used to elicit responses from hospital managers and employees. Data collected included the characteristics of organizational culture in IUHs and the degree of TQM success and its implementation problems in these hospitals.FindingsThe paper finds that TQM success in IUHs was medium. Implementation of TQM was very low, low, medium and highly successful respectively in 16.7, 16.7, 58.3 and 8.3 percent of hospitals. TQM had the most effect on process management, focus on customers and leadership and management and less effect on focus on suppliers, performance results, strategic planning and focus on material resources. Human resource problems, performance appraisal and strategic problems were the most important obstacles to TQM success respectively. A total of 75 and 25 percent of hospitals had mechanistic and organic structure respectively. In total 41.6 percent of hospitals had weak organizational culture versus 58.4 percent medium culture. The success of TQM in hospitals with organic organizational structure and medium organizational culture was higher than mechanistic and bureaucratic hospitals with weak organizational culture (p<0.05).Originality/valueThe paper shows that TQM requires a quality‐oriented organizational culture supported by senior management commitment and involvement, organizational learning and entrepreneurship, team working and collaboration, risk taking, open communication, continuous improvement, customers focus (both internal and external), partnership with suppliers, and monitoring and evaluation of quality. By replicating this study in different countries and contexts the results could be very helpful for developing a model of TQM that can be implemented successfully in a cross‐cultural context.

Investigating the readiness of people in manufacturing SMEs to embark on Lean Six Sigma projects

“…An appropriate organisational culture has been widely considered as necessity for any TQM practice including LSS (Kanpp, 2015;Antony, 2014, Zu et al, 2010Mosadegh rad, 2006), whilst more recently the gap in the empirical research examining the association between organisational culture and TQM practices has also been acknowledged (Lam et al, 2015;Baird et al, 2011). Other studies have suggested that organisational culture, leadership and behavioural aspects are soft critical factors in all TQM practices (Calvo-Mora et al, 2014;Laohavichien et al, 2011;Baird et al, 2011).…”

“…Pisani et al (2009) cited in Tanik and Sen (2012) claim that success and failure of Six Sigma are strongly related to the culture of the society where the projects are carried out. Collaboration as a characteristic of corporate organisational culture will support the organisational change and successful implementation of any TQM practice (Lam et al, 2015;Baird et al, 2011;Mosadegh Rad, 2006). Cross-functionality of communication and collaboration have been identified as a key factor for a successful LSS project (Choi et al, 2012).…”

Padronização e melhoria de processos produtivos em empresas de panificação: estudo de múltiplos casos

“…Os principais benefícios de sua adoção podem ser sumarizados em: redução de defeitos, de retrabalho e do prazo de entrega; menores níveis de estoque; redução de custos em geral; maior competitividade empresarial, maior participação no mercado, aumento de lucro; e clientes internos e externos mais satisfeitos (RAD, 2006;LÓPEZ-MIELGO;MONTES-PEÓN;VÁZQUEZ-ORDÁS, 2009).…”

Melhoria contínua e aprendizagem organizacional: múltiplos casos em empresas do setor automobilístico

“…Pesquisas recentes como as executadas por Gonzalez e Martins (2007), Rad (2006) e Harrison (2000) indicam que, quando não sustentados por uma cultura voltada para a aprendizagem, os programas de melhoria acabam terminando com a mesma rapidez com que iniciaram, promovendo uma insatisfação e frustração por parte dos indivíduos envolvidos. Assim, a questão que sustenta o presente trabalho é: "De que maneira a aprendizagem organizacional sustenta e viabiliza a melhoria contínua nas empresas pesquisadas?…”