TQM implementation: an empirical examination and proposed generic model

Abstract

Total quality management (TQM) is considered by many as an important quality and business performance improvement tool. The popularity of the concept has led to an explosion of TQM related literature. A careful review of the literature suggests that most publications recount the experiences or perceptions of the authors or deal with single case organisations. Furthermore, there is a dearth of empirical research and literature dealing with TQM's implementation process. This paper reports the findings of a research project that empirically examined the process of TQM implementation in a sample of organisations widely regarded as leading exponents of TQM. The paper presents a non-prescriptive model of the TQM implementation process derived from the findings and proposes an "outcome driven" approach as an alternative to the more commonplace TQM implementation strategies.

Breadth vs. depth: How to start deploying the daily management system for your lean transformation

“…Most of the research concludes that such an implementation of a management approach is organization-specific. [7] As a general rule, most implementation plans tend to be broken down into phases in order to manage the extensiveness and complexity of such an undertaking. The first recommended phase is to establish "proof of concept", which is examined in the following section.…”

HY-CHANGE: a hybrid methodology for continuous performance improvement of manufacturing processes

“…• the organisational perspective is the so called "soft aspects" of CQI as in Rahman and Bullock (2005) -see the human factors such as the involvement of all organisational levels, training and team-working)-; the people focus of Ghobadian and Gallear (2001) or the total quality culture, according to Irani et al (2004), are evidences of the particular attention paid during CQI efforts;…”

“…• according to the systemic perspective, CQI stresses on the concept of customer focus, extended quite often to market and stakeholders as in Ghobadian and Gallear (2001), as well as to the attention paid to cooperative supplier relations according to Rahman and Bullock (2005).…”

“…• a set of tools oriented to synchronise and manage improvement initiatives; it includes: Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle as in Ghobadian and Gallear (2001); ISO 9000 as in Terziovski and Sohal (2000), systemic perspective as in Routhieaux and Gutex (1998); auditing techniques as in Terziovski and Sohal (2000).…”

“…• a class of tools oriented to support decision making by recurring to logical supports; it includes: Symptom-OriginRemedy-Action methodology in Kim and Jang (2002); Analytical Hierarchy Process (Noci and Toletti (2000); Chin et al (2002)); benchmarking Ghobadian and Gallear (2001); multiple-attribute decision making as in Noci and Toletti (2000); fuzzy linguistic approach in Noci and Toletti (2000), Total System Intervention in Clarke et al (2000); theory Z of Eisner (2000); 5W-1H approach (What, Who, Why, When, Where, How);…”