Abstract
In a field project for an undergraduate course in total quality management (TQM), students interacted with practitioners to determine the “real” barriers in successfully implementing TQM. Students interviewed managers from a total of 94 firms. Managers answered openended questions and rated the validity of statements about their organizations. The data were tested for differences between manufacturing and service firms, and TQM versus non-TQM firms. Non-TQM firms were less likely to provide employee training, empower employees, and employ cross-functional teams, compared with TQM firms. TQM firms were more likely to include quality goals in their strategic plans and to have top management visibly committed to quality.
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