Critical success factors for TQM implementation

Abstract

For successful implementation of total quality management (TQM), a number of factors have been developed by various scholars. Usually, the factors are not equally important. In many cases, among various factors, there are a vital few that determine success. The aim of this study is to identify the critical success factors for TQM implementation in the Ethiopian organisations. The research considered the overall performance of 43 organisations in Ethiopia. The data collected were analysed by using multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) tool called Hotelling's T2-statistics. The T2-statstics of all the observations were computed and then the upper control limit was determined to identify outliers. Accordingly, seven observations fall outside the upper control limit. All the organisations exhibited low level of TQM implementation. Factors affecting those observations have been analysed using a sequential computational scheme. The findings show that leadership, policy and strategy, and customer focus are critical factors for successful implementation of TQM. Therefore, if organisations are engaged in quality improvement, they need to give special attention to these determining factors.