The implicit psychology of total quality management

Abstract

Total quality management (TQM) is an approach to management which has spread rapidly in the US since the 1970s, and in the past 10 years has had a significant impact on practice in UK companies and other institutions. It began through the fusion of the ideas of three American management gurus (Deming, Juran, Crosby) with traditional Japanese culture, and can be summed up as a philosophy of looking for continual on-going improvement. This philosophy is sometimes referred to as kaizen , an umbrella term covering a range of practices, including customer orientation, total quality control, quality circles, cooperative labour-management relations and the notion of making products with zero defects. In general, TQM has been very successful but little is known about how and why it works. This paper describes two studies which try to shed some light on this issue: first, an interview study of 41 UK managers that explored the question of what implicit psychology underlies TQM and, second, an interview study of the effects of TQM on 28 shop floor workers. The first study suggests that nine key psychological processes underlie TQM: identification, equity, equality, consensus, instrumentality, rationality, development, group dynamics and internalization. For example, the process of identification by the employees with the company begins with the projection of a strong clear corporate image through its outward presentation of premises and products, and is fostered by the use of slogans and a clear mission statement reinforced with consistent management behaviours (particularly a friendly, open and highly visible management). Likewise, there is a commitment to management by consensus, where management and workers share the same goals and vision. The paper describes the other processes and how they are realized in the actual practice of management. The second study reveals some of the gaps between TQM theory and practice, the major areas being equality, rationality and internalization. There were a considerable number of criticisms of management but for the most part these were due to management's failure to implement TQM principles in practice.