Abstract
Many studies have suggested the adaptation and implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) is likely to improve an organization’s performance. A considerable amount of literature has examined the relationship between TQM and other elements like business performance, organizational performance, and marketing performance in different industries. However, little is known of the influence of TQM in project performance in the context of Malaysian construction organizations. The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between TQM and project performance in Malaysian construction organizations. Data were collected from member list of companies from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia. A total of 161 valid responses has been returned for data analysis. The findings revealed that TQM practices were partially correlated with project performance of Malaysian construction organizations. Specifically, operation focus and workforce focus were perceived as dominant TQM practices on project performance. This study contributes to the knowledge on TQM and project performance by providing empirical evidence on their ability to improve Malaysian construction industry. Besides, this study provides further insight for industrial practitioners to understand the roles of TQM and its ability in enhancing project performance.
Highlights
Total Quality Management (TQM) originated in the manufacturing industry and there is a considerable body of TQM literature that has examined TQM implementation in this industry all over the world
This study seeks to describe the association between TQM practices and project performance in Malaysian construction organizations by analyzing the 6 TQM constructs, leadership, Table 7
The Malaysian construction industry has recognized the importance of continuous quality improvement of TQM in its practices
Summary
TQM originated in the manufacturing industry and there is a considerable body of TQM literature that has examined TQM implementation in this industry all over the world. In Malaysia, there has been a number of research studies conducted on TQM in manufacturing (Arumugam, Ooi, & Fong, 2008; Rahman & Tannock, 2005; Talib, Rahman, & Qureshi, 2013) and services industries (Ooi, Lin, Tan, & Chong, 2011; Samat, Ramayah, & Mat Saad, 2006). Leong has indicated that limited studies have been conducted in the construction industry but one of the areas worth further exploration include, what types of quality practices (i.e. TQM) are recommended for improved project performance. Kuo and Kuo (2010) investigated the relationship of corporate culture, TQM, and project performance in Taiwan. H. Kuo and Kuo (2010) investigated the relationship of corporate culture, TQM, and project performance in Taiwan All these studies are limited to different regions in which the characteristics and practices in these developed countries are very different from Malaysia, which is a developing country. None of the studies focused exclusively on the link between TQM and project performance of the construction organizations
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