TQM Implementation in State Departments of Transportation: View from the Firing Line

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of a 1994–95 survey of 146 state departments of transportation mid-level managers from 26 states regarding their perceptions of the progress and problems associated with TQM implementation in their departments. Managers’ own familiarity with TQM principles is contrasted with their perceptions of their peers’, their subordinates’, and their supervisors’ familiarity with TQM principles. The survey highlights managerial perceptions of the extent to which the department’s public commitment to TQM is being formally implemented, as well as the perceived value of TQM initiatives to DOT operations. Specific insights regarding perceived DOT customer importance rankings are presented, as is information concerning obstacles to TQM implementation and how to overcome them. Strategies for measuring TQM success in DOTs are offered, and the implications of the findings are presented.