Total Quality Management Environment Research Articles

Quality information systems through people

The Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy is rapidly being adopted by organizations that are concerned about remaining competitive in an intensely competitive global marketplace. As a result, Information Technology (IT) is being developed and deployed to foster these quality programs. However, little empirical research is available concerning implementation of technology in TQM environments. Research is needed to guide organizations toward a path of successful implementation of quality systems. The objective of this study is to devise a set of guidelines for organizations attempting to infuse total quality into their systems development efforts. The study draws upon data gathered from case studies of three organizations involved in total quality systems development. The three organizations were chosen based on their differences in size (total revenues). Contrasting the three organizations should add richness to the development of TQM guidelines. The study begins with a review of the quality research. The methodology is described in the next section. A synopsis of the case studies is then presented. Finally, a set of guidelines and theoretical implications synthesized from the literature and cases are introduced.

TQM Implementation Strategy for Capital Projects

This paper presents a strategy that major parties involved in the design and construction process can use to help implement total quality management (TQM) on capital projects. Key components of the strategy are developed from analysis of existing TQM models and a study of TQM applied to a large refinery expansion project. The proposed implementation strategy is based on the premise of integrating TQM with a project-management approach that identifies specific phases in the sequential development of capital projects. The strategy prescribes a four-stage deployment plan where each stage parallels a project development phase. The four stages are: (1) establish project TQM environment; (2) identify key project pursuits and project TQM plan; (3) deploy project TQM plan; and (4) apply and improve project TQM plan. The adoption of this strategy to formulate a project TQM implementation approach can lead to the continuous improvement of critical project processes. The end result will be more cost-effective projects and increasingly satisfied project participants.

The t‐model: A systematic approach for implementing change

AbstractTo survive, organizations must learn how to change. And to efficiently implement needed changes, they must have a formal system. This article introduces the T‐model, a mechanism to facilitate rapid change, the type that is critical in effective time‐to‐market considerations in total quality management environment.

Total Quality Management: Implications for Internal Audit

Total Quality Management (TQM) will have major implications for the internal audit function. Argues that TQM concepts, such as people empowerment, are incompatible with traditional notions of compliance with prescribed internal controls, policies and procedures. Suggests that the fundamental principles which govern the practice of internal audit are incompatible with TQM environments. Examines a number of scenarios to assess the impact of TQM on the internal audit function. These issues may offer a basis for the conduct of further research.

Process capability and stability of analytical systems assessed from proficiency testing data

Participation in a proficiency testing (PT) program is a valuable adjunct to laboratory activities dedicated to the maintenance of reliable analytical methods. The PT program may facilitate continuous quality improvement if laboratory performance is presented in the context of expectations espoused by healthcare professionals for optimal patient care. Statistical process control (SPC) and capability analysis are tools used by industry in a Total Quality Management environment to characterize and monitor the performance of its processes relative to performance specifications. I conceptualized the use of an analytical system by many laboratories as a process that periodically produces results from the analysis of PT specimens. I treated a set of five PT results (theophylline) reported by a laboratory as a process sample and subjected the samples collected from many laboratories to SPC and capability analysis. The control charts--mean-(X-bar) and s-charts--produced by the analysis readily identify significant analytical errors in the context of peer performance and performance specifications provided by the regulatory program and analytical goal setting. The capability index (desirable Cp > 1.0) determined from clinical specification limits for the three analytical systems evaluated suggests an opportunity for improvement of laboratory performance.

Problem Solving Teams in a Total Quality Management Environment

No abstract available for this article.

Beyond systems—The politics of managing in a TQM environment

AbstractThe roots of total quality management (TQM) go back to the work of statisticians in the 1930s and 1940s and the early writers in statistical quality control. These ideas were transplanted to Japan, greatly improved upon and reshaped, and then reintroduced into American business by the Japanese, who bought and restored many American firms (sometimes in joint ventures), and by defense contractors who were under pressure to develop new ways to fulfill government contracts in the aerospace and weapons industries. Much of what has been written about TQM in the past has stressed mechanistic tools and techniques. This article, however, explores the interpersonal skills and new learning required for managing in a TQM environment.