Total Quality Management In Organizations Research Articles

Implementing total quality management in a virtual organisation: thoughts and lessons from an interventionist approach

PurposeThis article aims to understand the challenges and key takeaways of implementing total quality management (TQM) in a virtual organisation.Design/methodology/approachAn interventionist research (IVR) methodology combined with a qualitative critical event analysis was used to evaluate the challenges and concerns faced during the company’s adoption of TQM and understand the roles of the key players involved.FindingsStandard process tools such as desktop procedures (DTP), focused teams, and service-level agreements (SLAs) were fundamental to implementing TQM in the company. These processes require the right leaders, but external agents may also be influential, acting as accelerators of change in adopting and using management practices in small companies. Indeed, the researcher acted as a problem solver, bringing innovative solutions to the firm using a hands-on iterative approach.Practical implicationsThis research underscores the importance of critical success factors (CSF), such as employee engagement, training, and project management tools. These factors are not just important but crucial for the success of TQM in organisations seeking to adopt the industry’s best practices.Originality/valueThis study, conducted as a virtual IVR for TQM implementation, provides novel insights for practitioners and academics. It elucidates the pivotal role of some quality management tools in the journey towards TQM and the role of both internal and external critical players in the process, particularly in small virtual organisations based on innovative business models.

A hybrid MCDM approach to analyse the impact of multi-agent technology on total quality management in organisations

A hybrid MCDM approach to analyse the impact of multi-agent technology on total quality management in organisations

Analysis of total quality management (TQM) implementation in the biotechnology industry

Over the past two decades, the relevance of the Total Quality Management (TQM) model has increased significantly. TQM is becoming increasingly popular as organizations focus more on improving the quality of their products, services, and internal operations to increase customer value and gain competitive advantage. Organizations from the biotechnology sector play a significant role in the development of the national economy, the social sphere and employment. In such a situation, they face strong competitive advantages of competitors from all over the world, such as low costs and high productivity. The change in the amount of added value alone over the last 10 years leads to an increase of 35.2% per year. In 2009 is BGN 12 million, and in 2019 is BGN 208 million. That is why it is critical for them to improve their organizational performance through the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the individual components of TQM in organizations from the field of biotechnology and food industry and to determine its model in terms of engineering activities. Pre-designed questionnaires were used as a data collection instrument in the present study. Conducting semi-structured interviews with team leaders in a biotech manufacturing organization provides insight into the impact of TQM on competitiveness. These elements, leadership skills and supplier/customer relationships have been found to play an important role in improving overall performance.

Relating the strategic role of technology orientation in organizational TQM performance

The importance of incorporating cutting-edge technological strategies to support business ecosystem development is growing across industries. By examining the relationship between organisational Total Quality Management (TQM) performance and the indicators of technology orientation, this study aims to fill the knowledge gap caused by insufficient empirical research on the characteristics of technology orientation. This study evaluates a unique conceptual framework using survey data from 254 IT manufacturing companies in India, utilising a two-staged structural equation modelling and artificial neural network methodology. The study developed hypotheses on TQM organisational performance through the literature on technology orientation to determine the correlations between these indicators. The findings highlight how enterprises that commit to adopting new technologies can enhance technological innovation to become more resourceful and creative and increase organisational TQM performance. The sensitivity analysis results showed that technology adoption significantly impacts organisational TQM performance. The novelty of this study contributes to the literature on organisation TQM performance by providing a deeper understanding of relevant technology orientation indicators and how organisations should use them to achieve superior performance. The results show that technology acceptance strategy, capability, infrastructure, innovation, and adoption benefit organisational TQM performance.

The Human Resource Management Practices for the Implementation of TQM in Indian Manufacturing Industries

Purpose: Examine the association between human resource management(HRM) practices and the total quality management (TQM) practices in the meppchanical manufacturing industries. Design/Methodology/Approach: Data and information were gathered using a survey instrument. Data were collected from the managerial level employees working in the HR, quality and production departments. Collected data and information were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Findings: Human resource management practices are associated with total quality management practices. The result of the study also reveals that Functional Leadership (FL), Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS), Employee Involvement (EI), Empowerment (EMP) and Employee Training (ET) are the predominant factors of human resource management. At the same time, Benchmarking (BEN), Customer Satisfaction (CS), Top Management Commitment (TMC) and Supplier Relations (SR) are the critical success factors of TQM practices. “Functional Leadership” has the most significant impact on Benchmarking. Research limitations/implications: The empirical research was on mechanical manufacturing industries in India only. Further, the study can be extended to other sectors to gather relevant TQM and HRM associations. Practical implications: Successful implementation of HRM practices enhances employees' motivation level; this will significantly help to implement the organization's TQM practices. Overall implementation of HRM and TQM practices will improve employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction level and continuous improvement. Originality/value: The research tender imminent into associations between HRM and TQM practices focusing on Indian manufacturing organizations. This conceptual framework is a valuable reference for future research.

Barriers in Implementing Total Quality Management in Organizations: A Literature Review

Present-day customers are very conscious of the quality of products and services. They are ready to pay a higher price for a quality product or service. A company that meets such demands gains a competitive advantage in the market over its competitors. One of the best approaches to address this challenge is the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM, a systematic management approach and a journey to meet competitive and technological challenges, has been accepted by both service and manufacturing organizations globally. It is commonly agreed that by adopting TQM, the overall effectiveness and performance of organizations can be improved. Despite TQM offers numerous benefits, it is not an easy task to implement it. It is generally experienced that implementation of TQM is hard and painful due to certain barriers that inhibit the successful implementation of TQM. Understanding the factors that are likely to obstruct TQM implementation enables managers to develop more effective strategies for achieving business excellence. Therefore, the purpose of this literature-based paper is to identify the barriers in implementing TQM in business organizations. An extensive literature review was carried out to achieve this objective. The barriers in implementing TQM were identified under three main thematic areas namely: managerial issues, people-oriented issues and organizational issues. Under managerial issues, there are five barriers which hinder the successful implementation of TQM; lack of communication, lack of top-management commitment, lack of coordination between departments, no benchmarking and poor planning. There are four barriers under the category of the people-oriented issue namely, employee resistance to change, lack of proper training and education, inadequate use of empowerment and teamwork, and human resource barrier. Moreover, three barriers were identified under organizational issues, i.e. lack of continuous improvement culture, the attitude of employees towards quality, and high turnover at management level. Among these three categories, managerial issues were the most vital category followed by people-oriented issues and organizational issues. However, an in-depth empirical investigation is needed to explore the barriers in implementing TQM in the context of Sri Lankan organizations.
 Keywords: Total Quality Management, Barriers, Implementation

Integrative Approach to Total Quality Management for Gaining Competitive Advantage

Introducing and use of total quality management in organizations is very current and a complex category which, in the future, will give an incentive of its implementation in order to achieve competitive advantage. The effects of total quality management are only an indicator of further studies. This study is focused on the analysis of a very important point of view in the process of implementing total quality management in organizations for gaining competitive advantage. By integrating the basic principles of total quality management, the organizations themselves begin to experience the benefits and positive effects of utilizing it. The studies that were made will contribute to furthering the knowledge of this current global process and will stimulate organizations to have a more scientific approach to the assessment of the benefits of total quality management in the future, and at the same time, to begin using total quality management in order to acquire competitive advantage.

The impact of soft TQM and hard TQM on innovation performance: the moderating effect of organisational culture

Literature increasingly recognises the importance of organisational culture when implementing operations management practices. This paper examines the relationships among quality, innovation, and organisational culture under a moderation model. The research model is constructed based on well-established theories of competing values framework (CVF) and total quality management (TQM). A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 106 ISO 9000-certified manufacturers where data were collected from senior managers with sufficient knowledge. Partial least square analysis indicates that: 1) innovation is influenced mainly by adopting soft (organisational) TQM elements and secondarily hard (process) TQM elements; 2) innovation organisational culture has a stronger moderating influence on process-related TQM than on organisational TQM, although its interactions are mostly insignificant. Therefore, practitioners are advised to emphasise the organisational aspect of TQM rather than process-related practices when assessing the innovation performance of an organisation. The findings recommend firms to have a balanced view on cultures in organisations.

Linking TQM, BPR, and Empowerment: A Field Study

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between worker empowerment, business process reengineering, and total quality management in organizations. Past research has hinted at the potential of these approaches to increase productivity and quality while reducing wasteful practices. However, we found no research in IS journals depicting trinary relationships linking the these three constructs. Therefore, we begin to develop three propositions from the existing literature. The propositions depict binary relationships between the three constructs. To initially assess the relationships, we interviewed three organizations. Analysis of the data allowed us to classify each organization against various factors related to each construct. The classification table provides a fundamental analysis of trinary relationships between the three constructs. The classification table provides a fundamental analysis of trinary relationships between the three constructs. We intend to extend the study by developing a questionnaire for national mailing. Eventually, we hope to develop a theoretical model and a detailed set of guidelines for organizations attempting to effectively change management.

Why TQM programmes fail? A pathology approach

Purpose– Implementing total quality management (TQM) is not without difficulties and achieving its promised benefits is not easy. The purpose of this paper is to identify the barriers to TQM successful implementation.Design/methodology/approach– A literature review has been done to explore the major reasons for the failure of TQM programmes.Findings– An examination of 54 TQM empirical studies identified 54 obstacles to successful TQM implementation. There are both theoretical and practical difficulties in applying TQM in organisations. An ineffective TQM package, inappropriate TQM implementation methods and an inappropriate environment for implementing TQM are the main reasons for TQM failure. The most frequently mentioned reasons for TQM implementation failures include insufficient education and training, lack of employees’ involvement, lack of top management support, inadequate resources, deficient leadership, lack of a quality-oriented culture, poor communication, lack of a plan for change and employee resistance to the change programme.Research limitations/implications– The review was limited to articles written in English language during the past 30 years (1980-2010).Practical implications– TQM does deliver better performance when an appropriate model of TQM is appropriately implemented in a supportive environment. The findings of this paper provide managers with a practical understanding of the factors that are likely to obstruct TQM implementation. Managers should overcome these barriers to achieve the TQM benefits.Originality/value– Understanding the factors that are likely to obstruct TQM implementation will help organisations in planning better TQM models.

TQM practice in real-estate industry using AHP

Total quality management (TQM) has been recognized as a successful management philosophy that can be successfully practiced in the Real-estate industry. The purpose of this research is to determine the important factors that influence the TQM practice in real estate industry. The research methods employed included a literature review, in-depth interviews and focus group techniques which were used as a first to identify ten constructs of TQM in organizations. That is Top Management Commitment, Customer Focus, Benchmarking, Continuous Improvement, Supplier Quality Management, Product Innovation, Product Quality, Employee’s Involvement, Rewards and Recognition, Educational and Training. The AHP questionnaires were sent as 142 organizations of members of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India, in the metro city of Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai. The sampling procedure resulted in an overall response rate of 51% and the result was categorized based on organization size—small, medium and large. Then, the empirical study adopted the techniques of the Analytic Hierarchy Process to solicit opinions from 72 expert opinion collected through mail questionnaire. The results show that Employee involvement, top management commitment, employee customer focus, plays very important role for TQM practice in organizations. The results show that the Employee’s Involvement is most important to TQM practice in India. This is not difficult to understand, since the less than desirable record of real-estate industry. Therefore, the key to a successful strategy is to rebuild the confidence of TQM practice in real-estate industry.

5 “S” and TQM status in Indian organizations

PurposeHo and Osada state that 5 “S” is the foundation for implementing total quality management (TQM) philosophy and also emphasize that 5 “S” is the primary driver for the success of TQM in any organization. Since the competitiveness of India has been ranked comparatively low worldwide, it shows that Indian organizations may be weak in implementing TQM. The purpose of this paper is to assess the status of TQM, quality tools and 5 “S” in Indian organizations and to study their relationship among three categories of organizations, i.e. “Large”, “Medium” and “Small”.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents the status of 5 “S”, quality tools and TQM in Indian organizations based on 62 organizations.FindingsThe paper reveals that 5 “S” performance has a direct bearing on the performance of TQM journey. There is a positive correlation among 5 “S” index, usage of quality tools and TQM index. The high 5 “S” index in “Large” category of organization has resulted in high‐TQM index in comparision to “Medium” and “Small” organizations. The weakest link is “Small” category, which has a direct bearing on the overall performance of TQM.Research limitations/implicationsThe investigation and research findings are still exploratory. Future research can focus and study the correlation among 5 “S”, quality tools, and TQM sector wise. Broadly based and larger sample size would provide better picture of 5 “S”, usage of quality tools and TQM status.Originality/valueThe study has been able to compute 5 “S”, usage of quality tools and TQM index among the three category of organizations and have been able to establish the correlation among 5 “S”, TQM and quality tools. The study has been able to identify that organizations with high‐5 “S” index tend to use high number of quality tools and have high‐TQM index.

The effect of organizational culture stemming from national culture towards quality management deployment

Purpose – As a multinational corporation (MNC) implements a new innovation campaign at its worldwide operations, varying degrees of success stories are reported. The extent of how an innovation campaign and methodology can be transferred from its corporate office to its overseas operations has been the subject of considerable debate. Implementing an innovation methodology such as the total quality management (TQM) can be challenged by the organizational culture unique to each operation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between organizational culture stemming from national culture and TQM implementation performance.Design/methodology/approach – In total, 186 managers of MNCs are surveyed in their cultural orientations and TQM implementation experiences. The survey result is analyzed by regressing cultural elements on TQM elements.Findings – Our result suggests that an organization's TQM practices are significantly influenced by the organization culture. However, each dimension o...

Psycho‐social factors influencing practice of total quality management in some Nigerian organizations

PurposeTo identify some psychological and social variables that could enhance employees' adoption of total quality management (TQM) in an organization that chooses to implement the management philosophy.Design/methodology/approachA survey research was conducted, using 418 middle management staff, randomly drawn from some TQM and non‐TQM courier organizations in Nigeria. Respondents received standardized scales measuring perception of their leaders' leadership styles, organizational reward system and self‐report of personality attributes (psychological variables), along with items measuring gender, age, job tenure and level of education (social variables). They also responded to questionnaire items measuring the extent to which they practice TQM.FindingsCorrelation analysis show that higher level of maintenance leadership style along with lower level of performance leadership style, low levels of extraversion and neuroticism, higher level of education and shorter job tenure enhance subordinates' practice of TQM. t‐test results show that Employees in TQM organizations were significantly higher on perceived maintenance and performance leadership styles and reward but significantly lower on extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism than their non‐TQM counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsAll measures were based on self‐report of the respondents and data were from only service organizations, thus, limiting generalizations of the findings.Practical implicationsImplementers of TQM in organizations in Nigeria should endeavor to put in place appropriate leadership styles, consider personality attributes, level of education and duration of working in any non‐TQM organization among other personnel issues for selection and retention in a TQM practicing organization.Originality/valueTQM is a management technique being adopted in Nigeria with some difficulties. The present study brings to focus psychological and social variables that could ease its implementation.

An Introduction to Critical Paths

A critical path defines the optimal sequencing and timing of interventions by physicians, nurses, and other staff for a particular diagnosis or procedure. Critical paths are developed through collaborative efforts of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and others to improve the quality and value of patient care. They are designed to minimize delays and resource utilization and to maximize quality of care. Critical paths have been shown to reduce variation in the care provided, facilitate expected outcomes, reduce delays, reduce length of stay, and improve cost-effectiveness. The approach and goals of critical paths are consistent with those of total quality management (TQM) and can be an important part of an organization's TQM process.

Integrating Six Sigma with Total Quality Management: A Case Example for Measuring Medication Errors

Six Sigma is a new management philosophy that seeks a nonexistent error rate. It is ripe for healthcare because many healthcare processes require a near-zero tolerance for mistakes. For most organizations, establishing a Six Sigma program requires significant resources and produces considerable stress. However, in healthcare, management can piggyback Six Sigma onto current total quality management (TQM) efforts so that minimal disruption occurs in the organization. Six Sigma is an extension of the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis that is required by JCAHO; it can easily be integrated into existing quality management efforts. Integrating Six Sigma into the existing TQM program facilitates process improvement through detailed data analysis. A drilled-down approach to root-cause analysis greatly enhances the existing TQM approach. Using the Six Sigma metrics, internal project comparisons facilitate resource allocation while external project comparisons allow for benchmarking. Thus, the application of Six Sigma makes TQM efforts more successful. This article presents a framework for including Six Sigma in an organization's TQM plan while providing a concrete example using medication errors. Using the process defined in this article, healthcare executives can integrate Six Sigma into all of their TQM projects.

An evaluative framework for TQM dynamics in organisations

Aims is to analyse the dynamics of total quality management (TQM) within organisations by using Leonard's Grounded Theory evaluative framework for TQM. There are a number of quality models which are used to analyse the effects of TQM on organisations, however all of these models are used mainly in an auditing role. There is a paucity of models, which seek to evaluate the dynamic effects of TQM in organisations. Develops an evaluative framework for the dynamics of TQM in organisations is developed. This was established from Grounded Theory and is used to analysis TQM dynamics within a multiple case analysis consisting of 57 cases. Data were obtained from multiple semi‐structured interviews, organisation and archive materials. The results show the complex non‐sequential and dynamic effects of TQM present in the cases. Also finds that TQM can have a dynamic role in strategy formulation, in addition to the more tactical role of strategy application and deployment.

A grounded multi‐model framework for TQM dynamics

It is often claimed that existing quality models can represent the development of total quality management (TQM) within organisations. However, the more recent emergence of critical perspective literature in this area has shown that these models lack both a strategic formulation influence and a dynamic influence for TQM in organisations. Seeks to combine these influences and to evaluate the role of the strategic dynamics of TQM within organisations. Thus, primarily aims to evaluate the strategic dynamics of TQM within case study organisations using an appropriate evaluative framework. A secondary aim is to perform a meta‐evaluation of this framework. The evaluative framework used for the study is Leonard’s grounded theory framework for TQM strategic dynamics. The model was applied to 57 case studies where a cross case analysis was used to guide the analysis. The findings show that the dynamics of TQM are much more complex and recursive than those shown by current models. Furthermore, the main influence of TQM in the cases was found to be at a tactical level and operational level. Those organisations, which applied TQM at a strategic level, were found to have robust TQM programmes with greater longevity, by using frequent regenerative approaches.

Quality improvement teams that stall due to poor project selection: An exploration of contributing factors

A corporate culture that supports Total Quality Management (TQM) may take years to build, and sceptics will abound in the early years of an organization's TQM campaign. Organizations that use quality improvement teams (QITs) may suffer damage to the quality initiative when the early teams stall or fail altogether. Teams that stall may convince the sceptics to withhold their support from TQM, thus reducing the momentum of TQM adoption. Stalled teams often result from an inappropriate initial choice of a project. In order to explore the contributing factors in poor project selection, this study collected critical incidents of QITs that stalled because of a poorly chosen project. Analysis of the incidents yields two main categories of factors. The first category is errors of problem definition, including failure to select a process-based problem and failure to identify a project of significant yet manageable scope. The second category is errors in judgement, including failure to identify potential pitfalls and failure to respond to known pitfalls. Illustrative examples of risky projects are presented throughout. This study can benefit those with an interest in selecting viable quality improvement projects, particularly in the early phases of TQM adoption.

Research questions on the implementation of total quality management

We present in this paper a number of propositions regarding the implementation of total quality management (TQM). These propositions are derived from a study of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winners. The propositions are structured into four groups dealing with cultural change, focus, employee ownership of the processes, and strategic partnering with customers and suppliers. Each of these issues is critical to the implementation or sustainability of TQM in organizations. It is not our intention from the discussion of these propositions to present answers, but instead to generate meaningful and interesting research questions on the implementation of TQM.