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According to recent figures, only 20-36% of organizations that have attempted to implement a TQM program have achieved some sort of significant or even tangible improvements in quality, productivity, competitiveness or financial return.

So why is this much hailed management tool failing to live up to expectations? One possible reason is the all-encompassing nature of Total Quality Management. Ask most practicing managers what exactly TQM is, and you will receive a variety of responses, ranging from "TQM is about systems improvement" to "senior management is key in TQM". And whilst statements such as these are not completely inaccurate, when taken in isolation, they simply do not do full justice to TQM as a philosophy.

And this is the key. TQM is about a mindset and a culture. Quality management involves working to improve all systems and processes as much as possible, but it can only be described as 'Total' when all employees and managers become engaged in the effort and think of quality not as a one-off program but as an ongoing, integral part of the business.

Unfortunately, developing such a culture or mindset inevitably takes time, and time is one thing many organizations believe that they don't have. In today's hyper-paced business environment if results aren't immediate then programs are considered a failure and dropped faster than you can say "six sigma". In fact, when a number of senior managers were interviewed in relation to TQM, the primary reason they gave for failure of their initiatives was that it took too long to see results.

Because it received cult status in the management world of the 80s, TQM is often viewed as a quick fix to business inadequacy. Managers see the likes of GE, Motorola or AT&T adopt the TQM approach and want to emulate their success overnight. What they tend to forget is that these organizations have been committed to TQM over decades, not months, and have been prepared to invest millions into its implementation.

TQM is not an unattainable goal, nor is it a program that can produce results overnight. Our Briefing will help you to assess the pros and cons of this form of business excellence through case studies, surveys and practical hints.

Articles:

Total quality management (TQM): an overview
In the manufacturing industry, product quality has become a key factor in determining a firm’s success or failure in the global marketplace. Advanced, highly reliable manufacturing methods have made it possible to achieve very high standards of product quality. As a result, more and more firms are making product quality a keystone of their competitive strategy.

Originally published in The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances Volume 17 Number 1, 2004

Does soft TQM predict employees’ attitudes?
This study seeks to investigate the effects of soft total quality management (TQM) on employees’ attitudes within a large Malaysian semiconductor organization. Despite extensive research on “soft” TQM practices, there has not been much research this area. Therefore, the proposed model was developed with the intention of examining this relationship.

Originally published in The TQM Magazine Volume 17 Number 3, 2005

Corporate ethics in TQM: management versus employee expectations and perceptions
An important insight of this research is that TQM requires the continuous attention to the management versus employee expectations and perceptions inherent in corporate ethics of internal business operations. Furthermore, corporate ethics is complementary to business ethics.

Originally published in The TQM Magazine Volume 17 Number 2, 2005

Have TQM organisations adjusted their performance management (appraisal) systems? A study of UK-based TQM-driven organisations
This article reports findings from a survey designed to measure the consistency and congruity of HR performance evaluation systems with quality management precepts in UK-based quality-focused organisations.

Originally published in The TQM Magazine Volume 16 Number 6, 2004

TQM: why it will again become a top management issue
Although total quality management might be defined as a passing fad there are three key reasons why it will remain (or return as) an important issue on the agenda for top management...

Originally published International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management Volume 21 Number 6, 2004

Looking through and beyond the TQM horizon: Lessons learned from world-class companies
This paper aims to investigate the best common management practices of the world-class companies identified in Brazil and Japan; and propose a business model aimed at helping companies to achieve world-class level of excellence.

Originally published in The TQM Magazine Volume 17 Number 1, 2005

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