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When Total Quality Management (TQM) first broke onto the management scene, it was hailed as a revolutionary idea that would speed up production, increase efficiency, and generally bring success to any organization that pledged allegiance to it. TQM was supposed to bring quality to the whole organization, changing cultures and breaking down departmental barriers.
And for some organizations, this did indeed turn out be the case. TQM was introduced, adopted and sustained to create tangible business results. However, for many more this concept simply failed to deliver. Why? Because in their haste to introduce this culture or mindset to their businesses, senior managers forgot about the key factor that would make or break this initiative; people.
Many executives simply did not grasp the fundamental ethos behind TQM – that you could not introduce systems and procedures to overcome resistance and that diagrams or flow charts would not equate to culture change. TQM is all about empowering people to make the necessary changes towards quality and to incorporate this way of working into their everyday tasks. Whilst it is relatively easy to introduce TQM to a business, the real test comes in sustaining these practices and making them part of a culture rather than something people feel they “have to do”. In other words moving from obligation to willful participation.
Those companies that did grasp the importance of HR issues in relation to TQM went on to succeed, and now the rest of them appear to be catching up as we hear more and more about the link between HR and TQM. In fact, as people continue to be hailed as ‘our most important asset’, the strategic link-up between these two facets becomes almost inescapable.
Consequently this Briefing helps you understand more about these links. We provide you with the thoughts of leading academics on the subject, show you how this has worked in two organizations using case study examples, and also the difference between introducing a successful TQM initiative and implementing one that is doomed to failure.
With so much of quality management based on measurables and tangibles, it can be tempting to become buried in facts, figures, processes and procedure. However managers ignore the human aspect at their peril. Ultimately, people will be responsible for the success or failure of any initiative, and TQM is no exception.
Articles:
Towards a TQM-driven HR performance evaluation: an empirical study
This article reports findings from research designed to investigate the main issues of the current human resource performance evaluation systems in over 150 UK-based quality-focused organisations. The study identified the main characteristics of HR performance evaluation systems currently conducting in TQM-based organisations.
Originally published in Employee Relations
Volume 25 Number 4, 2003
The human side of introducing total quality management: Two case studies from Australia
This research indicates that a lack of attention to the human element of change, especially inconsistent senior management support, a lack of involvement of supervisors and middle managers in planning for change, and lack of attention to groups of staff affected negatively by the changes, explain why businesses may face difficulty sustaining TQM reform programs.
Originally published in the International Journal of Manpower
Volume 24 Number 5, 2003
Strategic HRM and business performance in the Hilton Group
This article profiles the Hilton Group plc and some of the human resources issues that arise from operating an international portfolio of 500 hotels, with more than 60,000 employees in 50 countries. The article draws on practitioner perspectives to explain the relationship between the strategic human resource management and business performance challenges for the business.
Originally published in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
Volume 14 Number 5, 2002
People and quality: the case of Delta Hotels
This article analyses the concept of quality in the hotel industry and emphasises that quality has to be a part of the culture of an organisation. The authors present Delta Hotels in Canada as an exemplary case study in relation to people and quality initiatives.
Originally published in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
Volume 15 Number 6, 2003
Employee perceptions of HRM and TQM, and the effects on satisfaction and intention to leave
There is a growing interest in theory and in practice with regard to the relationship between human resource management (HRM) and total quality management (TQM), as well as the relationship between these two perspectives and business performance.
Originally published in Managing Service Quality
Volume 12 Number 3, 2002
Leadership and HR focus in TQM research in Australia: an assessment and agenda
This work aims to examine the state of leadership and HR focus in TQM research in Australia from published literature and to determine areas for future research. The literature search covered 31 reputable referred journals over the years 1985-1999 and identified 90 articles which focused on aspects of TQM.
Originally published in Benchmarking: An International Journal
Volume 9 Number 5, 2002
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