Article ID: | iaor20022253 |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Volume: | 29 |
Issue: | 4 |
Start Page Number: | 343 |
End Page Number: | 359 |
Publication Date: | Aug 2001 |
Journal: | OMEGA |
Authors: | Ghobadian A., Gallear D. |
Keywords: | Total quality |
Total quality management (TQM) is considered by many as an important quality and business performance improvement tool. The popularity of the concept has led to an explosion of TQM-related literature. A careful review of the literature suggests that most publications recount the experiences or perceptions of the authors or deal with single case organisations. Furthermore, there is a dearth of empirical research and literature dealing with TQM's implementation process. This paper reports the findings of a research project that empirically examined the process of TQM implementation in a sample of organisations widely regarded as leading exponents of TQM. The paper presents a non-prescriptive model of the TQM implementation process derived from the findings and proposes an ‘outcome driven’ approach as an alternative to the more commonplace TQM implementation strategies.