National culture, organisational culture, total quality management implementation, and performance: an empirical investigation

National and organisational cultures can affect the degree of success of total quality management (TQM) implementation and organisational performance; therefore, it is important to further study their effects on Indonesian companies. We studied several Indonesian companies that have implemented TQM or ISO systems, and 129 questionnaires were answered by employees at the senior executive, general manager, quality manager, and managerial levels. Results suggest that a relationship exists between national and organisational cultures, and that they influence TQM implementation and performance. While there was no significant cultural difference between the companies, the implementation and organisational performance differed significantly. Thus, this study provides important practical knowledge for Indonesian practitioners and academics to better understand the TQM implementation process.