TQM—The Effect of Culture on Implementation

Abstract

This article is an exploratory analysis of factors affecting the implementation of total quality management (TQM). Evaluating TQM implementation is hindered by a lack of agreement on a definition of TQM. Six attributes of TQM have been identified: organization culture, customer focus, team orientation, problem-solving emphasis, continuous improvement, and measurement. We hypothesize that an organization's culture is a limiting factor in TQM implementation. If a culture supports employee efforts and customer needs, then TQM implementation is more successful. If a culture constrains employees and is negative, then TQM implementation is less successful. To test this hypothesis, a large graduate class with students from a wide geographic area was assigned projects to evaluate TQM installations in their own organizations. The results of the evaluations tend to support the hypothesis.