Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore the obstacles organizations face in implementing total quality management philosophy. Data were gathered from a national survey of quality managers. This report provides a useful framework for evaluating the significance of the barriers to TQM success.
Introduction
Organizations continue to track competitive advantage by means of improved quality and satisfied customers. To improve competitiveness, organizations that sought higher level of efficiency in its processes and functions took on total quality management as a strategy.
Total quality approach is a philosophy focused on long-term profits with emphasis on continual improvement of products, processes, and people. It is a customer-focused, people-oriented management philosophy using structured operating methodology (Goetsch & Davis, 2010).
For TQM to succeed, its programs must be aligned with the strategic purpose and cultural characteristics of the organization.
Rose Sebastianelli and Nabil Tamimi of the University of Scranton explored the obstacles to success of the total quality approach to business by conducting a nationwide survey of quality managers. Data collected showed five underlying barriers to total quality management: 1) lack of leadership for quality, 2) lack of planning for quality, 3), inadequate human resource development and management, 4) inadequate resources for TQM, and 5) lack of customer focus (Goetsch & David, 2010).
Leadership for Quality
Companies that have been successful at implementing TQM showed that leadership is the most important contributor to a quality improvement effort.
When Atlanta-based Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. initiated TQM, Horst Schulze, former president and CEO told his senior management team that although the company was considered to be a leader in the luxury hotel, they were just lucky because everyone else was even worse. Today Schulze is at the helm of a
References: Bell, K.K. (2012). Former Ritz Carlton President Horst Schulze talks about the new frontier in luxury hotels. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/katiebell/2012/05/03/horst-schulze-on-the-new-frontier-in-luxury-hotels/ Goetsch, D.L. & Davis, S. B. (2010) Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall Reinoke, K. (2006). Quality planning. Retrieved from www.mypmps.net/en/mypmps/knowledgeareas/quality/quality-planning.html