Inte rnatio nal Jo urnal o f Educ atio nal Manage me nt 1 1 ,3 [1997] 1 3 1 –1 3 5 © MCB Unive rs ity Pre s s [ISSN 0951-354X]
The need for implementing total quality management
in education
Jaideep M otwani
De partme nt o f Manage me nt, Se idman Sc ho o l o f Bus ine s s , Grand Valle y State Unive rs ity, Mic higan, USA
Ashok Kumar
De partme nt o f Manage me nt, Se idman Sc ho o l o f Bus ine s s , Grand Valle y State Unive rs ity, Mic higan, USA
Looks at the applicability of total quality management (TQM) in education and some of the concerns addressed in the literature. Explores the different approaches used by several educational institu-tions in implementing TQM. Suggests a fi ve-step program-ming model that any univer-sity can use for implementing TQM.
Introduction
T h er e is a con s en su s t h a t t h e q u a lit y of t h e US ed u ca t ion s y st em is d et er ior a t in g. T h is d et er ior a t ion is ev id en ced by d eclin in g t es t scor es, gr a d u a t es w it h in a d eq u a t e b a s ic sk ills, in cr ea sin g d r op ou t r a t es, a n d a w id en -in g ga p b et w een -in d u s t r y n eed s a n d st u d en t ca p a b ilit ies (F is h er, 1993; Sch a r gel, 1993). Societ y, on t h e ot h er h a n d , h a s r es p on d ed t o t h is d eclin e by d em a n d in g h igh er t es t scor es a n d gr ea t er fi n a n cia l a ccou n t a b ilit y, a n d by im p lem en t in g t h eir ow n ed u ca t ion a l p r o-gr a m m es (Sh a la la , 1993). Bu t if ch a n ge is n eed ed , h ow ca n ou r ed u ca t ion a l in s t it u t ion s go a b ou t a ffect in g t h is ch a n ge?
M a n y in st it u t ion s a r e look in g t o in d u s t r y for id ea s. Lik e ou r ed u ca t ion a l in s t it u t ion s, Am er ica n in d u s t r y h a s exp er ien ced a d eclin e in it s lon g-h eld com p et it ive a dva n t a ge. To r e ga in a n d s t r en gt h en t h eir a dva n t a ge, m a n y US in d u s t r ies a r e t u r n in g t o t ot a l q u a lit y m a n a gem en t (TQM) for t h e a n sw er s. Bu t is TQM t h e a n sw er t o ou r in d u s t r ia l a n d ed u ca -t ion a l p r oblem s, or is i-t ju s -t -t h e la -t es -t fa d ? An d if TQM is a va lu a ble t ool for US in d u st r y, ca n it b e a p p lied t o ou r ed u ca t ion a l in s t it u -t ion s? T h is p a p er w ill look a -t -t h e a p p lica b ilit y of TQM in ed u ca t ion a n d s om e of t h e con -cer n s a d d r ess ed in t h e lit er a t u r e. We w ill a lso exp lor e t h e t ech n iq u es u s ed by som e of t h e lea d in g in s t it u t ion s a n d p r op os e a p r ocess for im p lem en t in g TQM a t a n in st it u t ion . T h e su ggest ed fi ve-st e p m od el is a p p lica ble t o a n y u n iver s it y t h a t p la n s t o im p lem en t TQM.
Review of the literature
Applicability of TQM to academia
TQM h a s b een a p p lied p r im a r ily in t h e m a n u -fa ct u r in g sect or. Given t h is, t h er e is som e q u es t ion r e ga r d in g it s a p p lica b ilit y t o ed u ca -t ion a l in s -t i-t u -t ion s. T h e li-t er a -t u r e in d ica -t es t h a t t h er e is in d eed con s id er a ble s ce p t icism r e ga r d in g t h e u se of TQM in ed u ca t ion a l in s t it u t ion s. T h is sce p t icism r evolves a r ou n d a va r iet y of iss u es. F ir st is a la ck of a cce p -t a n ce of -t h e n eed for ch a n ge. E w ell (1993) con t en d s t h a t , even t h ou gh t h er e is su b s t a n t ia l focu s on t h e d eclin e of Am er ica ’s ed u ca -t ion s y s-t em , in s -t i-t u -t ion s d o n o-t a lw ay s a cce p -t
t h e n eed for ch a n ge. Beca u s e t h e d eclin e h a s b een slow, t h e v isible p r oblem s cr ee p u p a n d a r e a cce p t ed a s t h e st a t u s q u o. Wit h ou t a st r on gly -felt n eed for ch a n ge, r ea l ch a n ge is u n lik ely t o occu r. In or d er t o over com e t h is com p la cen cy, F is h er (1993) con t en d s t h a t st r on g, in sp ir a t ion a l lea d er s h ip is a m u st . T h is r ecom m en d a t ion is con sis t en t w it h Dem in g’s ca ll for lea d er s h ip a n d con st a n cy of p u r p ose. In fa ct , m a n y a u t h or s (H or in e et a l., 1993; M a r ch ese, 1993; Mer r on , 1994) cit e lea d -er sh ip a n d t op m a n a gem en t su p p or t a s k ey elem en t s in TQM effor t s. T h is a r gu m en t cou ld su p p or t TQM a s b ot h a va lu a ble t ool a n d a fa d . If t h e v ision of t op m a n a gem en t is con sist en t w it h t h e TQM p h ilosop h y a n d t h er e is st r on g lea d er sh ip, TQM ca n b e a va lu a ble t ool. If TQM is b ein g a d op t ed a s a q u ick fi x w it h ou t gen u in e, h ea r t felt su p p or t fr om t h e t op, it is lik ely t o go ou t of fa sh ion w it h t h e n ew est bu zzwor d . Recogn izin g a s t r on g n eed for ch a n ge w ill t h en b e d e p en -d en t on t h e select ion of t h e or ga n iza t ion ’s t op execu t ives.
Jaide e p Mo twani and As ho k Kumar
The ne e d fo r imple me nting to tal quality manage me nt in e duc atio n
Inte rnatio nal Jo urnal o f Educ atio nal Manage me nt 1 1 / 3 [1 9 9 7 ] 1 3 1 –1 3 5
• p er for m a n in t er n a l q u a lit y a ss es sm en t of t h e in s t it u t ion t o id en t ify st r en gt h s a n d w ea k n es ses ;
• p r ov id e ed u ca t ion t o k ey p er son n el; • s et v is ion s a n d ob ject ives in w r it in g; a n d • d es ign a n ew s y s t em .
Ad m in is t r a t or s sh ou ld t a k e ca r e t o en s u r e t h a t t h e or ga n iza t ion ’s cu lt u r e is su it a ble t o fos t er TQM. It s cu lt u r e h a s t o a gr ee w it h b a sic TQM va lu es a n d v is ion s.
In t h e t h ir d or “st a r t in g” p h a se, t h e a d m in -ist r a t ion s h ou ld :
• n a m e t h e p r ocess;
• s t a t e p u r p ose t h r ou gh a n ew q u a lit y fr a m e-wor k ;
• p r ov id e t r a in in g t o a ll levels of p er son n el; • con d u ct in t er n a l a n d ext er n a l cu s t om er
s u r vey s t o eva lu a t e t h e cu r r en t p r ocess a n d m a k e n eces s a r y a d ju st m en t s ;
• for m u la t e a q u a lit y cou n cil t o over see a n d r e gu la t e t h e TQM p r ocess;
• p er for m com p et it ive b en ch m a r k in g t o com p a r e it s p er for m a n ce w it h t h a t of ot h er or ga n iza t ion s;
• for m q u a lit y im p r ovem en t t ea m s; a n d • es t a blis h m ea su r es a n d q u a lit y in d ica t or s
t h a t va lid ly m ea su r e t h e ob ject ives a n d goa ls of t h e in s t it u t ion .
T h e fou r t h p h a se, r efer r ed t o a s “exp a n d in g/ in t e gr a t in g” s h ou ld in volve:
• p r ov id in g on goin g ed u ca t ion a n d t r a in in g; • for m in g n ew com m it t ees, n ew t ea m s, n ew
d e p a r t m en t s, or h ir in g n ew sp ecia list s t o h elp t h e p r ocess a s a n d w h en r eq u ir ed ; a n d • r ecogn izin g a n d r ew a r d in g q u a lit y
im p r ovem en t s.
Recogn it ion ca n b e a va lu a ble t ool for im p r ov -in g em p loyee m or a le, self--in t er es t , a n d Figure 1
Jaide e p Mo twani and As ho k Kumar
The ne e d fo r imple me nting to tal quality manage me nt in e duc atio n
Inte rnatio nal Jo urnal o f Educ atio nal Manage me nt 1 1 / 3 [1 9 9 7 ] 1 3 1 –1 3 5
in t er es t in TQM . T h e r ew a r d s y st em , h ow -ever, m u s t b e m a n a ged ca r efu lly. Rem em b er t h a t you a r e d ea lin g w it h a h igh ly ed u ca t ed st a ff, a n d t h a t m on et a r y r ew a r d s ca n a n d w ill b e m a n ip u la t ed for p er s on a l ga in s w it h ou t r e ga r d for t h e in s t it u t ion ’s w ellb ein g.
Th e fi n a l or “eva lu a tion ” ph a se of th e m odel sh ou ld in volve eva lu a tin g su ccess or fa ilu r e of th e pr ogr a m m e. Th is sh ou ld be con du cted a n n u a lly. For exa m ple, if th e pr ogr a m m e is n ot a ch ievin g its goa ls, it sh ou ld be r edesign ed.
Conclusions
TQM h a s a lr ea dy a r r ived in h igh er ed u ca -t ion , in d ozen s of in s-t i-t u -t ion s, n o-t a bly r esea r ch u n iver s it ies a n d com m u n it y col-le ges. T h es e in s t it u t ion s offer su cces s s t or ies of im p r oved com m u n ica t ion , h igh er
em p loyee m or a le, in cr ea sed p r od u ct iv it y, im p r oved p r ocess efficien cy, a n d r ed u ct ion s in d efect s a n d cost s.
T h r ou gh com m u n ica t ion a n d s h a r in g of id ea s, m or e ed u ca t ion a l in s t it u t ion s w ill b e a ble t o im p lem en t sim ila r p r ogr a m m es t h a t p r od u ce s t or ies of su cces s. In t h is p a p er, w e h ave su gges t ed a fi ve-st e p p r ocess for im p le-m en t in g TQM in ed u ca t ion a l in s t it u t ion s. We feel t h a t t h ese s t e p s ca n b e u sed a s a fr a m e-wor k for im p lem en t in g q u a lit y im p r ovem en t s w it h in t h e ed u ca t ion a l in s t it u t ion s.
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