Development and implementation of organizational change programs: Total Quality Management

Abstract

This article deals with Total Quality Management (TQM), an organizational change program, whose fundamental principles are customer focus, continuous improvement, and teamwork. In the development of their total quality systems, firms have used three main approaches: consulting, standardization, and quality awards. Hovewer, current research shows that the acquirement of some resources, especially intangible ones, drives TQM success, regardless of the adopted approach. Effective implementation of TQM also requires changes in organizational architecture, which involve the controlled decentralization of decision rights, and a continous investment in employee training.