Purpose -This paper aims to rank the emphasis placed on critical factors and quality management principles that determine the success of total quality management (TQM) as it applies to quality management system implementation in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach -This paper is a synthesis of the literature on TQM implementation in SMEs operating in a developing environment and identifies critical factors. These factors are prioritised according to the frequency in which they appeared by number of articles. The compliance requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 standard is mapped to one or a combination of quality management principles (QMPs) on which the standard is based. These principles are grouped as soft and hard and ranked in terms of the number of compliance requirements they represent. Findings -The paper identifies critical factors of TQM implementation for SMEs operating in a developing economy. Although exploratory in nature, evidence shows that, while researchers have placed more emphasis on the "soft" factors, the compliance requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 standard stress more on the "hard" factors.Research limitations/implications -The paper shows that the possibility of enriching the theories and practices of TQM implementation and extending the knowledge and applications of "soft" and "hard" factors need to be explored. Contrasting the eight QMPs of ISO 9001:2000 with the evaluation criteria of quality excellence awards needs to be addressed. Practical implications -This paper reviews the relative importance of "soft" and "hard" factors, and relates the QMPs and compliance requirements of ISO 9001:2000 to TQM implementation in SMEs. It identifies strengths and weaknesses of the standard, and provides a source of information for top management of SMEs interested in implementing a quality management system. Originality/value -The findings in this paper link the compliance requirements of ISO 9001:2000 to QMPs, and point to areas that tend to be least addressed by the ISO 9001:2000 standard. The paper also advocates a holistic approach to safeguard proper TQM implementation and continual improvement of people, product and processes in SMEs.

PurposeThis paper presents the main findings of an empirical study that investigates the effects of the “soft” and “hard” criteria of total quality management (TQM) in four ISO 9001 certified small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME) in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T).Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted an ethnographic research approach, and used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the extent to which these criteria were implemented at the point of ISO 9001 certification. By complementing the literature review, a hierarchy framework of TQM implementation via ISO 9001 was developed. The framework comprised three levels of criteria, sub‐criteria and elements which determine the effectiveness of TQM implementation in SME. Inputs from 16 evaluators including senior executives and representatives from the studied companies were invited. The combined opinions from evaluators were used to identify and prioritize these criteria and components.FindingsThe results showed that the “soft” criteria were implemented less than the “hard” criteria in SME. The AHP findings supplement the body of knowledge existing in compliance requirements of ISO 9001 and provide insights on how SME perceive the importance of “soft” versus “hard” criteria in TQM implementation. These findings highlight the need to align SMEs' prevailing quality culture with top management and considers it as one of the focal compliance requirements for future revisions of the ISO 9001:2000 Standard.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the ethnographic nature of the study, it was possible to obtain data from only four SME.Practical implicationsSME in T&T may apply the findings of the empirical research to design, implement and continually improve their quality management systemOriginality/valueThis paper makes a contribution to the body of knowledge in the field of quality management in a region where such work is limited. It adds value by empirically measures TQM implementation by determining the extent to which its criteria is implemented in ISO 9001 certified SME.

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Bench‐scale activated sludge experiments were conducted on Sacramento, California, primary effluent to determine the effect of various process control factors on Nocardia populations in activated sludge. It was possible to wash Nocardia out from activated sludge at a sufficiently low MCRT. The washout MCRT for bench‐and full‐scale activated sludge plants was related to the temperature by the Arrhenius equation. Foam trapping was shown to be a major factor in increasing Nocardia populations in activated sludge. The optimum pH for Nocardia growth in activated sludge was approximately 6.5. Aerobic selectors were effective in controlling Nocardia at an MCRT of 5 days but not at an MCRT of 10 days. Anoxic selectors controlled Nocardia in a nitrifying activated sludge at an MCRT of 12 days.