The relationship between total quality management practices and organizational culture

Abstract

Purpose -This empirical study explores the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and organizational culture with the purpose of identifying the particular cultures that determine the successful implementation of TQM practices. Specifically, it tests two competing views on the relationship; the unitarist and pluralist views. Design/methodology/approach -The empirical data was drawn from 194 organizations in Australia. The research model employs the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria as TQM framework and builds on the competing values model to frame organizational culture. The data was analysed using structural equation modelling technique. Findings -The findings support the pluralist view, wherein different subsets of TQM practices are determined by different types of cultures. Interestingly, hierarchical culture was found to have a significant relationship with certain practices of TQM. Additionally, the findings indicate that although the cultural factors underpinning different elements of TQM are dissimilar, even antagonistic, organizations can implement them in harmony. Practical implications -The major implication of this study is that organizations need to accommodate divergent goals by developing a system and/or structure that allows enough flexibility for adapting different (even contrasting) management styles, between control and flexibility and between internal and external orientations, so that they may gain benefits from the multiple dimensions of TQM. Originality/value -This paper provides empirical evidence on the multidimensionality of TQM practices along with their association with different types of culture.

Liderança e gestão da qualidade – um estudo correlacional entre estilos de liderança e princípios da gestão da qualidade

“…Prajogo & McDermott (2005) proposed a study to analyze the relation between quality management practices and organizational culture, identifying particular cultures that determine a successful implementation of each of these practices. The results support a pluralist view of organizational culture, with different subgroups of quality management practices determined by different types of culture (Prajogo & Mcdermott, 2005).…”

Quality management practices, knowledge management and key business results in SMEs and large organizations: a multi-group analysis

“…TQM is a comprehensive management philosophy oriented towards achieving excellent results in relation to stakeholders (Prajogo and McDermott, 2005). In order to attain these results, it is crucial to be able to count on the commitment and involvement of all the people in the organisation, as well as the use of certain management tools, techniques and practices.…”

Organizational Culture and Quality Practices in Six Sigma.

“…However, a majority of prior studies treated quality management as a unidimensional construct. As Prajogo and McDermott (2005) found, the studies that examined quality management as a single construct usually focused on the cultural characteristics related to people and flexibility, and overlooked the potential effect of cultural characteristics about control and standardization.…”

“…Several studies (e.g., Chang and Wiebe, 1996;Dellana and Hauser, 1999;Lagrosen, 2003, Prajogo andMcDermott, 2005) that appeared recently are the exceptions in the quality management literature. Prajogo and McDermott (2005), for example, compare a unitarist model of quality management (i.e., that considers quality management as a single construct) with a pluralist model which considers quality management with its multidimensional elements.…”

“…Prajogo and McDermott (2005), for example, compare a unitarist model of quality management (i.e., that considers quality management as a single construct) with a pluralist model which considers quality management with its multidimensional elements. Based on the data drawn from 194 Australian companies, they find that the pluralist model better describes the relationship between culture and quality management, which indicates that different cultures are associated with different elements of quality management.…”