A phenomenological perspective of total quality management : a study of mid-managers in an institution of higher education /
This phenomenological study examined six middle managers in
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1997.
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| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=739841971&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | This phenomenological study examined six middle managers in an institution of higher education. This naturalistic study sought to gain an understanding of the meanings these mid- managers gave to their total quality management training and implementation efforts. Specifically, this exploratory study sought answers to two research questions: (1) What were these managers' definitions and important elements of total quality management; and (2) What influenced the formation of these definitions and important elements? The data analysis process began with in-depth interviews of each participant. These interviews were audio-taped and transcribed. The transcriptions were then analyzed using a four-step phenomenological process established by Moustakas (1994) and Giorgi (1985). The most significant finding of the study is that inclusion is a critical element of total quality management. Inclusion is the idea that organization members are trusted, enabled, and communicated with. This contradicts the prevailing literature, which suggests that empowerment, meaning delegation, is a critical component of TQM. The data also supports the idea that quality, as described in the literature, is a cultural phenomenon; meaning that organization members share Similar mind-sets. Among the participants of this study, these shared mind-sets were inclusion, trust, and the goodness of people. Upper management support, training, organizational relevance, understanding that quality is process focused, and the difficulty of quality measurement were also identified by participants as important elements. Attitudes and implementation experiences had the most significant influence on the formation of meanings. As a result of the findings of this study, five implications for Human Resource Development (HRD) were discussed. These are: (1) knowing that inclusion is different from empowerment; (2) understanding that cultural change, which is necessary for integration of quality into an organization, is a two-way street: (3) beginning change with an organizational analysis; (4) remembering that once the training is complete, only half of the job is done; and (5) remembering that quality efforts must be supported by upper management. Recommendations for further study include the need for research to examine: (1) why inclusion is under-utilized in organizations; (2) which attitudes influence meaning creation; and (3) TQM within the context of higher education. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Educational Human Resource Development". |
| Physical Description: | xiii, 229 leaves ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilms Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references: pages 216-224. |