Management’s Orientations toward TQM as a Major Predictor of its Success or Failure: Some Case Study Evidence

Through a multiple case study design, this paper aims to explore the nature of management’s understanding and orientations toward TQM through analysing the findings of a recent research consisting of descriptive accounts of well trodden ground in TQM: prevention versus detection, proactive versus reactive strategies, and hard versus soft TQM. The findings reveal that the (in)consistency between senior management’s orientations and underlying assumptions of TQM is the major predictor when trying to explain the effectiveness of a TQM programme. Furthermore, the degree of consistency between middle and first line managers’ orientations towards TQM is significantly influcnced by senior management’s orinetations than any other factors. Together, these findings support the view that the degree of inconsistency between senior and middle managers’ orientations toward TQM can have serious detrimental effect on its success.

Keywords: Total Quality Management; Managing TQM; Case Study.