Total Quality Management (TQM) Doesnt Work

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TQM Doesnt Work

While I agree that Quality improves organizations, businesses, and individuals, Total Quality Management (TQM) as a system for improvement loses its effectiveness based on the present culture, business methodologies, and globalization of markets.

TQM has invaded countless industries and is a favorite “buzz word” of top executives and managers, TQM concepts are rarely fully implemented other than posters, memos, and press releases. While the basic concepts of TQM are inherently internal to each of us, the moniker of TQM continues to be an elusive goal that everyone in business “loves to talk about” but never successfully implements. This approach involves guaranteeing that an organization functions with a commitment to quality and continuous improvement in meeting its consumer's needs. With any type of change there will always be a number of bumps in the road which slow down the process that can help a company increase the workers morale, production, profits, and an over all positive environment to conduct business.

The Culture: The culture of today is not ripe for change. Individuals, both managers and workers alike are impatient, expecting results over night. These unrealistic cultural expectations make implementing any quality system a challenge in itself. Consumers are tired of false promises and are impatient for immediate results and the best for less. As years pass, generations pass on the wisdom of the previous lessons learned in hopes that their mistakes can be prevented by passing on wisdom gained through experience. While lessons in business remain timeless, the goals and implementations are not always so apparent in their application based on changing environments and consumers. In today’s society, a day rarely passes that has not been tainted with a slew of television infomercials which promise the impossible and go so far as to 100% guarantee results and or satisfaction. Today’s individuals demand overnight express delivery or they are quick to change to an avenue that offers such type of service. In a new world where internets make online global shopping lightning fast results must be immediate. Because we as a culture have become accustomed to having everything immediately, we are less likely to be patient enough or consistent enough to benefit from the concepts of TQM as outlined by Dr. Deming’s fourteen po...

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...ion and hold meetings for propaganda and publicity.

Global markets unlike those of previous time present new pressures that deter any type of experimentation when older systems work. Today's managers are being challenged to provide leadership in new and changing environments. Customers, competitors, employees, and stockholders are all placing anxieties on management for innovation and change at a rapid pace. Change is a scorning process. Every organization exists in a endless state of adapting to change. Downsizing changes are usually caused by external competitive forces, whereas other changes to work operations emerge as a result of shifting forces within the organization. Many management analysts feel that political forces prevent adapting to this increasing rate of change and therefore become reactive organizations reacting drastically after problems come to light—preventing improvement in the original direction.

TQM is a concept that would appear to be a foundation of developing an idealistic representation of business organizations, however, because of cultural issues, bussiness methodologies, and globalization, TQM remains as more of a “buzz word” than a system.

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