Roland Harnesk and Lena Abrahamsson
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion of organisation and management by uncovering some embedded contradictions in total quality management (TQM).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion of organisation and management by uncovering some embedded contradictions in total quality management (TQM).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on discussions of leadership, TQM and the demands of modern working life, three examples of embedded contradictions that organisations can be confronted with have been discussed: collectivism versus individualism, manipulation versus empowerment and standardization versus innovative learning.
Findings
One conclusion from this paper is that organisations, in a matter of complex navigation, need to find balance between these contradictions, something that can be a significant problem for many leaders and often seems to be handled in an instrumental manner.
Originality/value
Although these contradictions are a growing concern in TQM research, they are seldom discussed in management literature, and therefore need to be addressed.
Details
Keywords
An often‐discussed issue in the total quality management (TQM) philosophy is how to improve internal customer commitment. To find answers one must look at what the actual…
Abstract
An often‐discussed issue in the total quality management (TQM) philosophy is how to improve internal customer commitment. To find answers one must look at what the actual commitment is based on. Which decisive factors are contributing and how are they connected? As an employer one is not only employing just one part of a person but the whole person with personal, social and professional qualities. Many employers do follow “checklists” regarding how to deal with human resource issues, but they often do not really understand the content in the suggested questions of the checklist. This paper will include issues from social and behaviour sciences to enter deeper in the TQM philosophy and system thinking concerning co‐workers’ commitment. The purpose is to try to stimulate the debate using internal partnership as one way to attain increased commitment of co‐workers. A model will be used to view decisive factors for partnership, all depending on communication. In this paper the term “partnership with internal customers” will be used to stress the necessary mutual agreement between employers and co‐workers that are needed.