A Study of the Relationships among Total Quality Management Strategy Organizational Culture and Organizational Performances

Abstract

This empirical study explores the relationship among Total quality management (TQM) strategy,organizational culture, and TQM program implementation with the purpose of identifying the particularcultures that determine the successful implementation of TQM program. Specifically, it tests twocompeting views on the relationship; the unitarist and pluralist views. The empirical data was drawn from231 (with 39.90% response rate) manufacturing companies in Thailand. Seven quality managementpractices including leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, information and analysis, peoplemanagement, process management, and supplier management were used to explain TQM implementationand the competing values model was used to frame organizational culture. The data was analyzed usingreliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, independent t-test analysis, and multi co-relationanalysis. The findings support the pluralist view, wherein different types of cultures can implement TQMpractices in own style, and the results show that all cultures may likely impact on difference organizationalperformances. Interestingly, developmental and hierarchical culture were likely to have a significantpositive relationship with process innovation. Additionally, the findings indicate that although the culturalfactors underpinning different elements of performance are dissimilar, even antagonistic, organizations canimplement them in harmony. The major implication of this study is that organizations need toaccommodate divergent goals by developing a system and/or structure that allows enough flexibility foradapting different (even contrasting) management styles, between control and flexibility and betweeninternal and external orientations, so that they may gain benefits from the multiple dimensions of TQM.