Implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) - The Issue of National Culture

Master's Thesis , 2003 , 55 Pages , Grade: 70%

Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance

Total Quality Management has worked in Japan, so why shouldn't it work in the USA, Europe or Africa? This is a very popular statement amongst many multinational companies when they want to implement quality strategies in different countries.
They usually ignore the importance of culture and its impact on transplanting quality strategies that has been successful in one cultural set up. This is one of the main reasons why TQM has not worked in many countries. The compatibility of TQM with different cultures should always be reviewed since work ethics for instance in Ghana is different from that in Japan. Culture reflects the way of life, values, and beliefs of a society and as such very difficult to change but rather can be slightly modified through education and training to adapt to certain quality management strategies.

This claim of the impact of national culture, on the successful TQM implementation across national boundaries forms the basis of this management report. In this report therefore, literature on both TQM and culture will be critically discussed in the first two chapters. The third chapter will critically analyze the literature on the impact of culture in the successful implementation of TQM across different countries.
Chapter four will analyze the managerial implications and finally a conclusion and recommendation will be drawn.
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Inhaltsverzeichnis

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• ABSTRACT
• INTRODUCTION
• SECTION 1
  • LITERATURE ON TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT (TQM)
• SECTION 2
  • LITERAURE ON CULTURE
  • STUDYING AND DIAGNOSING CULTURE
  • MEASURING CULTURE
    • THE WORK OF HOFSTEDE AND TROMPENAARS
    • Hofstede's Classic Study
    • TABLE 1
    • Trompenaars Dimensions
• SECTION 3
  • THE ROLE OF CULTURE ON SUCCESSFUL TGM IMPLEMENTATION.
  • CULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF COUNTRIES
  • CULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF THE US, JAPAN & HUNGARY
  • MANAGERIAL IMPLICATION
  • CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• REFERENCES
• APPENDIX 1
  • DEMING'S 14 POINTS

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This management report investigates the relationship between Total Quality Management (TQM) and national culture. The report aims to analyze the impact of cultural differences on the successful implementation of TQM across national boundaries. It explores the reasons why TQM has been successful in some countries but not in others, highlighting the importance of cultural compatibility in adopting quality management strategies.

• The impact of national culture on TQM implementation
• The role of cultural dimensions in TQM adoption
• The challenges of transplanting TQM strategies across cultures
• The importance of cultural sensitivity in TQM implementation
• The need for culturally adapted TQM approaches

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The report begins by providing a comprehensive overview of the literature on Total Quality Management (TQM), exploring its origins, principles, and key elements. It then delves into the concept of national culture, examining various frameworks for understanding and measuring cultural differences. The report focuses on the work of Hofstede and Trompenaars, two prominent researchers in the field of cross-cultural management, and their respective models for analyzing cultural dimensions.

The report then examines the role of culture in the successful implementation of TQM across different countries. It analyzes the cultural dimensions of the United States, Japan, and Hungary, highlighting the specific cultural factors that influence TQM adoption in each country. The report explores how cultural differences can create challenges and opportunities for TQM implementation, emphasizing the need for cultural sensitivity and adaptation.

Schlüsselwörter

The key terms and focus themes of the text include Total Quality Management, national culture, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, individualism, and masculinity. The report explores the relationship between these concepts and the successful implementation of TQM across national boundaries, highlighting the importance of cultural compatibility in adopting quality management strategies.

• College: University of East London (East London Business School)
• Course: Master of Business Administration
• Grade: 70%
• Author: Abraham Allotey (Author)
• Publication Year: 2003
• Pages: 55
• Catalog Number: V113850
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640140398
• ISBN (Book): 9783640140619
• Language: English
• Tags: Implementing, Total, Quality, Management, Issue, National, Culture, Master, Business, Administration