Total Quality Management

Introduction

Globalization is very complex and adding Total Quality Management (TQM) to the equation makes the organization face challenges. This paper will give a definition of Total Quality Management (TQM). The paper will provide a description of the impact of globalization on quality and will compare and contrast traditional management styles with quality focused management styles. The paper will discuss how Total Quality Management (TQM) should be applied at the current organization.

Definition of Total Quality Management (TQM)

For an organization to maintain competitive in the evolution of the business environment, the organization must constantly look out for the opportunities to grow as well as reduce costs. When an organization looks for these opportunities, the business can be supported using a Total Quality Management process. The main goal for the Total Quality Management process is to make high quality products at a low cost and to satisfy the customer. Maintaining a Total Quality Management process allows the organization to improve the company’s bottom line profits by increasing the operating efficiencies, eliminating the wastages and promotes a healthy environment for the growth of the organization. Providing employees with a healthy work environment maximizes their efficiencies and enables the employees to perform above and beyond. Therefore, the quality improvement process is the building blocks for the organizations foundation, which can either be short-term or long-term.

Impact of Globalization on Quality

Globalization is a single economy operating within a world economy. Globalization promotes the most efficient and cost-effective use of resources. The targeted market enhances production and efficiency gains from specialization; it sculptures a wide range of economies and improves efficiency due to the higher amount of competition. Globalization will create cohesion in customer expectations. Creating cohesion will force suppliers to be more accountable to the customers. However, there are many effects of globalization on quality; (a) due to the opening of domestic economies, global competition was formed, hence Geographic boundaries have become circumstantial, (b) the technological shifts in information availability and processing have done away with the floating of information from one area of the organization to the other, (c) another vital effect of globalization is the emergence of highly fragmented �niche’ markets instead of mass markets. (d) Technological innovation in products and processes have better rates, (e) the product life-cycle is shorter, (f) changing of World Business: Many new countries are growing faster than the developed countries. To increase the growth rate and profitability the organization needs to keep a close eye on the international operations, (g) to reduce the costs and improve the quality strategic alliances and production sharing are important. Global partnering has a tremendous positive impact on the organization’s quality agenda and to the consumers.

Compare and Contrast Management Styles

Both of the management styles work to achieve the objectives of the organization. Traditional management styles may not go into details so systematically. Traditional management styles may lack systematic planning and quality however; this style will work on gut feeling and intuition. When organizations embrace the Total Quality Management process, the Total Quality Management encompasses: (a) the companies and individuals within the company deliver on their promises (stated and implied), (b) the organization’s stand behind their promises, (c) the organization’s do what they say they are going to do, (d) the organization operates with honesty and integrity, (e) the organization treats all consumers with respect (employee, business associate, supplier, vendor, client or customer), (f) the environment is treated with respect (nothing is wasted), (g) the products made are made of high quality, and (h) the products are reasonably priced.

Applying Total Quality Management

The author of Implementing TQM, Joseph Jablonski, says there are three major characteristics needed for the success of Total Quality Management