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Managerial leadership for total quality improvement in UK higher education

Augustus E. Osseo‐Asare (Sunderland Business School, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK)
David Longbottom (Derbyshire Business School, University of Derby, Derby, UK)
Pieris Chourides (Leicester Business School, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK)

The TQM Magazine

ISSN: 0954-478X

Article publication date: 9 October 2007

4792

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of the critical role of “managerial leadership” in total quality management (TQM) implementation in UK higher education institutions (HEIs), and to encourage further research on how to sustain management and leadership best practices for total quality improvement in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

A critical review of the literature on managerial leadership provides the theoretical scope which led to the setting of research objectives. The objectives were achieved through a survey of academics and non‐academics responsible for teaching and research quality improvement in a sample of 42 UK HEIs between the period 2000 and 2005. A mix of questionnaires, interviews, inductive analysis and hypothesis testing, was used to explore, describe and to explain the nature of the relationship between the degrees of efficiency and effectiveness of quality management practices in the participating UK HEIs.

Findings

The analysis of the survey results revealed “weak” associations between the degrees of efficiency and effectiveness in the quality management practices adopted by participating UK HEIs. It provides examples of weak quality management practices as empirical evidence of “weak” association between “management efficiency” and “leadership effectiveness” in UK HEIs.

Research limitations/implications

International generalization of findings requires the sample size to be increased to include more HEIs from the UK and other countries with similar educational systems. Further quantitative research is needed to provide in depth explanation of the nature of the functional relationship between the degrees of effectiveness and efficiency of quality management practices in higher educational settings.

Practical implications

Understanding the nature of the association between the degrees of effectiveness and efficiency of quality management practices would provide a conceptual framework which would enable academics and practitioners to reflect critically on the “efficiency” and “effectiveness” of teaching and research quality improvement decisions and actions to ensure successful implementation of TQM best practices.

Originality/value

Uses the degrees of efficiency and effectiveness as criteria for evaluating managerial leadership in UK higher education, and recommends strengthening of the association between the criteria through continuous improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching and research quality improvement practices.

Keywords

Citation

Osseo‐Asare, A.E., Longbottom, D. and Chourides, P. (2007), "Managerial leadership for total quality improvement in UK higher education", The TQM Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 541-560. https://doi.org/10.1108/09544780710828403

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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