Human factors affecting the acceptance of total quality management

Measuring Business Excellence

ISSN: 1368-3047

Article publication date: 1 December 2000

192

Citation

(2000), "Human factors affecting the acceptance of total quality management", Measuring Business Excellence, Vol. 4 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/mbe.2000.26704daf.007

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited


Human factors affecting the acceptance of total quality management

Human factors affecting the acceptance of total quality management

L.Y. Fok, S.J. Hartman, A.L. Patti and J.R. Razek, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management (UK), Vol. 17 No. 7, 2000

Offers two proposals why TQM might be resisted by US workforces: jobs within a quality environment are perceived by staff as being controlled rather than empowered; and jobs are empowered, but not everyone wants such positions. Uses "TQM maturity" (appends the associated scale) in examining the suppositions. Draws upon equity theory, organizational citizenship behaviour, and job design literature with emphasis on growth needs strength (GNS) to formulate research questions. Explicates GNS and a job characteristics model that relates job characteristics, psychological states, and outcomes, e.g. those with low GNS prefer routine tasks. Identifies other individual types from equity theory (equity sensitives, benevolents, entitleds). Posits TQM attitudes and responses for certain personal qualities. Employs a questionnaire survey of 85 US accountancy firms to explore constructs. Finds, inter alia, support for proposition, in that individuals high in GNS and organizational citizenship respond to enriched jobs. Qualifies conclusions through respondents being professionals as opposed to shop-floor staff.

Quality focus says:For TQM to be empowering, you need to look at this area.

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