MN7628-Total Quality Management

Assignment Question

Consider an organisation with which you are familiar (this may be one that you currently or have previously worked). Analyse the extent to which it has achieved the key TQM principles of “commitment”, a “customer orientation” and “continuous improvement”. Explain what barriers exist in the organisation to the achievement of these principles and explain how they might be overcome to improve its quality management practices.

Further Guidance

(a) Be careful not to spend too much of your assignment simply describing course concepts or examples. Your emphasis should be on applying these to allow you to analyse the issues identified in the question and for this analysis to be a foundation for your subsequent conclusions.

(b) The example used can be from your experience or suitably researched (for example using secondary sources such as case studies, academic journals and quality journalism). You can focus on a “part” of an organisation if you wish i.e. a division, department or function.

(c) Ensure that you substantiate your arguments. So, if you maintain that your organisation achieved a particular principle of TQM then do not simply assert this. What did it do? What practice was employed that was, for example, consistent with a customer orientation. Similarly, if you believe the organisation was deficient in this respect, explain why.

(d) Remember to outline the barriers that prevent the further achievement of these principles and explain how they might be overcome. Suggestion of improvements should be informed by both your assessment of the situation in the organisation and the advice of best practice drawn from the literature.

(e) We also advise that you use the electronic databases (e.g. Business Source Premier and Emerald) in the library to search for additional academic articles which support your answer.