A literature review on total quality management (models, frameworks, and tools and techniques) in higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naga Vamsi Krishna Jasti ◽  
V. Venkateswaran ◽  
Srinivas Kota ◽  
Kuldip Singh Sangwan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the evolution of total quality management (TQM) models, frameworks, and tools and techniques in higher education (HE) over the last thirty years from 1991 till 2020, based on a literature reviewDesign/methodology/approach30 articles from 52 journals were used to perform this detailed literature review. For the detailed analysis, the focus was only on articles related to TQM in higher education and specifically related to models, frameworks and tools and techniques. The study has investigated the growth of research articles, research streams, research methodologies, models and frameworks in the higher education sector and tools and techniques related to those.FindingsThis review addresses the progress and gaps in the application of TQM in HE, including the shift in global research in this area from the USA and Europe to Asia in recent years. The articles have been classified into four research methodologies and two research streams which have been reviewed in detail. The findings include reasons for multiple models/frameworks in HE proposed by researchers over the years and the importance of tools and techniques used in TQM implementation.Originality/valueThis study, which tries to bring a perspective to the main trends in TQM application to higher education wrt models, frameworks, tools and techniques over the last thirty years, is expected to add to the body of knowledge in this area and help future researchers to focus on the relevant areas identified in this paper.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naga Vamsi Krishna Jasti ◽  
V. Venkateswaran ◽  
Srinivas Kota

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the evolution of Total Quality Management (TQM) in terms of barriers, customers and accreditation in higher education (HE) over the last three decades (1991–2020) using literature review to establish the current state.Design/methodology/approachA total of 137 articles across 55 journals were consolidated for this review specifically focused on TQM (barriers, customers and accreditation) in HE. The investigations were carried out to identify the chronological growth of articles, research streams and methodologies. The articles were classified based on four research approaches and three research streams which have been reviewed in detail.FindingsConsidering the rapid growth in the HE sector and the concerns over reduction in quality of education especially in developing countries, the importance of TQM in HE is immense. The findings include identification of the barriers to successful TQM implementation, the need for alignment of TQM objectives of higher educational institutions (HEIs) and identified target customer(s) with the selected model/framework and the impact of accreditation/certification in the attainment of TQM.Originality/valueThis study which tries to bring a perspective to the main trends in TQM application to HE with respect to barriers, customers and accreditation over the last three decades is expected to add to the body of knowledge in this area and help future researchers to focus on the relevant areas identified in this paper.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelos Psomas ◽  
Jiju Antony

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the main total quality management (TQM) elements adopted and the respective results achieved by higher education institutions (HEIs) in Greece. Design/methodology/approach A research study was designed and carried out in private sector Greek HEIs. Fifteen HEIs were approached through interviews based on a structured questionnaire. The measured variables of the TQM elements and results identified in the literature were used as the questionnaire items. Descriptive statistics were applied to determine the TQM elements mostly adopted and the results achieved by the HEIs. Findings According to the findings, the TQM elements mostly adopted by the Greek HEIs concern the following: student focus, leadership and top management commitment, strategic quality planning, process management and teaching staff and employee involvement. On the other hand, the most significant results achieved by the sample HEIs concern quality performance improvement, teaching staff and employee satisfaction, operational performance improvement and the positive impact on society. Research limitations/implications The subjective data collection involved chief executive officers of a small sample of HEIs operating in a European Union country. Thus, no advanced statistical methods could be applied. Based on these limitations, future research studies are recommended. Practical implications By focusing on specific TQM elements, an HEI can develop a robust TQM model, approach business excellence, which can, in turn, help the HEI apply for appropriate quality awards, and finally derive significant benefits. In doing so, an HEI can lay the foundations for being competitive in the current global context that is characterised by an economic downturn. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by empirically determining the TQM elements mostly adopted as well as the respective results achieved by Greek HEIs in a period of economic downturn. This is the first research study in the field of TQM in higher education that has been carried out in Greece in a period where many service organisations, whether private or public, are making significant efforts to withstand the current downturn and achieve a sustainable growth.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 184-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Aquilani ◽  
Cecilia Silvestri ◽  
Alessandro Ruggieri ◽  
Corrado Gatti

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic literature review to identify new avenues of research in line with the ongoing changes in quality and management required to firms, especially regarding customers. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a systematic review of the literature contained in the three databases Ebsco, JSTOR, and Springerlink and on the search engine Google Scholar. Findings An analysis of the literature identifies three different clusters of papers: “identification” papers, which show that customer focus has gained importance in recent times; “implementation” papers, which highlight that a general or shared model or scale to successfully implement total quality management (TQM) does not yet exist; and “impact-on-performance” papers, which show that few studies have considered the relationship between TQM and the issues of both marketing and performance, underlining the most significant gap in the TQM literature. Research limitations/implications This study is limited by the small number of databases and search engines used and by the restricted number of keywords used in searching these sources. Practical implications This work highlights a gap in the existing research and thus an incomplete consideration of the interplay between management, marketing, and quality issues, all centered on customers and other stakeholders. Researchers and firms are thus advised to adopt a wider view that considers the role of the quality process to support the firm’s engagement of customers in activities that enhance both the customer role and customer satisfaction. Originality/value This study uses a systematic literature review to review all critical factors of TQM and identifies new research avenues and different approaches to implementing TQM, focusing on the central role that customers play in achieving firm success.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-161
Author(s):  
Everard van Kemenade

Purpose The question answered in this paper is: what does the concept of emergence mean in the context of total quality management? The purpose of this paper is to develop a definition for emergence by discovering the structure of the phenomenon and to suggest its implications for total quality management. Design/methodology/approach The concept analysis follows the method proposed by Walker and Avant (2014). A first step of the method is a general search on the internet and a literature review executed in scientific databases. Due to the limited search results in the field of quality management a support search has been done in three quality management journals and the method of berry picking was added. Findings This concept analysis provides attributes of the concept of emergence as well as antecedents and consequences. Emergence is the phenomenon where out of a network of interacting internal and external elements in the course of time arises a coherent new pattern, that is unpredictable, unexpected, unplanned and irreducible to the separate parts. To make emergence happen an organization needs to react to a complex environment that is in un-order far-from-equilibrium. It needs to be (part of) a complex adaptive system. Emergence might rather lead to a (dynamic) bandwidth wherein the result moves, than to a (static) new order. Research limitations/implications In the literature review little is found about the consequences of emergence. A hypothesis is formulated in this area that needs further research. Practical implications Only as the authors know and agree upon the definition and meaning of the concept of emergence and the characteristics of the Emergence Paradigm the authors can effectively adjust or develop quality management instruments and tools to support or facilitate emergence in complex organizations. Originality/value There is a limited amount of literature on systems theory and complexity theory in quality management. Even less on the phenomenon of emergence. There is no concept analysis on the subject of emergence.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyedeh Soudeh Karamouz ◽  
Reza Ahmadi Kahnali ◽  
Mohamad Ghafournia

PurposeThis study aims at investigating the existing knowledge in the literature on quality management performance measurement in order to identify performance measures in the field of total quality management and classify measures according to the three levels of supplier, customer and company.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review is conducted at the intersection of performance measurement and total quality management fields. Four databases including Web of Sciences, Scopus, Emerald and Google Scholar were searched up to 2018. A final sample of 24 articles was selected based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria that constitutes the knowledge base of the study.FindingsOne of the problems that many organizations face is the lack of knowledge and resources on how to evaluate, improve and manage the quality performance. Through analysis and synthesis of the literature, the study revealed the measures for assessing quality performance at three levels of supplier, customer and company.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses only on four databases, which may have limited the number of the databases included and thus the scope of this investigation to a certain extent.Originality/valueThe present study aimed to identify and classify different performance measures through a systematic literature review framework classifying these measures into three groups. The article brings together fragmented literature from multiple studies to categorize research output regarding performance measurement of supply chain quality. The paper shows the state of the performance measurement in total quality management in supply chain.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Everard van Kemenade ◽  
Teun W. Hardjono

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the framework of a fourth paradigm since the existing three paradigms in quality management are not sufficient anymore to understand what happened in the past and surely fail to understand what is happening at the moment and needed in future. Design/methodology/approach A literature review has been undertaken on different visions on quality management that are used. The underlying principles have led to three quality paradigms. Literature on quadrant models is studied to place the three existing paradigms and identify the possible characteristics of the fourth. Findings One can discern four quality paradigms in quality management: the Empirical Paradigm, the Reference Paradigm, the Reflective Paradigm and the Emergence Paradigm. The use of these paradigms differs according to the context. Together they form a concept of Total Quality Management. At the moment the Emergence Paradigm has not had enough attention although it might be the best equipped to find new ways of working for the organisations in the current context. Research limitations/implications In the literature review the authors selected seven journals in the Business Source Premier database: Total Quality Management (Total Quality Management & Business Excellence); the Academy of Management Review; Product and Operations Management; Organisational Dynamics; the Harvard Business Review; the Sloan Management Review and Organisational Behavior and Performance. In the advanced search mode the authors entered two subjects: “quality management” and “paradigm”. The selected results (in total 289 articles) were examined for its fitness for answering the questions above. That resulted in a selection of 26 articles that are being used in the literature review. Practical implications The Emergence Paradigm can be further investigated on its use for quality management in organisations in times of emergent change. Some first insights have been presented here. Social implications The Emergence Paradigm can have impact beyond the field of quality management. Originality/value The paper provides new insights in the essence of quality management in times of change and clarity on the usability of the thoughts and tools of four different paradigms in the twenty-first century.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeeta Sahney

Purpose – Educational institutes must embrace the principles of total quality management (TQM) if they seek to remain competitive, and survive and succeed in the long run. An educational institution must embrace the principles of quality management and incorporate them into all of their activities. Starting with a theoretical background, the paper outlines the results of a study conducted on both internal and external customers of the educational system, with select engineering and management institutes as foci of study. The study is an attempt toward developing an integrated customer-centric model of quality management in education, through the use of multiple methodologies so as to be able to evaluate service quality; prioritize improvement of service; and guide and develop educational services by incorporating the voice of the customer (VOC). The purpose of this paper is to establish the prioritization for improvement of service design of an educational system through incorporation of the VOC, be it internal or external customers, through the use of multiple methodologies, leading to generalization of results. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses multiple methodologies with various techniques for analysis through the application of the SERVQUAL; quality function deployment (QFD); interpretive structural modeling (ISM); and path analysis. The SERVQUAL was applied to identify the gap and determine the level of service quality. Following this, QFD, ISM and path analysis were used to identify the set of minimum design characteristics/quality components that would meet the requirements the various internal and external customers of the educational system. The QFD was used to identify the set of minimum design characteristics/quality components that meet the requirements of the various internal and external customers of the educational system. The ISM and path analysis were used to identify and prioritize the design characteristics/quality components that would meet the requirements the various internal and external customers of the educational system. Findings – The findings from the various techniques were amalgamated, and proposed as an integrated model of TQM in higher education. The study helped identify with a customer perspective, the quality components which would help design TQM for higher education institutions in India. Research limitations/implications – The paper could be useful to government bodies, funding agencies, policy makers and administrators in developing a system that could lead to satisfaction of both internal and external customers of the educational system. Originality/value – The study includes within its scope the varied customers of the educational system, namely, internal and external customers of the educational system; the internal customers being the faculty and the administrative staff, and the external customers being the students and the industry (as the employer). This is yet to be seen in other research studies. Also, the integration of the multiple tools and their application to the field of higher education in India, has not yet been made available in the literature.


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