Inhibiting factors of implementing total quality management on construction sites

Quality systems entail having the organizational structure, responsibilities, procedures, processes and resources for implementing quality management such that there is a guiding framework to ensure that every time a process is performed the same information, method, skills and controls are used and practiced in a consistent manner. With its primary focus being the involvement of everyone, TQM has the potential to improve business results, greater customer orientation and satisfaction, worker involvement and fulfilment, teamworking and better management of workers within companies. However, the construction industry has been slow to embrace the concept of TQM. Construction firms have been continually struggling with its implementation. Historically, construction has been an industry reluctant to implement change. Consequently, it has remained behind where it should be on the implementation of TQM. Generally, the principles of TQM are not applied beyond management levels within general contractors. This paper reports on a study to identify those factors that hinder the implementation of TQM principles in the actual field operations of a construction jobsite.

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