DISTINGUISHING CONTROL FROM LEARNING IN TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT: A CONTINGENCY PERSPECTIVE

The singular emphasis on control that has characterized traditional approaches to total quality management (TQM) implementation are not well suited to conditions of high task uncertainty, a limitation that has not been recognized in the popular TQM movement. Although the fundamental precepts advocated by founders of the quality movement can accommodate conditions of high uncertainty, the way that these basic TQM precepts have been articulated, extended, and applied has not reflected the distinct, learning-oriented requirements associated with higher levels of uncertainty. A broader, more theory-driven perspective on TQM is proposed to clearly distinguish control from learning goals and, thus, to begin to address limitations in the way TQM has been conceptualized and applied in the past.

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