The rhetoric and reality of ‘process control’ in organisational environments with a TQM orientation: The managers’ view

This paper offers a defence of total quality management (TQM) initiatives as an integral part of business strategy for maintaining competitive advantage. It takes issue with one argument against it: that there exist ambiguity and contradiction in using ‘process control’ to exert control over the workforce to bring about the desired outcomes of TQM, and therefore it might be seen as a follow-up to scientific management. The paper adopts a qualitative approach in the form of three case studies. Data from 47 managers representing a variety of managerial levels indicate that the increased control over the workforce is indirect through the increased control over the work process, and that TQM initiatives can be used as the vehicle for achieving what most of the managers search for: higher organisational performance through more effective use of the capabilities and inclinations of their workforce. However, the study further highlights the danger that the promised TQM benefits could be vulnerable to management bias towards control, leading to its failure in the long term.

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