Assignment T & D

Assignment on A literature review on “Implementing TQM philosophy through employee training and development”

Submitted To: Qazi Moinuddin Mahmud Assistant Professor Department of Management, Faculty of business studies University of Dhaka

Submitted By: Md.Al-Amin ID: 3-16-34-067 Batch: 34th Course Name: Training and Development

Date of Submission: 12th August, 2018

A literature review on “Implementing TQM philosophy through employee training and development”

The

term training refers

to

a

learning

process

that

involves

the

acquisition

of knowledge, skills, and competencies. As a result of the teaching of vocational and practical skills, knowledge that relate to specific useful competencies. Total quality management (TQM) consists of organization wide efforts to install and make a permanent climate in which an organization. Continuously improves its ability to deliver high quality of products and services to customers. Training is widely recognized by organizational development experts as an important component in successful planned change efforts. Training and TQM are important in preparing an organization for a change, in accomplishing the change itself, and in institutionalizing it as a permanent part of the organization. The importance of training in the successful implementation of TQM programs is also widely acknowledged. Because it provides an opportunity to reform employees about the goals of TQM. It provides a recent industrial management article concerning TQM program success, and its relative scarcity. Some scholars point out, "TQM emphasizes improving and motivating a company's most valued asset, its workforce." The authors develop a model that links employee empowerment with improved motivation. As a result, this directly impacts project management and the ultimate success of the TQM efforts. Yet they acknowledge, "The presence of important longer-term considerations such as motivation and empowerment are often not closely monitored." Worker empowerment is also important for keeping employees satisfied and productive, according to Harry Gaines, an author in the same issue of Industrial Management. He suggests that a key component of achieving an organizational transformation Worker empowerment is also important for keeping employees satisfied and productive, according to Harry Gaines, another author in the same issue of Industrial Management. He suggests that a key component of achieving an organizational transformation is to allow employees to get comfortable with change. He further points out that this comfort level may be the most important result of having employees take charge of their own personal growth and satisfaction. This comfort level may be the most important result of having employees take 1|Page

charge of their own personal growth and satisfaction. This results in "numerous benefits to the organization. Employees feel they have more control over their careers and their lives like being on a more equal footing with managers, able to share more responsibility, and reap the benefits of improved motivation and morale among employees." When employees are helped to improve themselves, the organisation benefits. Improvements may encompass job-related skills as well as improvements in skills that are not necessarily job-related but that enhance self-esteem and pride. Employees get the message that management cares about them as people. If people are to do things better, they must not only want to do things differently, and they must have the skills and knowledge to do so. In some organisations training is for managers only; in other organisations managers feel themselves to be somehow above training, which is considered relevant only to the workers. Both these attitudes are wrong training is for everybody. The training structure must be topdown, starting with the top team and cascading down the organisation. The golden rule to successful implementation is to ensure managers train their own people. This is necessary to show management commitment and to ensure managers actually understand the TQM principles and methods (Spenley, 1992, p. 94). Through training and development, a common language may be achieved throughout the organisation. For TQM training and development to be effective, the responsibility for such training and development must be vested in one manager, preferably with the TQM manager himself or one of the members of the steering committee. Responsibility for the training and development of employees in quality rests with management at all levels, and, in particular, the person nominated for the co-ordination of the organization’s quality effort. If nobody is actually tasked to coordinate the quality training and development efforts, the possibility that TQM training and development will not be effective is rather good. The importance of effective development and training is emphasized by all the authors of TQM. Bird (1993, p. 66) sees training as important in order to give employees the necessary knowledge to bring about quality improvement across the company. McDonnell (1994, p. 43), Schonberg (1992, p. 22) and Riley (1993, p. 32) all regard training as fundamental in transforming the workforce so that it can function in the demanding TQM environment. For quality training to be effective, however, it must be planned in a systematic and objective manner. Quality training must be continuous to meet not only changes in technology, but also changes involving the environment in which an organisation operates its

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structure and the most important of all, the people who work there. Training must get pertinent attention in the quality policy. Quality training objectives must then be set, taking into account the specific quality training needs. The responsibility for training and development must be allocated to a specific person or department. After implementation of the quality training programme it is necessary to evaluate and review the effectiveness of the programme. Porter and Parker (1993, p. 19) identify four characteristic features to ensure successful training: 

Training must be viewed as a continuous process.

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Training must be focused so that people receive appropriate courses at the appropriate level of their needs.

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Training must be planned for the future to include the development of total quality skills and techniques.

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Training materials must be made customized to suit the particular organisation.

Clinton et al. (1994, p. 13) believe that employees require three basic areas of training and development in the TQM process, namely: instruction in the philosophy and principles of TQM; specific skills training such as the use of different TQM tools; and interpersonal skills training to improve team problem-solving abilities. In developing TQM training programmes, efforts should be aimed at an integrated approach to the instruction process. The authors are of the opinion that without proper TQM training, the whole process is doomed for failure. TQM educated employees and managers will be more positive and committed to the process as they know what is expected from them. A well-planned, formal training curriculum is absolutely essential in building an effective TQM process and culture. Training teaches people to do things differently. Doing things differently leads to different results, and different results begin to change attitudes. The training strategy and plan should be in line with overall TQM objectives of the organisation. A training plan should set out details for, inter alia, who must receive training, when training should take place, who will execute the training and the possible contents of the TQM training programme. It is important to note that although TQM training and development must be in line with other (normal) training and development activities in an organization, TQM training and development differs from other training and development. 3|Page

Normal training and development may be in the form of a once-off course which may not be presented every year. Training and development is for everybody in the enterprise. Although the training contents may differ, it is essential that everybody should be able, with the aid of the necessary training, to make a vast contribution to the improvement of total quality in an organisation. TQM will only be successful if all employers, including top management and other managers, are thoroughly educated in all aspects of total quality. Contents of a TQM training programme will differ from organisation to organisation. The contents of the training programme should however always be in line with the objectives of the overall TQM programme, which is actually aimed at improving business processes. Quality training programmes should therefore centre round the basic principles of understanding the different processes in the organisation, the relationship between different processes and eventually the improvement of these processes. Top management should foremost establish the criteria (objectives) to be followed in the design of the training programme; for example, that the training courses should be job- and outcome-oriented. The main objective of any TQM training programme should be to achieve continuous improvement in all activities. Total quality management as an approach originated from quality assurance methods. These methods were adopted during World War 1. The war resulted in the poor quality of production. To quench this issue Quality Inspectors or auditors were placed on the production units to point out the faults for improving quality. After some time these quality inspectors introduced Statistical Quality Control, SQC. A theory developed by Dr. W. Edwards Deming. The theory states that a deviation in the manufacturing process cause low and cheap quality products. If deviation is removed the quality would be improved. SQC is based on testing of a sample. A sample of a product could be tested to check the quality. The war always results in destruction and ruin of human systems and life. The same happened to Japanese industry which collapsed in the World War 2. The Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers invited Dr Deming to train engineers in quality processes. By 1950’s quality control and measures formed an integral part of Japan Industrial management. In 1970’s the quality control and management procedures were employed in Non-Japanese companies. This new tide in business became Total Quality Management. (Murray, 2012). Without a specific person being appointed to take responsibility for TQM training, very little, or no, training will indeed take place, which will hamper the TQM implementation process. 4|Page

Another interesting conclusions is that the more formal the TQM system, the less use is being made of outside consultants. It would however be of great value to make frequent use of outside consultants (specialists) to address certain quality issues, which cannot be handled by the TQM manager. TQM is an ongoing process and therefore training should also be continuous. The majority of the respondents have indicated that continuous TQM training is not taking place. It also appears that most organisations give more training in the early implementation days, and thereafter neglect continuous training. It is, therefore, recommended that outside consultants should be used to train the people inside the organization who will eventually be responsible for TQM training and development throughout the organization. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a never ending process of improving work processes. It operates according to the premise that organisations cannot rest comfortably without continuously improving whatever is being done. There has to be a culture of continuous improvement and everyone in the organisation must strive towards it. This could be accomplished only through continuous training. Successful TQM training in the organisation needs budgetary allocation and commitment, support and enthusiasm of the top management.

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References 

Batten, J.D (1992), "New paradigms for a total quality culture", Training & Development, pp.46.

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Clinton, R.J, Williamson, S, Bethke, A.L (1994), "Implementing total quality management: the role of human resources management",SAM Advanced Management Journal, pp.10-16.

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McDonnell, J (1994), "The route to total quality management – part one", Managing Service Quality, Vol. 4 No.3, pp.41-5.

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Porter, L.J, Parker, A.J (1993), "Total quality management – the critical success factors", Total Quality Management, Vol. 4 No.1, pp.13-22

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Riley, J.F (1993), "‘Just exactly what is total quality management?", Personnel Journal, pp.32.

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