World TQM Movement - A Changing or Evolutionary Process? A Key for 21st Century?

Background

This article is inspired by International Conference on Quality, held in Yokohama on 15-19th Oct. 1996. More than 200 papers were presented. This author has the opportunities of talking and discussing with several veterans in Quality Movement e.g. Professor Yoshio Kondo of Kyoto University, Dr. Brain L. Joiner, Professor Dr. Hans Dieter Seghezzi of University of St. Gallen, Mr. David Hutchins, Dr. Agnes H Zaludora of Czech Socieity for Quality, William A. J. Golomski of the Univeristy of Chicago, Professor Richard Tabor Greene of Kwansei Gakuin Univerity, Japan and several TQM practitioners.

Three Phases of Quality Movement

Three distinct phases of Quality Movement are categorised and discussed, namely "Pre-TQM", "TQM" and "Future TQM".

"Pre-TQM" is used to describe the widely known and practised Frederick Taylor's scientific management theory based on the doctrine of "Divide and Manage". This management system does not focus on "Quality" but "Production in massive scale and uniformity", i.e. mass production. The only emphasis on "Quality" is the "Inspection" at the end of the production line, resulting in reject or acceptance.

Taylorism Management is so prevalent in most organisations that even for those who pro-claimed changing to TQM or the like, the characteristics and attributes of "Divide and Manage" doctrine still largely prevail. Hence series of reactive management surface again and again, such as fire-fighting, fixing problems and not eliminating root causes, snap-shot event tackling and not pattern analysis etc.

The second phase of TQM is when the economic miracle of Japan caught the attention of the world. The backbone of this "Quality Movement" is the new Management theory based on Quality Philosophy, pioneered by W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, Kaoru Ishikawa, Armand V. Feigenbaum and the like. In this phase the traditional management approach of "span of control" "chain of command" is broken down, giving way to more collaborative and participative approach. Through educational exchanges like Quality conference, Industrial visits, many other countries learn from Japan the new management practice - TQM. As evidenced by many of the conference papers, the initial interests shown by other countries in the early years (9-12 years ago) was focusing on "WHY" and "WHAT" aspects of TQM. Currently the focus (from the various papers presented) is on "HOW?" : the many experimentation, trial and error, practices that result in some successes or not so successful outcome.

TQM - The Whereabouts in Japan?

It is interesting to note that on the Japanese side, several major corporations have experienced two types of situations : Situation I : After effect of Deming Award and Situation II : Old Medicine with new additives.

Situation I : After effect of Deming Award:

Several Corporation realised the dilution or diminishing quality practices in the organisation many years after winning the Deming's Award. Such realisation led to revival of TQM practices and continual application of the old medicine - TQM.

Situation II : Old Medicine with new additives:

Other Japanese Corporation, with the established TQM culture as a foundation, continue to bring in fresh ideas or new management theories to further improve their Businesses, for example : ISO 9000, ReEngineering, Dr. Noriaki Kano's Attractive Quality Model.

The humbleness of the Japanese kept reminding themselves that neither Situation I nor Situation II is sufficient and effective to greatly improve their Businesses as tested by the Japan "bubble economy" bursting. Although one can also argue that it is the Japanese TQM foundation that help to cushion greatly the shock wave of the "bubble economy" bursting.

TQM- or something else in the World

On the world scene, the realisation of the outdated Taylorism management model as proven by Japanese TQM, leads to many more fresh and new ideas in this changing world of sophistication, complexity, competition, greater customers awareness and borderless societies..

New management theories & methodologies mushroom e.g. Benchmarking, Re-Engineering, 7-Habits, Crazy Management, System Thinking, Organisation as Organisms, ISO 14000 etc.

Theory and Practice

The cultural traits of the Japanese in term of disciplined practices, continuous refinement and improvement propelled the new engine (new management theory). For example, the large scale application of PDCA methodology (QC Circles) throughout a large segment of the organisation.

Interestingly many non-Japanese companies / corporations in other countries, get caught in the "window shopping" mode of many different management fads, jumping from one to another. This creates a vicious circle of "proliferation of many more management theories / tools" by consultants and "window shopping" behaviour by organisation.

An analogy can be constructed at this juncture. Comparing Taylorism management vehicle to "Bicycle" to move from point "A" to "B", the Japanese has learnt and mastered the "Volkswagen" through disciplined practices to move from point "A" to "B" with much shorter cycle time and fewer errors per population sample. In the meantime, many companies / corporations who have not tried out the "Volkswagen" (let alone practising constantly) are "window shopping" for "Volvo", "Mercedes", etc. without realising that the only skills and techniques they are competent is peddling and cycling the "Bicycle" at this moment.

Future TQM

Furture-TQM, or whatever new terminology that can embrace a wider dimension of human value, knowledge and wisdom is part of the current evolutionary process. However, at this juncture, a clear formative direction is still not forth coming.

The West continues to generate variety of new ideas, concept, models on new management approach without any discipline nor patience in practising any of them, and the Japanese seems to get stuck in the old medicine, though with good disciplined practice, but without a new source of theoretical framework to work with in this changing world of new dynamic and new forces.

Several papers with examples given below give a new direction towards "Integration and Alignment" of variety of management theories. For example, A paper on "New Framework for Total Quality Management and Total Management: by Dr. Hans Dieter Seghezzi of University of St. Gallen; "Statistically-aided integrated Management System - Staims for the 21st century" as ISO 9000 new integrating model by Dr. Agnes H Zaludora of Czech Socieity for Quality.

Enlarging Quality Concepts to a larger dimensions is provided by Professor Richard Tabor Greene of Kwansei Gakuin Univerity, Japan in his paper on "Global Quality - Virtual Quality and Quality Virtuality".

Quality Movement is clearly an evolutionary process without a clear sign of who will conquer the next higher platform of TQM on solid ground i.e. with sound and relevant theoretical framework and good company-wide practices. Hence a new direction and framework of Quality is needed before one can conclude wither Quality is still the key for the 21st century.

End.