Highlights of Total Quality Management in the Department of Defense: Lessons Learned, Quality Measurements and Innovative Practices

Abstract

This thesis aids in understanding the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) through both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Interviews were conducted with top executives from ten exemplar organizations within the Department of Defense (DOD). Survey questionnaires on perceptions of quality practices were administered to a sample of 102 representing members of the executive steering committees at the same organizations. Research identifies lessons learned by top executives during TQM implementation, discusses measures of organization-wide quality management, specifies evaluation mechanisms to discern strategic issues vital to a quality focus, and describes the TQM implementation plan. Research also identifies innovative practices such as self- managing work teams, learning centers and productivity gain sharing, which may benefit the top executive during his/her own TQM implementation. Conclusions and recommendations concern maturity of TQM implementations in the DOD, performance appraisal systems and quality assessment tools.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 26, 1991
Accession Number
ADA246167

Entities

People

  • Carolyn L. Applegate

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Facilities
  • Business Administration
  • Employment
  • Engineering
  • Information Science
  • Information Systems
  • Knowledge Management
  • Lessons Learned
  • Literature Surveys
  • Management Personnel
  • Measurement
  • Organizational Structure
  • Performance Appraisals
  • Personnel Management
  • Quality Control
  • Surveys
  • Total Quality Management

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).