A Guide for Implementing Total Quality Management in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve
Abstract
Implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) into the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve involves a major change in the way work is done. The impact will be enormous and universal. Thorough planning must be done to ensure satisfactory integration of TQM. Interviews with the principal officers involved with the TQM initiative were conducted to examine the current status of the project. this study describes the basis of the Coast Guard's TQM philosophy and tools, identifies criteria of successful change, and delineates general techniques for the implementation effort. Resistance to change and overcoming that resistance are explored. A general guide for implementing change in the Coast Guards Reserve is outlined as a product of this research. The guide can be employed so as to be useful for initiating TQM or any new concept in an organization. An in-depth reporting of the full range of quality literature and the various proponents' philosophies was felt unnecessary as the Coast Guard has already chosen the TQM method it will use. this factor influenced the research concentration away from other TQM philosophies toward the organizational change area. The change literature contains vast amounts of information. The models selected for this thesis are representative of that information, and the evolution of theories in the field of planned change. (3) Assumptions. This thesis assumes the reader has no, or very little, knowledge of the Coast Guard's TQM method or familiarity with change models. The researcher also felt there may be limited knowledge in some areas of Coast Guard management about TQM and planned change concepts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA246210
Entities
People
- David W. Williams
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School