The Navy's Quality Journey: Operational Implementation of TQL
Abstract
Admiral Frank Kelso, the Chief of Naval Operations, has personally directed the widespread implementation of Total Quality Leadership (TQL) throughout all units in the Navy. Thus, the Navy's TQL effort escaped from the labs and industrial facilities (where it had been quietly improving processes since the mid 1980's), and is starting to make its way to Navy ships, squadrons, staffs and other field activities. What has followed from the Navy leadership should prove as a textbook for 'how to start' the quality revolution in a large bureaucratic organization. This paper examines the Navy's progress in the implementation of TQL into operational units. It identifies high level Navy implementation strategies, looks at high level Navy TQL organizations, reviews Navy wide TQL training programs, comments on the TQL efforts of the Navy's operational forces, compares these efforts to current research in TQL, proposes a simplified 'getting started' implementation model for the unit commander wanting to implement TQL in his/her ship or squadron, discusses why TQL efforts fail, and concludes with recommendations to help the Navy-wide transformation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA276868
Entities
People
- Donald C. Hefkin
Organizations
- Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy