TQM gurus and consultants market it as the best change initiative that provides organizations with a competitive advantage. They also say that it is a cure for all problems that companies face. This dissertation provides intellectual and factual data showing that this is not always the case. There are areas where TQM provides a needed change initiative along with others. In addition, once most companies treat improving their processes as a priority, TQM ceases to give a competitive advantage since it becomes a basic entry point into the competition. The dissertation gives examples showing that contrary to what the consultants propagate: 1. It is not a panacea for all problems in organizations and that it fits all types of organizations, 2. It is not the only way to give organizations a competitive advantage, and 3. TQM's fit for the services sector is discussed with emphasis on customer satisfaction. Also covered are some limitations of TQM including empowerment, times of paradigm shifts, major process changes, and reward systems.

"For starters, today's companies need superior strategic processes and streamlined quality practices. But these are not enough. Competitive Dominance: Beyond Strategic Advantage and Total Quality Management emphasizes the importance of implementing an integrated strategy and quality management system." "Authors Tang and Bauer are leading industry executives who have used strategy and quality to create organizational change, resulting in turnaround and competitive dominance in billion dollar businesses. In this book, they take you through the various stages of strategy and quality practices, explaining how to integrate and implement them." "Tang and Bauer also present 10 principles of competitive dominance that create integration and synchronization between all the stages of strategy and quality. Plus, they recommend an expanded set of tools and methodologies that complement conventional quality and strategy practices and facilitate the implementation of competitive dominance." "Also included is a list of management malpractices to avoid, outlining the 12 worst management practices from the authors' experiences with organizations of many different sizes and from a broad range of industries."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

A convergence of lean management and quality management thinking has taken place in organizations across many industries, including construction. Practices in procurement, design management and construction management are all evolving constantly and understanding these changes and how to react is essential to successful management. This book provides valuable insights for owners, designers and constructors in the construction sector. Starting by introducing the language of total quality, lean and operational excellence, this book takes the reader right up to the latest industry practice in this sector, and demonstrates the best way to manage change. Written by two of the world's leading experts, Total Construction Management: Lean quality in construction project delivery offers a clearly structured introduction to the most important management concepts and practices used in the global construction industry today. This authoritative book covers issues such as procurement, BIM, all forms of waste, construction safety, and design and construction management, all explained with international case studies. It is a perfect guide for managers in all parts of the industry, and ideal for those preparing to enter the industry.

Strategic Management: Total Quality and Global Competition d is the first text that integrates strategic management with the themes of total quality managment and global competition. International competition is viewd as the force offering customer choices and therefore driving TQM. Suitable for all strategy courses, this book is designed for lecturers and students throughout the world who understand the persuasive impact of international competition on the practice of strategic management. Examples, cases, data and references about organizations in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Africa can be found throughout the book.

From the ill-fated dot-com bubble to unprecedented merger and acquisition activity to scandal, greed, and, ultimately, recession -- we've learned that widespread and difficult change is no longer the exception. By outlining the process organizations have used to achieve transformational goals and by identifying where and how even top performers derail during the change process, Kotter provides a practical resource for leaders and managers charged with making change initiatives work.

Recommends a manufacturing strategy that develops production facilities, uses appropriate management systems, and establishes firm relationships with suppliers.

J.M. Juran, whom Business Week calls, "the man who taught Japan how to manage for quality", presents a new, exhaustively comprehensive approach to planning, setting, and reaching goals in Juran's Quality Road Map. New emphasis is placed on setting goals, planning in "multifunctional" processes, establishing data bases, motivating managers and introducing quality planning into organizations. 30 line drawings.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is structured around a five part model, with the core of the model being the customer-supplier interface. This book includes case studies which illuminate hands-on application of the theories of TQM within the Pacific Rim region and include: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Singapore, Hawaii, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Crafting and Executing Strategy has been revised and updated specifically with its European readers in mind. Building upon the success of previous editions, it continues to explain the core concepts and key theories in strategy and illustrate them with practical, managerial examples students can really relate to. Brand new features have been developed to encourage readers to go beyond learning and to apply their knowledge to from a diverse range of real-life scenarios including global brands, SMEs, public sector and not-for-profit organizations.

Harvard professor, Michael Porter has been one of the most influential figures in strategic management research over the last three decades. He infused a rigorous theoretical framework of industrial organization economics with the then still embryonic field of strategic management and elevated it to its current status as an academic discipline. Porter's outstanding career is also characterized by its cross-disciplinary nature. Following his most important work on strategic management, he then made a leap to the policy side and dealt with a completely different set of analytical units. More recently he has made a foray into inner city development, environmental regulations, and health care services. Throughout these explorations Porter has maintained his integrative approach, seeking a road that links management case studies and the general model building of mainstream economics. With expert contributors from a range of disciplines including strategic management, economic development, economic geography, and planning, this book assesses the contribution Michael Porter has made to these respective disciplines. It clarifies the sources of tension and controversy relating to all the major strands of Porter's work, and provides academics, students, and practitioners with a critical guide for the application of Porter's models. The book highlights that while many of the criticisms of Porter's ideas are valid, they are almost an inevitable outcome for a scholar who has sought to build bridges across wide disciplinary valleys. His work has provided others with a set of frameworks to explore in more depth the nature of competition, competitive advantage, and clusters from a range of vantage points.