Page 39 - DMGT524_TOTAL_QUALITY_MANAGEMENT

Total Quality Management

Notes These systems should also facilitate the following:
(i) Recognize team and individual accomplishment.
(ii) Share success stories throughout the organization.
(iii) Encourage risk taking by removing the fear of failure.
(iv) Promote the formation of employee involvement teams.

(v) Provide financial and technical support to develop their ideas.
Team work: Team work is another important element of total quality attention on customer –
supplier relationships among the employee and encourages the involvement of the total work
force in attacking systemic problems, particularly those that cross functional boundaries. Success
of team work needs managers’ acceptance of workers’ suggestions. The “quality circles”
implemented in Japan in 1962 achieved dramatic results. Today, the use of self-directed or
self-managed teams is growing. These teams combine team work and empowerment into a
powerful method of “employee involvement”.
An important type of team is the cross-function team. This type of team facilitates horizontal
co-ordination between organizational units which is essential for achieving total quality.
Partnerships are an additional way of promoting team work. Partnerships between a company
and organized labor and between customers and suppliers are useful for practicing total quality.

Did u know? General Motors (GM) tries to eliminate the practice of completing internally
and instead promotes team work. To counter internal competition, GM developed a system
called “Quality Network” made up of a joint union management, Quality Councils at the
corporate, division and plant levels. The heart of the Quality Network is a customer
satisfaction model that encourages team work and co-operation.

3.2.3 Employee Involvement and Empowerment

Employee involvement involves changing organizational culture, fostering individual
development through training, establishment awards and incentives and encouraging team
work.

Employee empowerment means involving employees in every step of the production process.
It means enlarging employee jobs so that the added responsibility and authority is moved to the
lowest possible in the organization.
Techniques for building employee empowerment include:
(i) Building communication networks that include employees.
(ii) Moving responsibility from managers to production employees.
(iii) Building high employee morale in the organizations.
(iv) Creating such formal organization structures as team and quality circles.

3.2.4 Continuous Improvement and Learning

Continuous improvement refers to both incremental (i.e. small and gradual) and breakthrough
(i.e. large and rapid) improvement.
Improvements may take any one of several forms:
(i) Enhancing value to the customer through new and improved products and services.

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