Introduction
In the current epoch of unprecedented rivalry emerging from the outstanding variety as well as availability of goods and services, quality is among the most important parameters that enable firms to outcompete the other. Quality management, therefore, has become one of the focuses of strategic planning; a variety of methodologies and approaches exists. Those based on total quality management (TQM), such as benchmarking or JIT/Lean, doubtlessly are more promising in terms of development and innovativeness in comparison with their traditional equivalents, for instance, bossmanship.
TQM Theory
The known theorists of total quality management are Deming and Crosby, whose philosophies are quite close to each other. Particularly, their views of the role of senior management in quality control have much in common. The key idea is that “quality can be attained only through learning;” the latter actually is the heads’ main function (Billah & Karim, 2021, p. 260). Specifically, they should guide their subordinates, performing as coaches, which meets the definition of transformational leadership (Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S). Strategic planning, therefore, should involve improvement at each stage of the company’s operation, and management is responsible for communicating the ways of it to the staff.
Regarding customers, both thinkers see the requirements and values of those as the key reference point. Gathering and actualizing topical evidence is another responsibility of senior management (The Deming Institute, 2020). Simply stated, employees should realize what consumers need and how to provide that, which is guessable from the feedback their supervisors should collect on a regular basis. Enabling this awareness is an essential component of knowledge management; another is assessment, which, also according to both theorists, should be internal. Thus, Deming highlights the poor relevance of inspections because they do not actually add to perfection, but only give grades (The Deming Institute, 2020). Crosby offers an alternative, so-called quality improvement teams that should be organized by senior management, include the representatives of all departments, and be responsible for both measurement and solutions.
Considering the above, workforce and operation are the closest focuses of TQM, as they determine the success of production process. It is possible exclusively on the condition of appropriate integrity, maintaining which, therefore, is another task of management (Billah & Karim, 2021). Specifically, the latter should unite the staff under their supervision, train those regularly, and apply motivating approaches (Ma et al., 2021). It is essential to be precise, for instance, avoid vague goals and ambiguous slogans, to ensure the common understanding of the company’s vision.
Finally, another similarity between the two philosophies is that the results of operation can never be final. Both Crosby and Deming regard production as a cycle, whose driving force is advancement; according to Ma et al. (2021), it means quick adaptation to the changing environment. It is necessary, therefore, to assess the results within the process via the above customer feedback, which, as mentioned, senior management should collect regularly.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the approach to quality improvement that lies in comparing the given firm’s production process to that of the other, normally the best in its area. Commonness, complete or partial, of the visions and objectives is among the factors that lead firms to such a decision. It is noteworthy that benchmarking means modeling and advancement but not imitation, for which reason openness to new information is another essential aspect (Horváthová et al., 2021). This, in turn, is impossible without understanding the key processes and practices as well as realizing their importance. It is noteworthy that, similar to other TQM techniques, benchmarking targets to adjust the entire production. This requires involvement and dedication from senior management, so that the firm’s operation remains integrated and well-organized after reframing (Ma et al., 2021). Subsequently, documenting production processes is another very important predisposition and another function of top manager teams.
JIT/Lean Manufacturing
Modern firms, apparently due to the current megatrend for eco-friendliness, pay considerable attention to minimizing waste. Through the lens of quality management, the approaches of such a kind allow for improving excellence while lowering expenditures (Goetsch & Davis, 2020). Accomplishing these goals is possible due to another complex methodology that considers all phases of production and is referred to as Just-in-Time (JIT)/Lean manufacturing. In the simplest terms, its essence lies in making exclusively what, when, and how many is necessary. Such tactic help not only avoid overproduction crises, but also reduce the use of materials as well as equipment, manufacturing cycle time, and, consequently, waste (Goetsch & Davis, 2020). The absence of the need for extra production reduces the prices naturally, making them especially competitive without affecting the quality. These advantages encourage world-class manufacturers to adopt JIT/Lean to reorganize their production into more efficient.
Leadership versus Bossmanship
All of the above perspectives and approaches refer to leadership as a cornerstone. It actually is among the most important measures of a company’s performance excellence (“Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award,” 2013). In brief, this approach to management presupposes unity, equality, and openness to new ideas, which enables progress (Ma et al., 2021). On the contrary, bossmanship ascribes limitless knowledge and expertise to a single person, who, consequently, acquires absolute power. The first model doubtlessly is more relevant for TQM, which rests on improving quality throughout the manufacturing process and, therefore, presupposes teamwork.
Conclusion
Total quality management may involve various approaches, but the feature those share is the focus on innovation and progress. Notably, TQM is built around never-ending education and advancement of production, in which senior management should participate actively. Two popular techniques, benchmarking and JIT/Lean manufacturing, are good examples of how realizing the priority of learning can help firms remain competitive. Classical methodologies, on the contrary, involve bossmanship that actually resembles a personality cult, eliminating productive cooperation within the company.
References
Billah, M., & Karim, M. R. (2021). Implementation of total quality management in education. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 11(2), 259-267. Web.
The Deming Institute. (2020). Deming on management: Customer focus. Web.
Goetsch, D. L., & Davis, S. (2020). Quality management for organizational excellence (9th Ed.). Pearson Education.
Horváthová, J., Mokrišová, M., & Vrábliková, M. (2021). Benchmarking – A way of finding risk factors in business performance. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 14(5), 221-238. Web.
Ma, Ch., Ge, Yu., & Wang, J. (2021). Top management team intrapersonal functional diversity and adaptive firm performance: The moderating roles of the CEO–TMT power gap and severity of threat. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, article 772739. Web.
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award – A model for performance excellence [Video]. (2013). Web.