Purpose: This paper aims to contribute to the debate on what is a learning organization (LO). The author proposes that pragmatist philosophy may be a source of inspiration in this endeavor. Design/methodology/approach: The author revisits a 25-year-old case study in which the process of implementing an LO in a public enterprise was observed. This…

Several studies in higher education have attempted to study the impact of quality management practices on organisational innovation processes and outcomes in higher education institutions (HEIs). However, there is relatively limited research examining the impact of multidimensional quality management practices (QM-practices) on academics'…

The purpose of the study was to investigate the corporate total quality management practices and corresponding results achieved by corporate sector firms of Lahore, Pakistan with implications for the business schools offering TQM courses. The variables studied include leadership, resource management, performance measurement and feedback,…

The basic purpose of the study was to explore the influence of workplace incivility on the total quality management practices implementation in higher education institutes of balochistan. The data was collected through questionnaire and the sample size of the study was 381. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire was checked through…

This article is concerned with the meanings that employees in industry attribute to representations of data and the contingencies of these meanings in context. Our primary concern is to more precisely characterize how the context of the industrial process is constitutive of the meaning of graphs of data derived from this process. We draw on data…

A study of 27 Fortune 500 companies established benchmarking as a continuous quality improvement tool used in implementing exemplary work force diversity practices. Applicable in educational settings as well, it is a lifelong educational process for the individual and the organization. (JOW)

A survey of 923 employee involvement programs (57%) yielded 10 themes: range of problem content, team staffing, team membership status, team resources, training practices, information access, financial rewards, performance management systems, goal-setting structures, and roles of job supervisors. (JOW)

Analyzes the results of a survey which queried student affairs staff members about their opinions on the importance of and their satisfaction with 37 aspects of their work environments. Discusses results of the survey and addresses efforts to improve the work climate. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/GCP)

Contends that the conventions of writing about management inquiry limit the choices for creativity, and potential wider audiences. Using examples taken from teaching and PhD research, critical incidents are explored to demonstrate different forms of writing that offer the potential for alternative ways of sense making. Research indicates the…

Total quality management (TQM) has become a U.S. social movement. This commentary analyzes the writings of W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Kaoru Ishikawa to assess TQM's coherence, distinctiveness, and likely perseverance. Rhetoric is winning over substance, unrelated interventions are being herded under the TQM banner, and research is not…

This paper presents the initial findings of a comprehensive 28-school multi-site case study, which sought to identify patterns in schools that are changing bureaucratic work patterns to those found in quality-management systems. The schools are located in Florida, Virginia, Minnesota, and Louisiana; all are led by principals who are trainers in…

In an effort to determine success in establishing an internal culture consistent with the principles of total quality management, Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) conducted a study of faculty and staff attitudes and involvement in the college. The study focused on five measurements: improvement on NMC indicators of success, quality training and…

Chaos theory provides a useful mental model for guiding change as leaders garner the energy from unpredictable events for realizing transformation goals. The paper considers chaos theory as a framework for managing school change toward Total Quality Management work cultures. Change is possible to manage when plans are made and then followed by a…

This study attempted to develop a reliable and valid instrument for assessing work environment and continuous quality improvement efforts in the non-academic sectors of colleges and universities particularly those institutions who have adopted Total Quality Management programs. A model of a work environment for continuous quality improvement was…

This monograph examines issues in faculty and departmental collaboration in colleges and universities, focusing on structures and environments that support collaboration and reward productivity and progress toward institutional and disciplinary goals. An introductory chapter outlines four key issues: how colleges and universities can develop a…