Validating the 'soft' aspects of TQM for ISO-9001 certified construction firms in South Africa
Date
2018
Authors
Naicker, Sugendran
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Abstract
Total quality management (TQM) is often termed a journey, not a destination (Burati and Oswald, 1993). TQM is a revolutionary approach to effective management as its aimed at continuously improving the quality of products and processes by involving management, employees and suppliers to achieve customer satisfaction (Ahire et al., 1995). The question arises that, are the firm’s management adept on the practice of TQM? The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which quality management representatives (QMR’s) in ISO-9001 certified construction firms in South Africa are practicing the ‘soft’ aspects of TQM at their respective firms. TQM is associated with an entire organisation or firm with the goal of improving the firm’s performance and ultimate success. The co-operation of everyone in the entire firm is targeted at delivering the needs and expectations of its clients. These aspects could be the management concepts and principles of the firm (Psychogios & Priporas, 2007). These soft aspects of TQM could assist a South African construction firm in building a “good name” reputation in the industry. Such a reputation is penned on repeat work from satisfied clients, negotiated work, preferred bidder status with numerous clients, nonadversarial approach to managing work, completion within budget and time and the like (Harrington & Wiggin, 2012).
A comprehensive review was conducted on the existing available literature to identify the ‘soft’ aspects of TQM principles, as documented by various authors and leading academics in the field of quality management. Ten ‘soft’ aspects of TQM principles were identified from the literature review. Based on the literature review and prior studies on TQM principles, a research instrument was designed. Structured interviews were then conducted with fifteen (15) quality management representatives (QMR’s) at fifteen (15) ISO-certified construction firms in Gauteng, South Africa. The collected data was then analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. Firstly, such analysis used the form of averages, percentages, and graphs
for the attribute data of the respondents. Secondly, for the constructs and indicators, the measure of central tendency (i.e. the mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation) was computed.
The main findings of this study were that of the eight valid and reliable ‘soft’ aspects of TQM principles in this study, only five ‘soft’ aspects of TQM principles were being practised by QMR’s and three ‘soft’ aspects of TQM principles were not being practised by QMR’s at their ISO-9001 certified construction firms. The study concludes that the level of agreement by the QMR’s for the identified ‘soft’ aspects of TQM principles was not deemed to be significant. Based on the findings of this study, that despite the QMR’s being cognisant of the identified ‘soft’ aspects of the TQM principles, the practice of these ‘soft’ aspects TQM principals in the ISO 9001 certified construction firms is irregular and cursory amongst QMR’s, as the level of agreement by the QMR’s for the identified ‘soft’ aspects of TQM principles was not deemed to be significant
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfilment to the degree of Master of Science (Building)in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2018
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Citation
Naicker, Sugendran (2018) Validating the "soft" aspects of TQM for ISO-9001 certified construction firms in South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, https://hdl.handle.net/10539/27702