Q 1: Discuss the different routes to TQM, which were taken by the three companies?

The different routes to TQM, which were taken by

I ) MACTOOL CO

In First part of TQM programme incorporated BS 5750 there was an attempt to get workers to take
on greater responsibility for quality, in particular inspecting their own work within the specified
period. There was a pay increase for this work. There was dispute concerning the responsibility for
the customer demonstration, which was seen by the workers as an additional responsibility. Here
there was limited role played by the personnel department.

In the second stage of TQM there was a problem solving structure to remove obstacles to improving
performance. There was formation of Problem solving groups (PSG), which were reporting to
review committee, which in turn reported to management committee. There was scope for every one
to participate is PSG with benefits arising from increased productivity. The participation was
voluntary. The aims of PSG were to identify problems originating from within their workspace and
propose solutions. Identify problems originating from outside and refer to review team. Group leader
were typically supervisors who were trained in how to set up and run a group and both they and
group members were trained in problem solving techniques

(Here there was failure, which can be attributable to a mix of technical, and more fundamental flaws
firstly here supervisors were told they would lead the groups and then found them selves bombarded
with problems. Secondly the training had stressed techniques rather than teamwork skills, which
were essential for operation of groups. Thirdly the context of meeting end of the year production
targets limited the time available for PSG. Finally there view committee voted almost all the
suggestions coming through on the grounds of cost which demoralized the groups)

This para might not be require for this question

II) ELECTRON

In this Company HR issues were seen as central to development of TQM from an early stage. There
was central steering committee, the quality improvement team comprising senior management and
chaired by the HR direct rover saw the TQM Process. In addition there were standing teams on
recognition and communication both chaired by HR director and several corrective teams. There was
error identification form, which can be filled by an employee who has a problem with work and
filled to the HR director. The report stays in existence until problem is solved. Hr department was
central to TQM. It played co-coordinating role and was also responsible for conducting all
awareness training seminars with all staff having attended a two-day quality seminar. Continuous
improvement, personnel responsibility, involvement and self development are all part of the TQM
approach.
III) SOFTWARE LTD
Here the quality improvement process did not have separate infrastructure but it was seen as being
integrated into the over all management process. However there were quality improvement teams,
which compromised the owners, customers and participants of process, which have improvement
potential. Here TQM was seen as implicit in everything the company did. Never the less it was
associated with good communication, flat structures, clear reporting systems and performance based
reward system. The company stressed that the operating achievement could be gauged only by the
satisfaction of clients and client survey report. The HR Function here was small. HR issues had
always important. Here all staff was give opportunity to question management and contribute to
important decisions. There new developments in HR linked QM. The HR function has also applied
TQM principles to its own work and has document listing the main products and levels of services it
provides.

Q. 2 Analyze the links between TQM and HRM.

The Links between TQM and HRM are

(a) Object setting.
(b) Staff satisfaction survey
(c) Career development which include development of performance, development of reviews and
training career reviewers.

Q.3) How can TQM principles be applied to the personnel function?

TQM principles can be applied to the personnel function through provision of employment policies,
services that include recruitment, employment advice, salaries and grades. Here the customers might
be staff or managers and level of service specifies when it can be provided in terms of day’s weeks
or months.

Q.4) what contribution can HR professionals make to the development of TQM?

The contribution HR tends to be is Functional/ Operational rather than strategic Level. QM is

heavily oriented towards harder systems perspective, and HR is only just beginning to enhance its
contribution at higher levels of company.
A Case Study

1. From the solutions offered so far, which would you support and why? What would your
Recommendations are?

There are different views:

a. The consultants of the hospital feel that the problems are mainly due to lack of adequate ward
staff and porters.

b. The senior nurse manager feels that new work practices should be introduced.

c. The business manager is sympathetic to the senior nurse manager's view and he also feels that
the administrative staff, who assemble patient documentation and draw up the theatre lists are
isolated and not effectively involved in the patient trail.

I would like to support - New work practices to be introduced, that is re-engineering which involves
multi-skills, process teams, flatter organization hierarchies, case managers, and more employee
empowerment.
Since it is multi-skills and involvement of more people reduces the burden on the consultants and the
associated staff.

RECOMMNEDATIONS: Additional manpower recruitment, proper orientation and training,

rescheduling of work module.

2. What barriers are there to implementing change in this setting? Draw up a force-field analysis,
identifying and weighting the driving and resisting factors with respect to your recommended
solution(s), and assess the balance of forces in this setting.

a. The consultants who are on top of the organizational hierarchies.

b. The operational department assistants and ward staff who are not trained in
patient documentation and theatre listing. These are the resisting factors.
The driving force is the patient care orientation. The regular training and orientation programmes to
be conducted to balance the forces in this setting.

3. With potentially large numbers of people involved in any significant changes, what approach to
implementing change would you recommend in this context?
a. Conduct orientation programmes at regular intervals.
b. Moral boosting.
c. Monetary benefits to be introduced.
4. What are the main differences between this and a manufacturing setting with regard to the
application of job and organizational design methods?

THE MANUFACTURING SETTING:

a. Deals with objects.
b. Repercussions and re-corrections are feasible.
c. Skilled manpower can be replaced by automated equipments.
d. Prior consent is not required.

OPERATION THEATRE SETTING

a. Deals with human lives.
b. Repercussions and re-corrections are not feasible
c. Skilled manpower’s cannot be replaced by automated equipments.
d. Understanding and prior consent is very much required.

5. What conflict-if any-is revealed in this case between a customer care orientation which legitimates
change in the interest of the patients, and the traditional autonomy of highly trained and qualified
clinical professionals?
• Ideological conflict of the management and qualified clinical professionals will be
challenged against each other.
• Introduction of new work practices which includes flatter organisational hierarchies, more
employee empowerment, in such a scenarios the consultants feel that their role is
undermined.
• All other people associated with theatre need more time for preparations but for the
consultant it is knife to skin time, so they are not good estimators when compiling theatre
lists.
• A consultant tends to see only patient on the operating table, does not always see the
clerical and nursing phenomenon that brings the patient to the table.