Total Quality Management And Performance: An Evaluation of the Evidence and Lessons for Research on Public Organizations

Total quality management (TQM) continues to be promoted by governments across the world and forms part of the improvement strategies for many public organizations. However, there are no empirical studies of the relationship between TQM and performance in the public sector. A critical review of the 19 private sector studies is undertaken to identify the impact of TQM on performance. These studies do not offer comprehensive support for the TQM-performance hypothesis, and there are many unresolved issues in the evidence. A program of research on public organizations should be undertaken that would test theoretical models of the link between TQM and performance. The research should be conducted longitudinally, in different types of public services and different organizational contexts; to test the “one-size-fits-all” assumption in the TQM model. Such studies would allow prescriptions for the adoption and implementation of TQM in public organizations to be made with more confidence.