Total quality management (TQM) in the Turkish public sector : the views of public employees on practices, impacts and problems for the implementation of TQM in two public organizations
Author
Coşkun, Selim
Advisor
Özbudun, Ergun
Date
2002Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
Total Quality Management (TQM) has become a popular management
approach and system since the 1980s. While it has been adopted by thousands of
organizations, the debate on its originality in theory and its relationship with
management theory still continues. It can be defined as a management system and
approach that has a set of core principles, assumptions, practices, tools and
techniques which are systemized into a coherent framework. The studies suggest
that TQM theory and practices can be, to a great extent, considered under the scope
of management theory. In addition, it makes unique contributions to the
management practice.
This dissertation examines the practices, constraints and potential problems
for adoption of the quality management in the public sector in the international and
the Turkish public sector context. Public sector organizations in many developed
countries widely implemented the quality management as a management approach
and utilized it as a tool for reforming public sector. TQM became an important part
of comprehensive public sector reform efforts.
Some Turkish public organizations have also adopted the quality
management. However, unlike some developed countries, it has been implemented
at the organizational level rather than being systematic and being part of
comprehensive reform efforts.
Although various scholars have been discussing the feasibility and problems
related to adoption of TQM in the Turkish public sector, there is very limited
empirical research on the practices and problems of the quality management. Thus, a
survey is conducted in two pioneering public organizations for adopting the quality
v
management in order to explore the views of the workforce. The literature proposes
that the positive attitude of the employees is one of factors for the success of the
quality management initiatives. The findings reveal that the workforce has generally
positive views towards the quality management and public sector reforms. The
findings also signify that the success and future of the quality management cannot
be isolated from the organizational context and approaches to quality management
as well as the problems of Turkish political and public administration system.