Employee Relations: An International Journal

Stephen Hill; Adrian Wilkinson

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510147002

While quality management practices have spread in recent years, academic investigation of the phenomenon has lagged behind. Discusses what TQM comprises and whether there are partial or contingent forms; employment practices and relations, including the links with HRM and the issues of incentives, empowerment and political barriers; the themes of incrementalism and innovation including the relationship of TQM with BPR and the concern with bureaucratization; and how TQM fits with other management paradigms.

Susan Albers Mohrman; Ramkrishnan V. Tenkasi; Edward E. Lawler; Gerald E. Ledford

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510086866

The application of TQM practices has rapidly increased in US organizations over the past six years, particularly in organizations facing severe competitive pressures. A survey of the 1,000 largest companies shows that these practices fall into two main categories: core practices and production‐oriented practices. Companies perceive benefit in three areas: improvement of work performance, company competitiveness and profitability, and employee outcomes. Service organizations experience these benefits primarily from implementing core practices more extensively. Competitiveness and profitability in manufacturing organizations are positively affected by the implementation of the production‐oriented practices. Analysis of financial outcomes suggests that core practices are positively related to market share for manufacturing companies. Production‐oriented practices are positively related to return on equity and collaboration with suppliers in quality efforts is positively related to total factor productivity index for all companies.

Ed Snape; Adrian Wilkinson; Mick Marchington; Tom Redman

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510086884

Examines the implications of total quality management for the management of people. The implementation of TQM requires the development of a high commitment employee relations strategy and involves an attempt to build a culture of continuous improvement among employees. Argues that employee relations strategies have a key role to play in the success of TQM initiatives. Cautions against underestimating the difficulties faced in winning commitment. Emphasizes that the successful implementation of TQM is likely to require far‐reaching changes, not only in employee relations policies, but also in management style and work organization.

Stephen Wood; Riccardo Peccei

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510086893

TQM is generally seen as depending on employees having a high awareness of quality issues and a willingness to engage in continuous improvement. Many total quality programmes have, implicitly or explicitly, attitudinal change as one of their initial objectives. Reports the results of a study which aims to assess the effects of a TQM programme in a medium‐sized factory in the North of England. TQM initiatives are invariably multidimensional and there is here a specific concentration on assessing the relative impact on employees′ quality consciousness of the programme′s various components. The results show that those individuals whose attitudes changed most were more likely to have been involved in certain aspects of the programme than were others. In particular they were more likely to have been appraised, made a suggestion under the revamped suggestion scheme, and to have attended specific briefing sessions about the aspects of the programme. They were also more likely to view the regular monthly departmental briefings in a positive light. This suggests that appraisal, suggestion schemes, and team briefings in particular, can impact on employees′ attitudes towards quality, though in the case of the departmental briefings only if they are done well and viewed favourably by employees.

Jackie Coyle‐Shapiro

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510086901

A longitudinal research design was used to investigate the effects of a TQM intervention on teamwork in a manufacturing setting. Indicates that TQM intervention did not have a significant direct effect on teamwork. However, one aspect of the intervention, supervisory reinforcement, had a significant indirect effect on teamwork through its impact on changes in trust in colleagues. Overall, employee assess‐ment of the intervention was found to be a better predictor of teamwork than participation in the intervention per se .

David E. Simmons; Mark A. Shadur; Arthur P. Preston

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510086910

Reviews the main tenets of TQM and strategic HRM, and identifies both similarities and tensions between the two approaches. Presents a case study of Tubemakers Australia, winner of an Australian Quality Award. Illustrates how Tubemakers managed the integration of TQM and strategic HRM. Particular strengths of Tubemakers′ approach were its ability to centralize strategic elements of TQM while still providing the workplaces with sufficient latitude to address the specific needs of their employees.

Sarah Jenkins; Mike Noon; Miguel Martinez Lucio

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510086929

Examines how a TQM programme has been implemented within the context of Royal Mail. Demonstrates that within the organization TQM has been “negotiated” around four main factors: the complexities of utilizing the discourse of the customer; the organization′s market dominance in the collection and delivery of door‐to‐door mail; its industrial relations; and the formal and central adoption of TQM within a public sector context.

Chris Rees

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510086938

Considers management views on the operation of quality management (QM) strategies in two service sector organizations, financial services and hotel and catering – based on open‐ended interviews with managerial staff. Considers some of the soft/HRM aspects of quality management. Finds that there have been moves towards the more quantifiable measurement of outcomes and tighter management control. Employee empowerment is conceived of as the major defining feature of QM in the two organizations. Both companies have also sought greater flexibility through delayering and through efforts to break down demar‐ cations. QM does not necessarily involve these latter trends. However, a thoroughgoing management commitment to empowering employees to take greater responsibility for problem solving and decision making will tend to go together with at least some reduction in organizational hierarchy.

Rita Crauise O′Brien

1995 Employee Relations: An International Journal

doi: 10.1108/01425459510145752

Presents summary findings from qualitative and quantitative research with six major British companies. The original intention was to look at the potential contribution of employee commitment to high quality performance, the difficulties of achieving that commitment and the relationship of the employee contribution to performance improvement. Three particular concepts emerged as pivotal: the distinctive focus on process improvement for generating new forms of interaction at work; the importance of employee tacit knowledge for contributing to process improvement; and a new form of trust based on mutual interest between employees and management as a crucial intermediary variable contributing to commitment.