Application of TQM Principles in the International Technology Transfer Process of Industrial Production Plants: A Conceptual Framework
| Author | Hesan A. Quazi,Frank L. Bartels |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.00100 |
| Date | 01 December 1998 |
| Published date | 01 December 1998 |
Introduction
Modern technology has emerged as one of the
primary sources of national power, prosperity and
strategic advantage. Advances in science, their
development through technology and diffusion
from one country to another are crucial to attain-
ing national goals, including economic growth.
Countries which lack sufficient autonomous cap-
ability to generate, develop and diffuse innova-
tions must rely on the technology transfer process
and the eventual infusion and assimilation of
foreign technologies. Competent and competitive
management of international technology-transfer
processes is, therefore, one of the critical success
factors for technology-importing nations. Inad-
equate management of the transfer of technology,
its fragmentary assimilation and shallow absorp-
tion may have serious economic consequences
within the host environment. One result is neg-
ative effects on host external economic relations.
The international transfer of technology and
its associated management involves a variety of
political, social and economic issues. This paper
makes no apology for not addressing those issues.
Neither does it address the issues related to the
transfer of all types of technologies. Instead it
focuses on the transfer of technology used in in-
dustrial production plants. The sole purpose of
the paper is to demonstrate how the philosophy
of Total Quality Management (TQM) and its prin-
ciples can be applied to the process of interna-
tional technology transfer to ensure satisfactory
management and performance of the imported
British Journal of Management, Vol. 9, 289–300 (1998)
Application of TQM Principles in the
International Technology Transfer Process
of Industrial Production Plants:
A Conceptual Framework1
Hesan A. Quazi and Frank L. Bartels
Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798
This paper attempts to illustrate the application of the principles in Total Quality
Management (TQM) to the International Technology Transfer (ITT) processes used in
industrial production plants. Disaggregated analysis of the ‘technology transformation’
process is deployed to highlight the application of TQM. AT&T’s ‘customer–supplier’
model of quality is introduced to explain the interactive roles of the parties involved. It
argues that the existing literature deals inadequately with the issues raised and dis-
cussed in this paper. A conceptual ITT-TQM model is proposed. Such a model should
ensure proper assimilation of imported technology and permit continuous improvement
of the processes leading to the customer satisfaction. It is suggested that the success of
the model depends on the ‘win-win-win’ strategies of the supplier, the process owner
and the customer. Examples from various sources are presented to reinforce the argu-
ment. In addition, international standards such as the ISO 9000 standard and frameworks
for TQM such as the US Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the European
Quality Award (European Foundation for Quality Management) are posited as necessary
to ensure quality technology transfer.
© 1998 British Academy of Management
1An earlier version of this paper was presented at the
1995 IEEE Engineering Management Conference in
Singapore.
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