Total quality management (TQM) in self‐financed technical institutions. A quality function deployment (QFD) and force field analysis approach
| Date | 01 January 2006 |
| Pages | 54-74 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880610643610 |
| Published date | 01 January 2006 |
| Author | Jitesh Thakkar,S.G. Deshmukh,Anil Shastree |
| Subject Matter | Education |
Total quality management (TQM)
in self-financed technical
institutions
A quality function deployment (QFD) and force
field analysis approach
Jitesh Thakkar
A.D. Patel Institute of Technology, Gujarat, India
S.G. Deshmukh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi,
New Delhi, India, and
Anil Shastree
A.D. Patel Institute of Technology, Gujarat, India
Abstract
Purpose – To explore the potential for adoption of TQM in self-financed technical institutions in the
light of new demands and challenges posed by customers/students and society.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents use of quality function deployment (QFD)
which prioritizes technical requirements and correlates them with various customers’/students’
requirements for the present Indian context. As an extension to the basic model of QFD – house of
quality (HOQ), the scope for futuristic improvements is explored through a four-phased QFD process.
Challenges involved in the implementation of TQM are investigated using an approach of force field
analysis.
Findings – Identifies technical and students’ requirements for the modern educational set-up.
Provides information about the severity of various technical requirements of competitive education.
Recognizes the need for continuous improvement, cultural change and effective use of financial
resources to improve the value addition at each level. Develops an understanding of the issues to be
addressed at each phase of TQM implementation.
Practical implications – It is expected that insights gained will help sensitize the emerging
self-financed institutions towards the demands of new age students. Conclusions derived will also
provide some opportunities for reflection by students, faculty members and leaders/top management
of institutions for continuous development at an individual as well as institutional level.
Originality/value – A novelty of work lies in the use of a mix of qualitative and quantitative
approaches, which not only evaluates the present system but develops an understanding of future
challenges to continuous improvement.
Keywords Technical training,Finance companies, Total quality management,
Quality functiondeployment
Paper type Case study
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0968-4883.htm
The authors are grateful to reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions to improve
the quality of this paper.
QAE
14,1
54
Quality Assurance in Education
Vol. 14 No. 1, 2006
pp. 54-74
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/09684880610643610
1. Introduction
In keeping with the newer demands that have been placed on the self financed
educational system by the various stakeholders, the technical educational system in
particular,has been pressured to shift its focusfrom one in quantitative expansionto one
with emphasison quality. Growth and survival of these institutes is fully depend on their
competitiveworking style, opinions of their customers/students abouttheir performance,
and contribution to economic growth. It is being increasingly recognized that high
quality of products and services are associated with customer satisfaction and they are
the key points for survival for any organization whether educational or otherwise. Not
oblivious to the need for adaptation to serve the interests of its stakeholders, in terms of
greater responsiveness, the educational system has begun to realize the significance of
total quality management (TQM) in education. There is a growing interest in applying
TQM in education for a wide variety of reasons, including:
.pressures from industry for continuous upgrading of academic standards with
changing technology;
.government schemes with allocation of funds, which encourage research and
teaching in the field of quality;
.increasing competition between various private and government academic
institutions; and
.a reduction in the pool of funds for research and teaching, implying that only
reputable institutions will have a likely chance of gaining access to various
funds.
However, defining students as customer of the academic system has received various
comments in literature. Downey et al. (1994), note that the primary customer in an
education system is the student; who is both an internal and an external customer.
While in the system, the student is an internal customer, participating in the learning
process; he or she becomes an external customer when they leave the system. They
then become the ultimate external customer, functioning effectively in the society.
The word TQM itself suggests many associations in the mind of user. Various
views on the acceptance of the approach as philosophy or process have generated
numerous definitions. For example:
.Witcher (1990) defines the term by breaking the phrase into three terms, whereby
“total”, implies every person is involved (including customers and suppliers),
“quality”, implies customer requirements are met exactly; and “management”,
implies senior executives are committed.
.Taylor and Hill (1992) define TQM as a customer-focused process which seeks
continuous improvement and meeting customers’ perceptions.
.Williams (1993, p. 374) concludes that there are two dimensions of TQM. On the
one hand “it is a management tool to increase productivity, keep the customers
happy, and cut down waste”. On the other hand “it is a means of making us
better people, of developing our professional good manners, and of providing us
with a moral education”.
A comprehensive view of definitions suggests that the whole philosophy of TQM
mainly revolves around involvement of people at all level, understanding customer
Total quality
management
55
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