Implementation of Total Quality Management in Manufacturing Firms: An Empirical Study

Abstract

Total Quality Management (TQM) is the process of involving all employees of the organization in its continual improvement to achieve customer satisfaction. But does that really mean involving all, i.e., employees, customers and top management? When organizations say that they implement TQM, do they practically implement the principles of customer satisfaction, employee involvement and continual improvement? The present paper attempts to answer these questions through a study on a set of 21 manufacturing firms in Nagpur region selected through convenience sampling. Correlation analysis is used to test the hypothesis. The findings reveal that customer satisfaction is practiced by the firms extensively though their customers are majorly business-to-business. Trust-based relationship with the suppliers and committed leadership from the top management have contributed the most to better practicing of the TQM principles.