International symposium Quality management and sustainable competitiveness in global environment Subject of article: Role of empowerment in Total quality management and sustained competitiveness

We need to empower managers and workers for sustained competitiveness. Empowered people in organization can create quality that we need for competitiveness. Therefore empowerment is the base of total quality management. Certain human resource practices are characteristic of TQM efforts. Jobs are designed so that employees are responsible inspecting their own work and correcting their own ERRORS. However, work simplification and standardization mean that employees do not necessarily gain self-management responsibility in TQM systems. Employees typically receive considerable quality information. Monetary REWARD systems are de-emphasized in TQM theory in favor of recognition systems. Total quality management, (TQM) is a management philosophy and business strategy intended to embed quality improvement practices deeply into the fabric of the organization. It is also a social movement that has become partly institutionalized in many countries. International lSO 9000 standards created a global quality benchmark. TQM is no quick fix. It requires a fundamental shift in thinking and production techniques. Companies that have successfully Implemented TQM confirm that it requires a culture change at all levels -and that can take many years to achieve. (crainer & dearlove, 2001: 421) A related issue concerns the degree to which familiar human resource practices are compatible with TQM philosophies and practices. Some established practices, such as employee selection testing, are advantageous but ignored in the quality iterature. In other-cases, there may be serious conflicts. Lawler (1994) points out that familiar employee involvement practices aimed at self-management-and the use of rewards for group and organizational performance may be incompatible with TQM philosophies and principles.

کلیدواژه ها:

total quality management ، empowerment ، competitiveness ، standard