Quality Management in Education

Abstract

Examines the applicability of total quality management (TQM) to education and summarizes its underlying theory and principles. Discusses the relationship between quality assurance and total quality management with reference to ISO 9000. Aligns educational institutions with a service organization model and outlines the resultant implications for the development of a TQM initiative. These issues include the expansion of the internal supplier/customer concept, a greater focus on the marketplace, the identification of customers, the pursuit of continuous improvement and the strengthening of feedback linkages from the environment. Mentions potential problems with the adoption of such service sector models in the context of scholarship, individuality and the team ethos, and the commercial quality terminology of “zero defects” and “right first time” thinking. Concludes that educational institutions are likely to reap significant benefits from an appropriate implementation of TQM, provided that there is considerable planning, management commitment, culture change and a long‐term perspective which goes beyond the next AGM.

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