A common refrain among directors goes something like this: "I have to get that food order in now." "I have to meet with Mrs. Miller about her bill." "I have to meet with the pre-k teachers today." "I have to get those marketing packets out today." Is it any wonder that so many directors are stressed out and tired? Many people have a tendency to…

The data are clear: Unless the nation can find a better way to accelerate improvement in the quality of education and implement it in the next 10 years, this nation will lose its competitive edge against other nations and another generation of children will be lost. Eighty percent of Illinois high school graduates are not capable of doing the…

A strategy for increasing worker participation in an effort to remedy the problems of declining productivity and quality is the quality circles concept. The quality circles process involves small groups of employees who meet voluntarily on a regular basis to identify, analyze, and develop solutions to problems and to implement the solutions when…

Explores the implementation of total quality management in the maintenance and operations department of an upstate New York school district. Four figures illustrate the problem-solving process. (MLF)

Scarce resources, changing customer expectation, and the changing role of top management are all factors that have contributed to the implementation of total quality management (TQM) in libraries. Instructional articles, conferences, and videos can alleviate some concerns of cost and time commitment. Many libraries already practice some of the…

This report discusses the application of the International Organization for Standards's ISO9000 quality assurance standard and Total Quality Management (TQM) to higher education in light of the "new collegialism." It defines the basic elements of ISO9000 and TQM, reviews the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches, and notes efforts…

A growing number of schools and districts are considering using teams to handle all types of decision making and advisory activities. The term "teams" can be applied to a wide spectrum of groups with various purposes or powers. This bulletin was designed to assist those who want to create efficient, successful teams. It provides…

New managerial techniques such as total quality management and similar worker participation programs are an important albeit controversial component of the recent changes in the workplace brought about by increasing globalization of the economy. In addition, organized labor is faced with a changing and increasingly diverse population of new…

This paper addresses issues and the viability of applying participatory management (PM) to education, with focus on Total Quality Management (TQM). Following a description of PM techniques with an TQM focus and a historical overview of Deming's management theory, four stages of team growth experienced during the implementation process are…

In September 1991, Red River Community College (RRCC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, decided to embrace the concepts of Total Quality Management (TQM) to provide an operational philosophy, enhance program curricula, and establish business opportunities. RRCC adapted W. Edward Deming's manufacturing philosophy to create its own approach, which focused on:…

Explain's Duke University Library's change from a hierarchical management structure to one of self-managing teams developed within a total quality management (TQM) framework. Emphasizes the personal views and experiences of a manager responsible for implementing and guiding the process of change. (JKP)

Quality work teams that are based on W. Edwards Deming's business-management theories have proliferated at the school and district levels to handle problem solving and decision making. Teams are said to build stronger relationships among those involved in education and, ultimately, to benefit students because more people with broader perspectives…

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a process and strategy designed to improve an organization's effectiveness and efficiency. The Elyria Schools, named as Ohio's model urban school district in 1991, uses TQM to implement updated strategic goals through a process emphasizing teamwork, best knowledge, prevention, and commitment to continuous…

In planning a new school and general remodeling and technology upgrades, the Oshkosh (Wisconsin) High School District used a variation of total quality management called Continuous Quality Improvement. The plan involved students, teachers, staff, parents, and members of the business community assisting in the school's design and selecting its…

This practicum is designed to assist central office personnel in evaluating the work environment for better coordination to accomplish work, plan for a change effort, and implement a participatory change initiative. The work setting involved a K-12 urban school district (193 schools) containing 431 central-office administrators and more than…