Explores the implications that continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs are likely to have for evaluation. CQI, often known as total quality management, offers a structured approach to the analysis of an organization's processes and improvement that should provide advantages to evaluators once they have gained experience with the approach.…

Discusses the application of continuous quality improvement principles in the Department of Vocational and Technical Education at the University of Minnesota. Reviews the processes that the department incorporated to implement this program and lists future steps and categories of action. (Author)

Combines public relations practice and total quality management improvement stages to create a philosophy and set of strategies to assist practitioners' understanding of the challenges and response options available to them as part of improving service quality. (SR)

Case study of a manufacturing firm that implemented total quality management (TQM) found that the initiative may have failed because the company was undergoing rapid, radical structural change. Other problems included short-term focus, communication problems, and employee concerns about job security. TQM may be more compatible with continuous…

Explains the need to establish a national system of standards for public libraries. Discusses local standards, state standards, and international standards, and suggests adopting a tiered approach including three levels: minimum standards; target standards; and benchmarking standards, as found in total quality management. (LRW)

Proposes combining organizational learning (in learning organizations) and total quality to form a holistic framework of integrated methods, tools, and techniques. (SK)

This paper describes how the Excellence Model[R] developed by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) can be used and applied within higher education, with practical examples accompanying the Model in a Russian University to raise management quality. (Contains 5 figures, 2 tables, and 1 footnote.)

Lessons from the work of the eleven Urban Educator Corps member institutions are outlined. They include the necessity to create strong partnerships, foster university leadership and address a compelling local need. Successful initiatives build strong financial networks as well as connect the classroom with the community and with parents and…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the introduction of a quality assurance system in a new, private university in Syria, and considers the extent to which the theoretical model based on institutional theory and isomorphism is reflected in practice. Design/methodology/approach: A five year longitudinal study which reviews the design,…

During the past two decades, colleges and universities have used best practices from corporate management such as total quality management, strategic planning, management by objectives, benchmarking, data warehousing, and performance indicators. Many institutions of higher learning now have adopted comprehensive and multifaceted approaches to…

Purpose: This paper seeks to evaluate the arguments for and against the proposition that students in higher education are "customers" and should be treated as such. Design/methodology/approach: A critical review of the relevant literature from the domains of total quality management and marketing. Findings: The debate is polarised, with advocates…

In a time of constant change, sometimes it is worthwhile to ruminate on the future and how things ought to be. "Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship" wanted to capture some of these ruminations from around the field in a new column called "E-Opinions from the Field" where readers are asked to send in their thoughts on a topic and respond…

Efforts to introduce school choice have produced pressures on public schools to improve their performance. As a result, many public schools have embraced the total quality management principle of continuous improvement. In this article we explain that while this may be well intentioned, it may have perverse unintended consequences. A likely…

Responses from 72 Irish companies identified 51 using total quality management (TQM); second-survey responses from 28 of the latter showed that 57% of TQM initiatives were successful or very successful; most have a good understanding of comprehensive TQM and value long-term over short-term results. Benefits were experienced throughout…

A study of the effect of high-performance work systems on 935 nurses and 182 nurses aides indicated that quality of decision-making information depends on workers' interpretive skills and partially mediated effects of work design and total quality management on organizational performance. Providing relevant knowledge and opportunities to use…