The chief financial officer (CFO) of St. John Fisher College (New York) analyzes the costs associated with the implementation of quality management at St. John Fisher and outlines one way to determine whether the investment is yielding an acceptable internal rate of return. (DB)

Nineteen precis highlight concepts of managing change and people. Specific examples are provided from such companies as Texas Instruments, EMC, British Telecom, Cooper & Lybrands, MCB University Press, and the Royal Bank of Scotland. (SK)

Discussion of the use of Total Quality Management (TQM) in higher education and academic libraries focuses on the identification, collection, and use of reliable data. Methods for measuring quality, including benchmarking, are described; performance measures are considered; and benchmarking techniques are examined. (11 references) (MES)

This article presents guidelines to aid administrators of institutions of higher education in applying the 14 principles of Total Quality Management. The principles stress understanding process improvements, handling variation, fostering prediction, and using psychology to capitalize on human resources. (DB)

Provides an overview of Japanese management theory and suggests applications to library administration. Highlights include participative management; shared decision making; long-term objectives; organizational philosophy; staff training and human resource development; strategic planning; staffing issues; cooperation; quality control; and total…

Total Quality Management Plus (TQM) goes beyond customer satisfaction to consider quality of life, environmental conditions, crime rates, and health and well-being. Steps to integrate such concerns into the TQM process include being ready for challenges, creating a quality system to collect performance data, defining the ideal school and world…

At Oregon State University, an investigation into physical plant administration in response to complaints found significant problems with customer service. Adopting an approach called Total Quality Management, the staff identified and resolved problems, improved quality, and reduced cost. Administrators feel the principles could be applied in all…

Report of the 1992 Medical Library Association (MLA) conference summarizes debates on librarians as chief information officers, electronic access versus ownership, electronic publishing and journal prices, and Total Quality Management. The role of the National Library of Medicine is discussed, and MLA honors and awards are listed. (MES)

Total Quality Management (TQM) is defined and described, and its application in higher education institutions is discussed. The paper examines: TQM origins, salient features, importance of organizational leadership and commitment, use of strategic planning, customer orientation, the notion of continuous improvement, assessment of progress, and…

Describes a case study of a major university implementing a total quality management (TQM) program. Finds that TQM hegemony has a potential to privilege passive, bounded, regimented, and efficiency-focused thinking over critical, self-reflective, strategic, and creative thinking; and to replace experimentation, the inherent value of ideas, and…

The formula for improving U.S. schools can be found in the philosophy that helped transform Japanese industry and in Deming's 14 principles, emulated by many corporations. Deming's arguments against appraising individual performance through quotas or numerical goals call into question schools' current grading and merit pay practices. (12…

As one Brooklyn high school discovered, quality improvement begins with administrator commitment and participants' immersion in the literature. Other key elements include ongoing training of personnel involved in the quality-improvement process, tools such as the Deming Cycle (plan-do-check-act), voluntary and goal-oriented teamwork, and a worthy…

The North Central Association of Schools and Colleges's periodic evaluation requirement is a fundamental stimulus for cooperative growth, improvement, and directed change. For one Michigan school district, the accreditation process provided assurance that its schools had met standards of educational quality, conducted a vigorous self-study, and…

Looks at work systems that draw on quality engineering and management concepts and use incentives. Discusses how some U.S. companies improve performance and maintain high quality. Suggests that the federal government strategy should include measures to support change in production processes and promote efficient factors of production. (JOW)

The environment most characterizing today's public schools is continuous change, spurred by increased demands for performance and accountability. However, discontinuous change, in which organizations must question basic operating assumptions, is imminent. Continuous learning must be built into an organizations' fabric and it needs acceptable…