An initial assessment of the influence of IT on TQM: a multiple case study

Information technology (IT) and total quality management (TQM) have significantly impacted on most organizations and each has been widely researched. However, there is little well‐founded empirical research on the relationship between the two, particularly on the way in which TQM is influenced by IT. This paper presents an initial investigation of such relationships through an interview survey of 14 companies based in Spain. The cases indicate that there is a framework underpinning this relationship. The paper concludes with a proposal for this framework and an instrument for testing the conjectured linkages within the framework.