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A systemic view of organisational change and TQM

Guangming Cao (Luton Business School, University of Luton, Luton, UK.)
Steve Clarke (Luton Business School, University of Luton, Luton, UK.)
Brian Lehaney (Luton Business School, University of Luton, Luton, UK.)

The TQM Magazine

ISSN: 0954-478X

Article publication date: 1 June 2000

10178

Abstract

While total quality management (TQM) has been widely applied in the management of change, and is likely to remain a priority into the next century, failure rates at times above 75 per cent give cause for concern. The study on which this paper is based has reviewed TQM as an approach to change management. Four interrelated classifications of organisational change are presented: change as structure (or “functional change”), process, values, or power distribution. Of these, it is contended, TQM adequately addresses only process change, with incidences of failure closely correlated to the application of process‐based TQM techniques in change contexts characterised by structure, values or power. This study suggests that, for TQM to be applied successfully, either an approach is required which adequately addresses all types of change context (a so‐called “systemic” approach), or its application needs to be restricted to those contexts where process dominates.

Keywords

Citation

Cao, G., Clarke, S. and Lehaney, B. (2000), "A systemic view of organisational change and TQM", The TQM Magazine, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 186-193. https://doi.org/10.1108/09544780010320241

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited

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