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 Volume 73 • Issue 2 • December 2015

International Scientific Journal

published monthly by the

of Achievements in Materials World Academy of Materials

and Manufacturing Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering

The concept of Total Quality Management

and the contemporary entrepreneurship in
practice
M. Dudek-Burlikowska*
Institute of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology,
ul. Konarskiego 18a, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
* Corresponding e-mail address: marta.dudek-burlikowska@polsl.pl

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The analysis of the respondent’s research on the implementation and application
of the concept of total quality management in selected groups of companies.
Design/methodology/approach: At the present time each organization should develop a
plan of continuous improvement taking into account the Total Quality Management activities
in systematic way.
Findings: The Estimation /respondent’s research/ of level of practical knowledge about
Total Quality Management philosophy and modern entrepreneurship in chosen company.
Research limitations/implications: Described total quality management principles can
be employed in company.
Practical implications: Defined of survey form by chosen companies directed to the quality.
Originality/value: The result of respondent’s research of improvement of organization
approach w has been presented.
Keywords: Total quality management; Shewart’s cycle; Respondent’s research directed
to the quality
Reference to this paper should be given in the following way:
M. Dudek-Burlikowska, The concept of Total Quality Management and the contemporary
entrepreneurship in practice, Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing
Engineering 73/2 (2015) 229-236.

INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT AND ORGANISATION

1. Introduction
1. Introduction improvement are factors deciding of character and
functioning of organizational units.
Every functioning organization in contemporary world At present no enterprise, irrespective of its size, type of
is aware of happening changes and dynamics of the market. the production or character of the performed service will
A great competition, expectations of the customer, a achieve the permanent success if one doesn't build the
quality, elasticity, a comprehensive risk, availability and strategy of the permanent improvement, and hence doesn't

© Copyright by International OCSCO World Press. All rights reserved. 2015 Research paper 229
229
 Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

determine ways of striving after perfection and manners of 2. TTQM

2.  philosophy
QM philosophy in the
in the organization
organization
its measurement.
Implementing the System of managing the Quality is -TQM
-TQMGenesis
Genesis
the first step on the road to creating the organization
directed to the quality. Later perceiving the organization One of main precursors of Total Quality Philosophy
was Walter Shewart who told the way of the development
through the reliability of its products or services, the
for production companies and possibilities of improving
effectiveness and the effectiveness of processes, for
individual operations in the production system. Every
efficiency of the operation an implementation of the
factor having a negative influence on the quality of the
comprehensive total quality management will be a right
final product should be minimized or entirely removed. His
step - of Total Quality philosophy the Management, as well
proposal to control the quality through detecting and the
as the self-assessment of the organization [1-5].
elimination of factors having negative influence on a
Every organization which implements TQM cannot course of the process has a positive effect and has meaning
expect fast effects and profits. Actually it is a slow process, for limiting the changeability of properties of products.
well thought over and relying on introduction of gradual Shewarta proposals were a reaction to threats which
changes to every level of the organization in accordance resulted from expanding distance amongst production and
with the principle of the Deming Wheel. Conducted quality test possibilities of the operation of the man [5,7,10-16].
operations are both the care of the organization of the Along with the development of schools of the
product or the service as well as creating appropriate management, either: classical and behavioural, cost-
relations between customer and organizational unit efficient and still improved technological devices let the
[1,4,5,9]. production in the fast way increase the size, but
Another important aspect of verifying conducted possibilities of the man in the control and rate of products
operations is application of objective ways of rating of the were left on the level characteristic to crafts. Managers
organization, and in it: self-assessments according to ISO viewed it as an essential threat to the quality of
9004:2009; rating of the level of the TQM implementation manufactured products. The result of such contemplations
through e.g. participation in competitions for quality was a Shewarta proposal, concerning implementation of so-
awards. Implementing modern methods of the TQM is an called subsystems in production systems for the quality
additional aspect, which should cover strategic control (Figure 1) [7,9,10,16,17].
management of the organization, as well as realization and
improvement of every process [1,4-12].
A statement confirming such an approach is by R.
Karaszewski, K. Skrzypczyńska, that is: ‘… the total DETECT CHECK THE
quality management widely went beyond the range of SYSTEMATIC EFFECTIVENES
(NON- S
operations falling within the scope of managing the quality.
RANDOM) OF MADE
It is a way-or rather a concept assuming subordinating the FAULT CORRECTION
idea to the comprehensive, total quality of every of basic PROCESS AND USED IT
areas of functioning of the organization and thus improving ESTABLISH MAKE
her effectiveness, the elasticity and the competitiveness. THE IDENTITY CORRECTION
OF CAUSES OF OF PROCESS
(…) For the organization to be truly effective all her parts
THE
must function together assuming in addition, that every DETECTED
person and every action has a determined influence on the INTERFERENC
quality. Therefore … TQM must become a way of the
Fig. 1. Shewart’s Cycle [16,17]
organization's life (…) " [9].
Taking the importance of mentioned issues into
The acceptance of the Shewarta idea in production
account it was believed to be right to create the
companies had a positive effect on a possibility of
questionnaire form being aimed at obtaining the
perceiving controlling a production process through the
information as for the degree of the implementation was
quality. Thanks to that a real chance for limiting the
revealed and of the acceptance of philosophy of
changeability of controlled properties of the product arose,
comprehensive managing the quality as the crucial and hence to the improvement in its quality of the
element of improving the organization. workmanship [7,9,10,17].

230 Research paper M. Dudek-Burlikowska

 Volume 73 • Issue 2 • December 2015

W. E. Deming also deserves attention as it is possible to management being aimed at a positive change of all
say that he did giant step into the TQM development. processes of the enterprise.
Staying in Japan he promoted his way of perceiving the
comprehensive quality. Particularly he payed attention for In the norm from 1994, that is PN-EN ISO 8402 TQM
linking tools i.e. the card control suggested by Shewarta is defined as "method of managing the organization based
with the concept of creating the quality in the organization on the commitment and the cooperation of all employees,
which he described in 14 principles [7,12]. for which the quality is a central point of the interest. She is
In our times with little changes they constitute the aimed, through achieving satisfying customers, at
important element of improving managing the Quality in providing for the enterprise the long-term success as well
enterprises introducing the System compatible with the as benefitting members of organizations and the society ".
norm ISO 9001: 2015. R. Kolman in his deliberations pointed out that people
In Deming's deliberations he "took over" from Shewarta which through their integral operation create the quality
idea of the cycle of corrective operations and modified it were an essence of the total quality management. A quality
according to needs of comprehensive managing the quality policy of the enterprise is a set of guidelines describing
and enriched for the market reference [12]. operations needed for achieving established quality aims,
In literature it is called the Deming's cycle. In among others appropriate division of duties, systematic
accordance with the system of operations one should plan trainings, complexity of operations, complicity, unceasing
every activity, and in it define quality aims and try to improvement which are a base of the system of companies
predict possible crash barriers for their accomplishment; aiming at the perfection [21-23].
later to make, to verify, and if only it is possibly to improve British Quality Association determined TQM as the
them. Signals from the both more distant and closer team concept of managing the organization, where in the
neighbourhood, issued by the market must but processed in foreground needs of the customer and aims of the
the Deminga cycle and should be used for initiating the organizational unit are integrated. It stresses nature of
activity of different kind in the sphere of preventions, being cooperation amongst employees of all levels of the
aimed at a development of the production and improvement enterprise in every occurring process including deliberate
of process in which it is produced. Later Deming modified applying available methods, techniques and tools of the
the concept - Inspection (Check) exchanged for teaching quality. A confirmation of such an approach is an opinion
(Study), taking into account importance of analysed by L. Wasilewski who turns attention on the role of the
operations in order to reduce the number of places in the management of the organization cooperating with
process which could weaken it [10,12,14,17-20]. employees, who consciously apply tools enabling to fulfil
expectations of the customer, both those already defined
and those about which they only think [9,24].
3. Main
3.  TQMassumptions-contemporary
Main TQM assumptions-contemporary E. Skrzypek thinks that shaping and applying the
concept of the total quality management in the organization
approach
approach
requires commitment of employees and their everyday
breaking of current ways of thinking with systematic
Comprehensive managing the Quality which in English
improving intellectual capital and directing one's attention
is the Total Quality Management is an expression which
on so-called 5 K, that is: the customer, the cost, the
very well defines the core of this philosophy, focuses on
creativity, the communication and the culture [3].
multi-layered pro-market perceiving quality operations and
Both above quoted definitions as well as a lot of available
quality problems in the enterprise. In literature a lot of
in the literature on the subject points out to the need of
definition and interpretation of meaning of TQM words, in
perceiving comprehensive managing the quality as form of the
the literal translation reads as follows [7,16,17]:
management correcting the effectiveness, the elasticity and the
TOTAL
competitiveness of the organization as whole.
which embraces with its scope the entire organization
It is worth quoting the way of defining TQM
irrespective of the profile and legal character of the unit.
philosophy by John Oakland who underlines that apart
QUALITY
from cultural and communication aspects three main
in other words fulfilment of specified requirements of the
elements of TQM idea exist. These elements mutually
widely understood Customer
influence on themselves, mutually complement each other
MANAGEMENT

The concept of Total Quality Management and the contemporary entrepreneurship in practice 231
 Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

and are subject to an uncompromising commitment oneself and known in the entire organizational structure of the
into quality operations of the organization, they are [8]: enterprise.
• substantiated system of managing the quality; • System of trainings and motivating employees. The
• statistical control of production processes; element of the personnel management suggests that
• team effort for improving the quality. investing in employees guarantees the realization of
Oakland's model is based on simple assumptions, high quality requirements. Achieving good results of
among others that in the entire system a customer is most economic and high quality standards isn't possible
important - supplier, recipient, therefore the organization without the commitment and the constant development
should concentrate on everything what he will fulfil in the of intellectual capital of human resources. So
integer of requiring them. The scheme shows that the investment in staffs is a way to contribute to the
compliance exclusively to ISO norms won't be enough to development and the success of the enterprise.
achieve planned aims. According to the author only • Conduct of employees oriented for streamlining
integration of all elements of the model allows for products and processes. The concept assumes that
achieving success in the future (Figure 2) [8]. everyone on the given position can make a mistake
what in the end negatively influences the image of the
enterprise. In order to help it it is possible to increase
entitlements of employees on workstations. It causes
the increase in liabilities for the quality of the
performed work as well as purchasing abilities of taking
proper activities in the time of appearance of
disruptions.
• Getting to know consumer's expectations, through the
research on the opinion of the customer from provided
services e.g. through questionnaire forms. This data will
deliver to the information about weak and strong points
of individual departments of the enterprise, on the basis
of which it is possible to determine and to implement
correcting operations.
• Realization of the principle "zero defects" - which is
possible to reach only when causes of problems are
Fig. 2. Model of comprehensive managing the quality eliminated, not only their effects. Zero mistakes are an
according to Oakland only accepted level of the quality. When the level of
gaps exceeds the zero, one should immediately take
In the literature of the subject, it is possible to correcting or preventive operations. The overall
distinguish a few universal principles in area TQM of reduction in gaps is possible thanks to the competent
which the accomplishment is oriented for achieving quality organization of processes, proper training the staff or
purposes, which are [1,3,5,10-24]: keeping the infrastructure.
• Involving the management board of the organization in
solving quality issues. Achieving one's goal, that is
satisfying the customer or the reduction in costs aren't 4. Comprehensive
4.  managing
Comprehensive managing thethe quality
quality in
possible without support of the highest management.
The participation of the management is understood as
in practice
practice
the rating and the continuous inspection of the work of
Every organization operating on the market knows that
subordinates, as well as the involvement in the work of
introducing the Quality Management System (QMS) is the
improvement units, of teams of the quality and active
first stage of shaping the quality awareness of organization.
offering the help.
Commitment of all employees of the organization, and
• Eliminating communication barriers in the organization
hence fulfilling needs and requirements of the customer
-improvement in the communication both between the
with simultaneous holding of the defined and assumed
employee and the manager or the staff. TQM ensures
quality the product are determinants to the study and
that assignments and aims to be achieved are assigned
entering of concepts Comprehensive Quality Management

232 Research paper M. Dudek-Burlikowska

 Volume 73 • Issue 2 • December 2015

(Total Quality Management TQM). Considering the The results of conducted examinations show that
presented approach it is correct to conduct examinations quantity of organizations which introduced the System of
concerning the degree of the implementation, the managing the Quality compatible with ISO 9001:2000 is
knowledge and the awareness of organizational units in over the 70% of respondents. Both the environmental
relation to functioning according to TQM philosophy. protection and the safety constitute the important aspect for
The questionnaire form was built on the basis of issues over 60% organizations about production character and c
concerning two areas (Table 1). The first part of the 25% about service character.
questionnaire form/the first stage of examination/s included Due to the need to function on the market in the
questions concerning improving the quality, of principles automotive sector, implementation of the system
of managing the quality and the crucial information of compatible with ISO/TS 16949-2002 declares 95% of
aspects to be implemented of TQM concept. In the second respondents while the integrated system from QMS has as
part/the other stage of examination/s questions concerning many as 81 %. In the service sector QMS has 72%
possibility of implementing and applying quality methods, respondents (Figure 3).
techniques and tools at the realization of the idea of
comprehensive managing the quality. The questionnaire
includes also general information into account as for size of
the organization, its type of activity, legal status.
Questionnaire surveys were taken in two stages since
the February to October 2015 in enterprises in the area of
southern Poland. Organizational units were grouped as
follows: the first group it of 112 enterprises of the machine
and metallurgy industry (Group A), second is an
automotive industry in the quantity of 86 enterprises (B
Group), the third industry is the service sector with
functions of the service of manufacturing processes but
including transport, IT, trade (C Group) in the quantity of
136 units. Results of the first stage of examinations will be
presented in the paper.
Fig. 3. Share of the possessed systems according to proper
Table 1. standards
Issues used in the questionnaire
Issues constituting the basis of the survey Next part of examinations shows (Table 2), that the
1. Having implemented QMS and other. longest internship of the acquaintance of pro-quality issues
2. Time of the QMS possession. in enterprises has an automotive industry (55%) and
Acquaintance of principles of managing the machine and metallurgy (42 %). Service industry has had
3. quality / according to the ISO 9001:2000 norm/ only 5 last years of establishing purposes according to the
Importance of principles. quality approach.
Acquaintance of assumptions of the TQM
4. Table 2.
concept.
Functioning of circles of the quality in the The time of having the all systems in researching
5. companies
organization.
Degree of employing employees on different Industry Time of having systems
6.
ranks. Rather
Motivating employees, the organization of Above 10-5 5-2
7. small than
trainings. 10 years years flies
2 years
8. Improving processes and products.
A Group 42% 29% 19% 10%
Applying principles, tools and methods of the
9.
mark of the quality. B Group 55% 25% 11% 9%
Confirming the rightness of TQM functioning in C Group 11% 19% 49% 27%
10.
the organization.

The concept of Total Quality Management and the contemporary entrepreneurship in practice 233
 Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

In 2000 Principles of Quality Management were The enterprise applying the TQM concept cannot expect
defined (PQM). For enterprises they are certain kind of very fast effects and profits. Actually it is a slow, well
tidying up the idea of managing the quality and the base for defined process. Acquaintance of assumptions of the concept
the TQM implementation. Thanks to their versatility all of Comprehensive managing the Quality by employees in
organizations can apply them, whatever the industry and examined organizations is described in Figure 5.
the amount of workers employed.
Every of principles constitutes the individual element of
improving separately defined area, but their cooperation is
just an answer to the part of the well defined strategic aim
of the organization.
In conducted questionnaire surveys acquaintance of
(PQM) declares in: A-83%; B 81%; C-of the 64% of
respondents.
In order obtain more information as for connecting the
TQM concept with principles of the enterprise participating
in the survey, they were asked to rank importance of
individual principles.
The scale was created according to assumptions of the
Likert’s scale (Table 3). Fig. 5. The level of knowledge of TQM

Table 3. Conducted questionnaire surveys show that the highest

Defined scale of the mark management and the manager staff are just aware that a
Mark Meaning success of the TQM concept depends on them.
1 Indifferent Over 70% of the staff constituting top management in
2 Unimportant the automotive, machine and metallurgy industry and
3 Important around 50% staffs of remaining levels confirms very good
4 Very important acquaintance of pro-quality purposes of the organization
5 Essential and defined aims of functioning of the total quality
management (Figure 6).
Results are presented in the form of table diagram
(Figure 4).
Factual approach to decision making
System approach to management

Mutually beneficial supplier

Continuous improvement
Involvement of people
Process approach
Customer focus

relationship
Leadership

A Group 5 4 5 4 5 3 4 Fig. 6. TQM Acquaintance with the division into human

B Group 5 4 5 4 5 3 4 resources of the organization
C Group 5 3 4 4 5 3 5
Polled enterprises emphasize the importance of the
Fig. 4. Table diagram estimation of PQM acquaintance of the TQM concept by the top management.

234 Research paper M. Dudek-Burlikowska

 Volume 73 • Issue 2 • December 2015

This approach constitutes the priority in effective The last aspect of this part of examinations is a need for
achieving established quality purposes. Introduction of the functioning of the quality circles in enterprises. Employees
TQM idea is an element of the long-term strategy of the are aware how regular meetings in small groups positively
organization, which without the expected activity of the top affect on processes and the final product.
staff may not bring assumed results. Analysis of arising problems, proposals of solutions,
Later the top management along with the manager staff improving implemented methods and the organization of
and employees assessed the importance of TQM principles. the work are crucial elements of the success. It is worth
In the mark a scale was taken into account (Table 4). noticing that at the moment the quality circles are better
viewed as needed in production companies both
Table 4. automotive as well as of the metallurgy and machine
Defined principle of the TQM used in questionnaire industry (Figure 8).
Principle of the TQM concept
Involving the management board and the highest
Z1 management of the organization in pro-quality
operations.
Eliminating communication barriers in the
organization, the improvement in the
Z2 communication and information exchanges
between employee-manager; employee-
employee; employee-customer.
Z3 System of trainings and motivating employees.
Conduct of employees oriented for products and
Z4
processes optimisation.
Acquaintance of requirements and expectations
Z5
of customers.
Z6 Realization of the principle "zero defects".
Applying tools and methods of the mark of the
Z7
quality. Fig. 8. Mark of the need of creating of the Quality Circles
in organizations
Principles subjected to the mark were presented in the
diagram (Figure 7) In organizations of the service industry respondents
assigned the lack of commitment to Quality Departments
A GROUP B GROUP C GROUP and therefore also a result considerably runs away from the
level of production companies.
Top Management

Top Management

Top Management
Manager Staff

Manager Staff

Manager Staff
Employees

Employees

Employees

5. Summary
5. Summary

Conducted examinations confirm commitment of

enterprises for the quality in the organization. The
production industry overtakes services in these operations.
Z1 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
However observing the increasing tendency one should
Z2 4 4 5 4 5 5 4 4 4 expect reducing these differences in the nearest future.
Z3 4 5 5 4 4 5 4 4 5 Today having certificate of System of managing the
Z4 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 2 Quality is a expensive beginning of the way of the
Z5 5 5 4 5 5 4 5 5 4 continuous improvement. Ranking strong and weak points
Z6 4 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 of the organization, observation of the neighbourhood
Z7 4 5 3 5 5 5 4 4 3 including competition, defining chances and threats is a
challenge for the organization directed to the quality.
Fig. 7. Estimation of principle TQM according to defined Comprehensive managing the quality are changes about
estimation mark (Table 3) organizational, system, process, cultural and marketing character.

The concept of Total Quality Management and the contemporary entrepreneurship in practice 235
 Journal of Achievements in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

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