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TQM'S HRM-RELATED
ASSUMPTIONS
Yonatan
Reshef
School of Business
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
1. Organizational
internal (e.g., workforce, technology) and external environments are changing so rapidly that authoritarian and
bureaucratic structures are unlikely to be viable forms of
organization.
2. High levels
of interpersonal trust and openness are feasible and important to the well being of individuals and organizations.
3. There is a
great deal of compatibility between the goals of individuals and their organization.
4. People are
innovative and want to work hard and excel, and management should make every effort to help them develop to their fullest ability (live up to their potential).
5. It is in the best interest of managers
to increase employee involvement
and skills (investing in the workforce).
6. There is a
widespread desire on the part of workers for interesting,
ego-involving, and enriched work. Workers want
to be empowered, and grow through life-long learning. The few
workers who do not care for the TQM-based work system will leave the
organization "by peer pressure" (Deming, 1982: 85).
7. Employees
are comfortable with the portion of involvement offered by management
and will not ask for more.
8. Power is
expandable and is not a zero-sum "commodity."
Management needs only to redefine its sources of power --
empowering, nurturing, mentoring, and coaching should become new sources of management
power. Management should be in charge of setting an overall direction, philosophy, culture, employee growth.
9. Management
is totally committed to the above so that, for example, empowerment does not mean conformity
and corners (e.g. training, teamwork, job security)
will not be cut in times of economic adversity or increased demand.
10. "Company unions are the rule, instead of industry-wide unions" (Deming, 1982: 47).
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QUESTIONS
(For more detailed questions see here)
1. Are the above assumptions realistic? If not, how should we view them?
2. Who are the employees? Are they ready for such a paradigm?
3. Who are the top managers? Are they ready for such a paradigm?
4. Who are the management team members? Are they ready for such a paradigm?
5. What is the structure of the work process? How regimented is it?
6. Who are the customers? What are their quality priorities?
7. Does the current organizational culture support such a paradigm?
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