Discussion and Conclusion
The study provides a clear indication that the top management in any organsation plays a critical role in creating and implementing a quality management system. It is evident that the emphasis on the need to involve the top management and commitment from the organisational leaders in improving quality within an organisation is the most obvious program in managing quality for an organisation (Berry 2009).
In general, the study provides an indication that time, money and concerns are the vital aspects of creating quality in management (Kanji 2010). Moreover, an important general observation is that the commitment of the top management levels in creating quality for any organisation is the backbone for successful implementation of the TQM (Dale 2009).
With this in mind, it is worth analysing the specific responsibility or requirement for the top managers in an organisation when creating and implementing quality management. First, it is the role of the top management to disseminate the idea of total quality within their organisations (Dahlgaard, Kristensen & Kanji 2008). Noteworthy, low-level employees and their managers are not likely to see the need for total quality management throughout all levels of the organisation, even though they are likely to see the need for improving quality at their workplaces (Kanji 2010). The top management has the responsibility of creating the favourable environment for TQM (Kanji 2010).
The chief executive officer, for instance, has to be involved in creating the appropriate atmosphere for TQM to thrive. The top leader must also exhibit patience and believe that TQM is a strategic measure for the long-term improvement of the organisational performance. It is also important for the CEO and other top managers to understand and spread the knowledge the TQM does not necessarily provide immediate financial benefits. The top management has the responsibility of providing the necessary materials and directing them towards the creation of the appropriate environment that enhances quality in the managerial processes.
Secondly, the study indicates that one of the roles that senior managers must play in creating TQM is to set standards such as zero failure (Kanji 2010). For instance, it is important for the top managers to ensure that teams are created within all the organisational levels. In this context, teamwork is a critical aspect of managing quality. Therefore, top managers must create an environment that promotes teamwork, participation as well as cooperation with all members of the organisation in order to make healthy decisions and two-way communication standards (McAdam 2010). To ensure that total quality management is arranged in the correct way, the appropriate and responsible personnel should perform their roles and responsibilities (Kanji 2010).
Moreover, the study indicates that the top management must realise and accept a single or the best way to ensure total quality management does not exist (Kanji 2010). Instead, learning from experience, attending seminars, workshops and courses, and wide consultations are the best ways of developing the knowledge required to implement and maintain TQM in an organisation (Garvin 2008).
Therefore, it has been observed that general observation that the commitment of the top management levels in creating quality for any organisation is the backbone for successful implementation of the TQM (Dale 2009).
Recommendations
From the study, it is evident that the top managers at ENOC must bear the largest burden of providing a good environment for TQM to survive. It is clear that the management has done a lot in ensuring that TQM thrives in the organisation, which has contributed to the current achievements the company is realising. Moreover, the company has attempted to ensure that teamwork and cooperation of all members of the organisation are achieved, which contributes significantly to the creation and implementation of quality management in the organisation.
It is also worth noting that the implementation of TQM at the company is one of the strategies the company has been using to maintain a high-performance rate in terms of profitability, growth and creation of value for the shareholders and the public in general (Juran & Grayna 2001). As such, it is recommended that the top management continue using these strategies to maintain TQM.
Nevertheless, it is recommended that the company improve a number of aspects associated with the role of its top management in creating and implementing TQM. For instance, the top management must ensure that the process of monitoring quality performance regularly is not well developed in the company. It is recommended that the top managers develop an effective plan for following up the process of developing quality (Mann & Kehoe 2007).
For instance, they should develop a process of monthly or quarterly examination of the employees’ ability to recognise what they are supposed to do in developing quality in their workplaces (Dale 2009). Low-level managers must ensure that they work in teams for the employees to be involved and develop the required knowledge about their roles in creating quality.
References
Berry, TH, 2009, “Managing the Total Quality Transformation, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
Dahlgaard, JJ, Kristensen, K & Kanji, GK, 2008, Fundamentals of Total Quality Management – Process Analysis and Improvement, Chapman and Hall, London.
Dale, B, 2009, Managing Quality, Prentice Hall, London.
Garvin, DA, 2008, Managing Quality: The Strategic and Competitive Edge, The Free Press, New York, NY.
Juran, JM & Grayna, F, 2001, Quality Planning and Analysis, McGraw Hill International Editions.
Kanji, GK, 2010, “Total Quality Management: The Second Industrial Revolution”, Total Quality Management, vol. 1 no.3, pp. 3-12.
Mann, R & Kehoe, D, 2007, “An Evaluation of the Effects of Quality Improvement Activities on Business Performance”, International Journal of Quality and Reliability Management, vol. 11, no.4, pp. 29-44.
McAdam, R, 2010, “Three Leafed Clover? TQM, Organisational Excellence and Business Improvement”, The TQM Magazine, vol. 12 no.5, pp. 314-320.