Leadership and Total Quality Management Thesis

Aims/Objectives

The main objective is to critically evaluate the impact of leadership behaviour and management style on the success of Total Quality Management (TQM) in the retail sector. The specific objectives for the study will include:

1. Critically evaluate if leadership behaviour and management style has an impact on perceptions of customer satisfaction in UK’s supermarkets industry
2. Critically evaluate the role played by Tesco’s leadership in establishing organizational systems and processes aimed at supporting TQM efforts
3. Critically evaluate how leadership behaviour and management style influence employee satisfaction and motivation in the provision of services

Research Questions

The study will be guided by the following research questions

1. Does leadership behaviour have an impact on customers’ perceptions, attitudes and values about where to purchase their products or services?
2. What is the role of leadership in establishing processes that support TQM?
3. What is the relationship between leadership and employee satisfaction?

Methodology

Design

A descriptive quantitative design will be employed. Quantitative designs are mostly used to ascertain relationships between variables. The study will be descriptive since the subjects will be measured once. The quantitative design will assist the researcher to get a deeper understanding of the role of leadership behaviour in TQM from the viewpoints of the subjects selected for the study

Sample

The sample for the study will include Tesco’s managers in operations, supply chain, marketing, and human resources departments of selected branches. The sample will also consist of selected Tesco’s customers

Sampling Approaches

Random sampling will be employed to come up with the correct sample size for customers while purposive sampling technique will be used on the management staff. The latter involves sampling subjects by virtue of exhibiting the needed knowledge and understanding.

Instrumentation

Study will utilize two sets of semi-structured survey questionnaires – one for Tesco’s management and the other for Tesco’s customers. The standardized Xerox management performance survey schedule will be adopted to evaluate leadership behaviour. Lickert-type measurement scales will be employed to measure customer’s perceptions and attitudes on leadership behaviour and TQM.

Data Collection and Analysis

Data will be collected through online protocols. SPSS software will be used to analyze quantitative data and run frequencies

Contents

The study will have five major sections. The introduction will be concerned with the study background, study context, problem discussion, study objectives, key research questions, and the value of study. Chapter two will undertake an in-depth analysis of related literature with a view of properly understanding the problem area. Chapter 3 – the methods section – will concern itself with the conceptual framework and variable description for the study, research design, data gathering methods, data analysis, and issues of reliability and validity. Chapter four will summarize research findings, while chapter five will offer conclusions and recommendations.

General Explanation of the Subject

Leadership is one of the eight principles of total quality management. Experts believe that leadership is a fundamental component that can be used to continually improve the performance of organizations. Leadership behaviour is central in planning and organizing workflow processes, offering guidance to employees, solving problems, and mobilizing support systems to achieve the desired performance improvement. Effective leadership especially in motivating employees to achieve their personal and collective potential is fundamentally important in deciding the way forward for companies (Jones, 2005).

Yet there still exists a lot of uncertainty as to what good leadership behaviour and management style entails. There exists more confusion about how leadership style and potential can be used to further organizational goals through TQM. This study seeks to alleviate such shortcomings of knowledge by undertaking a critical evaluation of how Tesco’s Leadership Style has shaped its Opportunities for Success.

Reference List

Jones, D. (2005). The path to leadership: Developing a sustainable model within organizations. CBI.