學校行政實施全面品質管理，可使學校行政工作更具績效和競爭力。然而，現行國中學校行政可以實施全面品質管理的業務內涵為何？要如何在現行公立國中學校行政推動實施？在實施時會遇見哪些困難？如何克服？以及實施後的成效如何？它與行政職務間的關係如何？是本研究探究的目的。 本研究之學校行政全面品質管理是統合學者專家的看法，融合本研究之對象及學校行政組織的特性予以界定：是一種以現有學校行政組織為架構，以學校行政、教師、學生、家長的需求為導向，以品質為中心，運用科學與組織整體運作的方式，進行全流程的工作規劃與管理，對支援教學、服務師生、過程督導、成果考核的過程進行不斷改善，以達成學校行政組織長期發展目標的管理。 本研究以個案行動研究方式，採參與觀察、問卷調查、訪談等方法，發現： 一、 業務內涵的選擇與實施以學校之最需要、內容較複雜、工作量較大、影響範圍較廣之業務先行試辦，各項實施辦法、表格、圖示的設計則需符合學校的性質與需求。 二、 實施時會遇見許多困難：學校行政人員缺乏品質的概念、不完全認同全面品質管理的理念、行政業務量過大、人事異動大，不易持續等；解決問題的策略方面，要選擇較有利的時機、善用學校既有資源、訂定周延實施規劃、清楚描繪願景、認真辦好教育訓練、校長展現推動決心與承諾，較易成功。 三、 實施後的成效方面，學校行政人員對實施後之效益持肯定看法，對學校行政全面品質管理能清楚認知且認同做法，但在實際工作及對未來持續實施是否具信心時，卻持較保留的態度。 四、 與行政職務間的關係方面，在實施之初期，較資深之行政人員比較常會以不積極、不主動的方式迴避問題，但到實施後期，行政職務、年資間則沒有明顯差異存在。 本研究之建議有四： 一、 學校行政人員觀念的改變與心態的調整，應列為推動前首要任務，推動的方式上要運用民主方式提供廣泛參與。 二、 審慎辦理教育訓練課程，且應配合學校行政願景與實施後的可能成效一併陳現，還要兼顧多項配套措施：行政資訊化的融入；穩定的學校行政人事；建立明確工作職掌與輪調機制；校長的自信、毅力與承諾；找到一群支持者並以團隊工作方式推動等配套同時介入較易成功。 三、 對後續研究者的建議：再找一位具專業的客觀第三者，對研究對象進行觀察、紀錄；增加訪談受訪人數，或加採焦點團體討論方式對學校行政工作人員進行更客觀、廣泛、深入的瞭解，以補本研究之不足，使獲得之資料更具可靠性和說服力。 四、 建議後續研究者可採更深入之研究方法，將「顧客」的範疇界定擴展至學生、教師、家長，以瞭解學校行政實施全面品質管理後學生、教師、家長之滿意情形。 / Practicing TQM in school administration can make the admini- stration more effective and more competitive. However, to what affairs can we apply TQM in junior high school administration? How can we push it and put it into practice? What difficulties will confront us when we practice TQM? How can we overcome those difficulties? What effects will we have after practicing it? What is the relation between TQM and administrative positions? These are what I try to find out in this thesis. In this study, integrating views of scholars and experts, blending the objects of this study and the features of school administrative organi- zation, we define TQM of school administration as follows: Based on the existing administrative organization, oriented by the needs of school administration staff, teachers, students, and parents, focusing on quality, utilizing scientific and organizational operation, and making a whole- process work design and management, TQM of school administration aims to improve the four processes of administration (supporting teaching, offering services to teachers and students, supervising administration processes ,and evaluating results of administration) so as to achieve the goal management of the long-term development of school administrative organization. In this case study of practicing TQM, by observing practicing processes, gaining information from questionnaires, and interviewing the administrative staff, we have four important find-outs: First, we can try applying TQM to the most necessary, complicated, heavily work-loaded, and influential affairs. The design of charts and graphs should be in conformity with the property and the needs of the school. Second, we will encounter lots of difficulties when practicing TQM. For example, the school administrative staff does not have the concept of TQM and does not completely consent to the concept of TQM, the workload of administration is too heavy, the personnel change is great, etc. In the strategy of solving these problems, we have to choose a better opportunity, make the best use of existing resources, make a profound plan, clearly draw the future vision, and try hard to make educational training. The school principal also has to show his determination and promise. With the above, we have a better chance to succeed. Third, the administrative staff has a positive attitude toward the effects of practicing TQM. They can clearly understand TQM and agree to the practicing. But they have a reserved attitude toward the continuation of the future practicing. Fourth, as for the relation of TQM and the administrative positions, we find out that in the beginning of the practice of TQM, the senior administrative staff were unenthusiastic, inactive, and unwilling to face the problem directly. However, in the later stage, the attitudes of different ages and different positions of the administrative staff do not show much difference. We have four suggestions for following researchers: First, changing the attitude and concept of the administrative staff should be a top priority. They have to offer chances of participation in a democratic way when pushing TQM. Second, educational training should be made carefully. The training should fit the future vision of school administration and take into consideration the possible effects after practicing. And there should be several combining measurements: computerization of administration, steadiness of school personnel, clear work responsibility and a mechanism of position alternation, the principal’s confidence, insistence, and promise, a group of supporters working in teamwork, and the construction of a mechanism to avoid changing the meaning and the practicing mode of TQM. Third, following researchers had better have an objective third-person specialist to observe and record the study process of study targets. Besides, they should have more interviewers, have a focus group discuss, and understand the administrative staff more objectively, widely, and deeply. In this way they can make up the deficiency of this study and make the data more dependable and convincing. Fourth, following researchers can have a more effective and profound study method to include students, teachers, and parents in the definition of “customers” so as to understand their satisfaction degree after practicing TQM.

Although academic interest in TQM increased substantially in the last decade, still the gap in the literature is hardly surprising given that research and theory in TQM implementation are still at a very early stage in the West. To-date, there are only a handful of empirical researches reported in the literature that have attempted to identify what constitute as constructs of TQM that can be manipulated to effectively implement TQM. All but very few are studies done in developed economies. Moreover, knowledge of TQM in developing economies is almost totally lacking. Against this backdrop, this researcha ddressesth e identified gaps in the literature on TQM. Thus this thesis focuses on the effective implementation of total quality management in Palestine, a developing economy, through an empirical investigation of critical quality factors. The research methodology involves combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify the key quality factors cited in the literature and considered by consultants and experts as essential to successful TQM implementation. The research design also included: Lan empirical investigation to assessth e level of TQM awarenessa nd understandingi n the Palestinian context, 2. determining which key quality factors are critical to successful implementation using a survey questionnaire, 3. determining what tactics and techniques are used in addressing and implementing these critical quality factors by Palestinian organisations, using semi-structured interviews, 4. determining the prerequisites of effective TQM implementation in the pre-launch stage using in depth interviews. By complementing and integrating the findings, an implementation framework was constructed with the support of the knowledge acquired from the literature review. A simple and practical step by step with implementation guidelines framework aiming at assisting Palestinian organisations in planning on effective implementation of TQM was constructed. The research findings indicate that top management commitment and involvement, employee commitment and involvement, managing by customer-driven system and processes and continuous performance improvement, are essential to effective implementation of TQM. This implies that Palestinian organisations recognise and implement the same critical quality factors found in Western countries. The proposed framework is built around four major constructs that relate to top management commitment, employee commitment, customer-driven system and processes, and continuous improvement. It emphasises an implementation approach of top-down deployment and bottom-up participation focussing on businessp rocessesth at add value to customers atisfaction. In conclusion, this empirical research revealed that TQM could be implemented in the developing economies (such as Palestine) as Palestinian organisations subscribe to the same quality factors as those found in the developed economies.

O propósito deste trabalho é identificar, através da investigação de estudo de caso, como as características culturais melhor se relacionam a cada um dos princípios do TQM. Nas últimas décadas, a gestão da qualidade passou por uma mudança singular. Pela primeira vez, a diretoria executiva das empresas começou a demonstrar interesse por esta matéria. Sob o título de Total Quality Management (TQM), a gestão da qualidade passou a apresentar importância estratégica para as organizações. Como consequência, princípios gerenciais integraram a gestão da qualidade aumentando a relevância da Cultura Organizacional. Entretanto, apesar do reconhecimento acerca da importância do papel da Cultura Organizacional, faltam estudos que examinem profundamente os relacionamentos existentes entre Cultura Organizacional e gestão da qualidade. A partir de uma revisão sistemática sobre a interface entre gestão da qualidade e Cultura Organizacional foram identificadas como as abordagens mais utilizadas o Competing Values Framework (CVF) e as Dimensões Culturais de Hofstede. Desse modo, foi estabelecido o estudo de caso como procedimento técnico de abordagem qualitativa, a fim de buscar por resultados aprofundados. Como resultado foram constatadas divergências a partir comparações das Dimensões Culturais entre os ambientes escritório/fábrica e os quatro níveis hierárquicos. Evidenciando a existência de subculturas na empresa. Por fim, apresentou-se os relacionamentos observados entre cada um dos sete princípios do TQM e as Dimensões Culturais. Este trabalho contribui para propor novas perspectivas e insights a fim de elucidar as relações entre cultura e gestão da qualidade. / The purpose of this study is to indentify, through case study research, how cultural characteristics relate to each of TQM elements. In the last decades quality management went through a singular change, for the first time the executive board began to demonstrate concern about this quality. Under the title of Total Quality Management (TQM) the quality management started to present strategic importance for organizations. As a consequence, managerial elements became part of quality management, increasing the organizational culture relevance. Nevertheless, despite the knowledge about the importance of organizational culture role, there are few studies that examine deeply the links between organizational culture and quality management. From a systematic review on the interface between quality management and organizational culture we identified that Competing Values Framework (CVF) and Hofstede\'s cultural dimensions are the most common methods. Thereby, the case study was established as a technical procedure of qualitative approach, in order to search deeper results. As a result differences were found on Cultural Dimensions comparisons between office/factory environments and four hierarchical levels. Evidencing the subcultures existence at the company. Finally, the relationships observed between each of the seven TQM principles and the Cultural Dimensions were presented. This research contributes to propose new perspectives and insights in order to elucidate the relationship between culture and quality management.

<p>Na osnovu istraživanja u ovoj disertaciji i implemetiranog<br />softverskog rešenja za podršku upravljanju industrijskim<br />preduzećima utvrđeno je da sama implementacija ERP sistema nije<br />dovoljna, i da su potrebni MES sistemi koji pružaju informacije u<br />realnom vremenu koje pomažu da se donese odluka u cilju unapređenja<br />proizvodnih sistema i omogućuju kontrolu nad svim elementima<br />proizvodnog procesa, prema osnovnim načelima LEAN proizvodnje i<br />TQM.</p> / <p>Based on the research in this dissertation and implementation оf software<br />solution for support of management of industrial enterprises it was found that<br />implementation of ERP systems is not sufficient, and it is necessary<br />implementation of MES systems which provide real-time information for<br />making a decision for improvement of the production system and enable<br />control of all elements of the manufacturing process, according to the basic<br />principles of LEAN production and TQM.</p>

Det finns stora förluster i sågverk som inte framkommer av deras traditionella driftsuppföljnings¬processer. Strategiskt viktigt för organisationen är frågan vad företaget behöver göra för att bli effektivt. I detta arbete diskuteras mätmetoder av effektivitet med avseende på underhåll och hur effektiviteten kan mätas med hjälp av att beräkna den totala utrustningseffektiviteten (OEE). Arbetet beskriver också olika underhållsstrategier och processen med att införa en sådan policy på sågverk. Under en period av sex dagar beräknas OEE på fem sågverk. Resultatet var att OEE värdet i snitt var runt 50 procent, som är ganska lågt. Genom att applicera en kostnadseffektiv underhållspolicy kan företaget öka sitt OEE värde och få en mer effektiv process. Detta kan göras genom att en policyn minskar de övergripande kostnaderna relaterade till de sex stora förlusterna. Diskussion förs också kring avvikelserna/stoppen och hur orsakerna till dessa kan härledas genom analyser med t.ex. Ishikawadiagram. Arbetet lyfter fram att ett systematiskt förbättringsarbete skulle ge nästan ett fördubblat kapacitetsutnyttjande för sågverken utan några större investeringar. I arbetet beskrivs hur sågverken kan bli framgångsrikare med detta genom att välja en kostnadseffektiv underhållspolicy. / There are several big losses in sawmills that are not addressed by the traditional operation feedback systems. It is strategic significant for organizations to address the question what need to be done in order to bee more effective. This work discusses methods of measurement the effectiveness with respect to maintenance and how the effectiveness can be measured by assessing the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). The work also emphasizes on maintenance strategies and the process of implementing such a policy in sawing mills. During a period of six days assessments of OEE were made in five different sawmills. The results were that OEE in general were about 50 percent, which is considered low. By implementing a cost-effective maintenance policy, it will lead to increase the value of OEE for the process. Using a policy that will decrease the overall costs related to the six big looses could do these. Discussions the production stoppages and how these can be analyzed by using different tools, such as Ishikawa diagram are addressed. The work highlights that a systematic improvement work would increase appreciably the capacity utilized without any large investments. This study also describes how sawmills can be successful when increasing their effectiveness by selecting a cost-effective maintenance policy for their process.

<p>Det finns stora förluster i sågverk som inte framkommer av deras traditionella driftsuppföljnings¬processer. Strategiskt viktigt för organisationen är frågan vad företaget behöver göra för att bli effektivt. I detta arbete diskuteras mätmetoder av effektivitet med avseende på underhåll och hur effektiviteten kan mätas med hjälp av att beräkna den totala utrustningseffektiviteten (OEE). Arbetet beskriver också olika underhållsstrategier och processen med att införa en sådan policy på sågverk. Under en period av sex dagar beräknas OEE på fem sågverk. Resultatet var att OEE värdet i snitt var runt 50 procent, som är ganska lågt. Genom att applicera en kostnadseffektiv underhållspolicy kan företaget öka sitt OEE värde och få en mer effektiv process. Detta kan göras genom att en policyn minskar de övergripande kostnaderna relaterade till de sex stora förlusterna. Diskussion förs också kring avvikelserna/stoppen och hur orsakerna till dessa kan härledas genom analyser med t.ex. Ishikawadiagram. Arbetet lyfter fram att ett systematiskt förbättringsarbete skulle ge nästan ett fördubblat kapacitetsutnyttjande för sågverken utan några större investeringar. I arbetet beskrivs hur sågverken kan bli framgångsrikare med detta genom att välja en kostnadseffektiv underhållspolicy.</p> / <p>There are several big losses in sawmills that are not addressed by the traditional operation feedback systems. It is strategic significant for organizations to address the question what need to be done in order to bee more effective. This work discusses methods of measurement the effectiveness with respect to maintenance and how the effectiveness can be measured by assessing the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). The work also emphasizes on maintenance strategies and the process of implementing such a policy in sawing mills. During a period of six days assessments of OEE were made in five different sawmills. The results were that OEE in general were about 50 percent, which is considered low. By implementing a cost-effective maintenance policy, it will lead to increase the value of OEE for the process. Using a policy that will decrease the overall costs related to the six big looses could do these. Discussions the production stoppages and how these can be analyzed by using different tools, such as Ishikawa diagram are addressed. The work highlights that a systematic improvement work would increase appreciably the capacity utilized without any large investments. This study also describes how sawmills can be successful when increasing their effectiveness by selecting a cost-effective maintenance policy for their process.</p>

O propósito deste trabalho é identificar, através da investigação de estudo de caso, como as características culturais melhor se relacionam a cada um dos princípios do TQM. Nas últimas décadas, a gestão da qualidade passou por uma mudança singular. Pela primeira vez, a diretoria executiva das empresas começou a demonstrar interesse por esta matéria. Sob o título de Total Quality Management (TQM), a gestão da qualidade passou a apresentar importância estratégica para as organizações. Como consequência, princípios gerenciais integraram a gestão da qualidade aumentando a relevância da Cultura Organizacional. Entretanto, apesar do reconhecimento acerca da importância do papel da Cultura Organizacional, faltam estudos que examinem profundamente os relacionamentos existentes entre Cultura Organizacional e gestão da qualidade. A partir de uma revisão sistemática sobre a interface entre gestão da qualidade e Cultura Organizacional foram identificadas como as abordagens mais utilizadas o Competing Values Framework (CVF) e as Dimensões Culturais de Hofstede. Desse modo, foi estabelecido o estudo de caso como procedimento técnico de abordagem qualitativa, a fim de buscar por resultados aprofundados. Como resultado foram constatadas divergências a partir comparações das Dimensões Culturais entre os ambientes escritório/fábrica e os quatro níveis hierárquicos. Evidenciando a existência de subculturas na empresa. Por fim, apresentou-se os relacionamentos observados entre cada um dos sete princípios do TQM e as Dimensões Culturais. Este trabalho contribui para propor novas perspectivas e insights a fim de elucidar as relações entre cultura e gestão da qualidade. / The purpose of this study is to indentify, through case study research, how cultural characteristics relate to each of TQM elements. In the last decades quality management went through a singular change, for the first time the executive board began to demonstrate concern about this quality. Under the title of Total Quality Management (TQM) the quality management started to present strategic importance for organizations. As a consequence, managerial elements became part of quality management, increasing the organizational culture relevance. Nevertheless, despite the knowledge about the importance of organizational culture role, there are few studies that examine deeply the links between organizational culture and quality management. From a systematic review on the interface between quality management and organizational culture we identified that Competing Values Framework (CVF) and Hofstede\'s cultural dimensions are the most common methods. Thereby, the case study was established as a technical procedure of qualitative approach, in order to search deeper results. As a result differences were found on Cultural Dimensions comparisons between office/factory environments and four hierarchical levels. Evidencing the subcultures existence at the company. Finally, the relationships observed between each of the seven TQM principles and the Cultural Dimensions were presented. This research contributes to propose new perspectives and insights in order to elucidate the relationship between culture and quality management.

Abstract This dissertation reports the arrangement of pre-school education to children in small schools. There are experiences about pre-school education from over thirty years, but the time for extensive arrangement of pre-school education is only beginning with the year 2001. In the theoretical part 1 I study the historical formation of small schools, their school politics and pedagogy, and how the arrangement of pre-school education is associated with them. Furthermore, there is cultural analysis by comparing the working of Finnish women, the arrangement of day care and the equality of women with the rest of Europe, also the school success tests of children. I study the quality of arrangement of pre-school education with the help of a model made of teaching quality elements by Helakorpi (1993). In the empiric part 2 I analyse opinions of administrative authorities, parents, teachers and children. This research was carried out in four phases during years 1999-2000 and I got back 2271 questionnaires. The meaning of factor analysis was to outline the phenomenon and give support to the interpretation of my own theoretical knowledge and practical work. There is similarity between arranging pre-school teaching and elementary education in the19th century to children in the country, who have been in a worse situation than those living in urban areas. Above all, parents appreciate free transport to school as a form of regional equality. In pedagogy, we should be aware of our identity: it's a big country with a small population. That is why multi-age teaching and the learning of children at different ages should be studied and developed more generally. In questionnaires, the answers of different groups varied only slightly. Administrators, parents and teachers emphasised the teaching of manners, while children together with their parents laid stress on the importance of play and atmosphere. Playing outdoors and having a good environment were appreciated, but international relations and information technology were not seen as important elements in pre-school education. The task of education is to raise children into humanity. We should see pre-school age as a significant period of life. It deserves proper attention that we already give to the education of teachers and the development of our day care system. International tests on children's basic skills have given results that support our approach. Finland should by no means copy other European countries in developing pre-school and elementary education. We face the challenge of exploiting all the expertise there is in day care, pre-school education, social administration and school administration, also involving local decision making. Teachers need further education, especially on children with special needs, more practice of interaction skills, and co-operation with parents. School administration should give resources and time for this co-operation. In further studies we could develop co-operation of homes and school with the help of an activity analysis. The using of an evaluation model in municipality case studies, interviews of the different groups and follow-up studies after the establishment of pre-school education give many interesting possibilities for further studies. / Tiivistelmä Väitöskirjani tehtävänä on selvittää pienten koulujen esiopetuksen järjestämistä. Esiopetusta on järjestetty Suomessakin jo yli kolmekymmentä vuotta, mutta laaja esiopetuksen järjestämisen aika kuusivuotiaille on vasta aluillaan vuoden 2001 alusta. Teoreettisessa osassa 1 tarkastelen pienten koulujen historiallista kehittymistä, koulutuspolitiikkaa, pedagogiaa ja esiopetuksen järjestämistä osana koko koululaitosta. Vertailen Suomen naisten työssäkäyntiä, päivähoidon järjestämistä ja naisten tasa-arvoa muuhun Eurooppaan, samoin lasten koulumenestystuloksia. Esiopetuksen järjestämisen laatua tarkastelen Helakorven (1993) esittämästä opetuksen laatuelementtimallista kootun mallin avulla. Empiirisessä osassa 2 analysoin hallinnon edustajien, vanhempien, opettajien ja lasten käsityksiä esiopetuksesta. Toteutin tutkimuksen kyselylomakkeilla neljässä vaiheessa vuosina 1999-2000 ja sain yhteensä 2271 palautuskirjettä. Faktorianalyysien tehtävänä oli jäsentää ilmiötä ja antaa tukea teoreettisen tiedon ja oman praktisen työkokemuksen pohjalta laaditulle tulkinnalle. Esiopetuksen järjestämisessä on samankaltaisuutta 1800-luvulla maaseudun lapsille järjestetyn alkuopetuksen kanssa: maaseudun lapset ovat olleet opetuksen saamisessa huonommassa asemassa kuin taajamien lapset. Syrjäseudun esioppilaille tulisi antaa kuljetusetu erityispalveluna erityisesti vanhempien mielestä. Suomen pitäisi tiedostaa selkeästi oman identiteettinsä perustekijät eli suuri maa ja pieni väestö. Siksi yhdysluokkaopetusta ja eri-ikäisten lasten oppimista yhdessä pitäisi yleensäkin tutkia ja kehittää enemmän. Esiopetukseen suhtautumisessa eri ryhmien vastaukset eroavat vain vähän toisistaan. Hallinnon edustajat, vanhemmat ja opettajat korostavat käytöstapojen ja tapakasvatuksen tärkeyttä. Lapset korostavat ulkoleikkiä ja yleensä leikkiä sekä ilmapiirin merkitystä samoin kuin vanhemmat. Kansainvälisyyden ja tieto- ja viestintätekniikan opetusta ei nähdä tärkeiksi alueiksi esiopetuksessa. Koulutuksen tehtävä on ihmisyyteen kasvattaminen. Esiopetusikää pitäisi vaalia omana ikäkautenaan. Suomessa onkin satsattu opettajien koulutukseen ja päivähoidon kehittämiseen, ei lapsen varhaiseen koulunaloitukseen. Oppilaiden myöhemmät koulumenestystulokset tukevat Suomen linjan säilyttämistä, eivät muiden Euroopan maiden matkimista. Hallinnollisesti esiopetuksen johtamisen keskeinen haaste on päiväkodin johtajien sekä koulutoimen ja perusturvan esiopettajien asiantuntemuksen laajempi hyödyntäminen sekä paikallisuuden huomioon ottaminen. Opettajat tarvitsevat täydennyskoulutusta erityisesti erityispedagogiikassa, vuorovaikutustaitojen harjoittamisessa ja vanhempien kanssa tehtävässä yhteistyössä. Yhteistyöhön tulisikin saada resursseja ja aikaa hallinnolta. Jatkotutkimusvaiheessa voisi puolestaan toimintatutkimuksen avulla kehittää kodin ja koulun yhteistyötä. Arviointimallin käyttö tapauskohtaisissa kuntatutkimuksissa, eri ryhmien edustajien haastattelut ja seurantatutkimus esiopetuksen järjestämisen vakiintumisen jälkeen tarjoavat mielenkiintoisia jatkotutkimusmahdollisuuksia.

This research document is motivated by the need for a systemic, efficient quality improvement methodology at universities. There exists no methodology designed for a total quality management (TQM) program in a university. The main objective of this study is to develop a TQM Methodology that enables a university to efficiently develop an integral total quality improvement (TQM) Plan. Current research focuses on the need of improving the quality of universities, the study of the perceived best quality universities, and the measurement of the quality of universities through rankings. There is no evidence of research on how to plan for an integral quality improvement initiative for the university as a whole, which is the main contribution of this study. This research is built on various reference TQM models and criteria provided by ISO 9000, Baldrige and Six Sigma; and educational accreditation criteria found in ABET and SACS. The TQM methodology is proposed by following a seven-step meta-methodology. The proposed methodology guides the user to develop a TQM plan in five sequential phases: initiation, assessment, analysis, preparation and acceptance. Each phase defines for the user its purpose, key activities, input requirements, controls, deliverables, and tools to use. The application of quality concepts in education and higher education is particular; since there are unique factors in education which ought to be considered. These factors shape the quality dimensions in a university and are the main inputs to the methodology. The proposed TQM Methodology is used to guide the user to collect and transform appropriate inputs to a holistic TQM Plan, ready to be implemented by the university. Different input data will lead to a unique TQM plan for the specific university at the time. It may not necessarily transform the university into a world-class institution, but aims to strive for stakeholder-oriented improvements, leading to a better alignment with its mission and total quality advancement. The proposed TQM methodology is validated in three steps. First, it is verified by going through a test activity as part of the meta-methodology. Secondly, the methodology is applied to a case university to develop a TQM plan. Lastly, the methodology and the TQM plan both are verified by an expert group consisting of TQM specialists and university administrators. The proposed TQM methodology is applicable to any university at all levels of advancement, regardless of changes in its long-term vision and short-term needs. It helps to assure the quality of a TQM plan, while making the process more systemic, efficient, and cost effective. This research establishes a framework with a solid foundation for extending the proposed TQM methodology into other industries.

Although academic interest in TQM increased substantially in the last decade, still the gap in the literature is hardly surprising given that research and theory in TQM implementation are still at a very early stage in the West. To-date, there are only a handful of empirical researches reported in the literature that have attempted to identify what constitute as constructs of TQM that can be manipulated to effectively implement TQM. All but very few are studies done in developed economies. Moreover, knowledge of TQM in developing economies is almost totally lacking. Against this backdrop, this researcha ddressesth e identified gaps in the literature on TQM. Thus this thesis focuses on the effective implementation of total quality management in Palestine, a developing economy, through an empirical investigation of critical quality factors. The research methodology involves combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify the key quality factors cited in the literature and considered by consultants and experts as essential to successful TQM implementation. The research design also included: Lan empirical investigation to assessth e level of TQM awarenessa nd understandingi n the Palestinian context, 2. determining which key quality factors are critical to successful implementation using a survey questionnaire, 3. determining what tactics and techniques are used in addressing and implementing these critical quality factors by Palestinian organisations, using semi-structured interviews, 4. determining the prerequisites of effective TQM implementation in the pre-launch stage using in depth interviews. By complementing and integrating the findings, an implementation framework was constructed with the support of the knowledge acquired from the literature review. A simple and practical step by step with implementation guidelines framework aiming at assisting Palestinian organisations in planning on effective implementation of TQM was constructed. The research findings indicate that top management commitment and involvement, employee commitment and involvement, managing by customer-driven system and processes and continuous performance improvement, are essential to effective implementation of TQM. This implies that Palestinian organisations recognise and implement the same critical quality factors found in Western countries. The proposed framework is built around four major constructs that relate to top management commitment, employee commitment, customer-driven system and processes, and continuous improvement. It emphasises an implementation approach of top-down deployment and bottom-up participation focussing on businessp rocessesth at add value to customers atisfaction. In conclusion, this empirical research revealed that TQM could be implemented in the developing economies (such as Palestine) as Palestinian organisations subscribe to the same quality factors as those found in the developed economies.