This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) in improving the performance of educators. While literature exists on IQMS as a performance management system for educators in South Africa, no research examines it as a Performance Improvement (PI) system. Given the gap in the literature, this study aimed to answer the question: How effective is the IQMS in improving the performance of educators? The IQMS policy mandates the District Office to design and implement Performance Improvement interventions. This study investigated the effectiveness of the IQMS as a PI system with specific reference to the interventions designed and implemented by the East London District of Education. The introduction of the IQMS marked a paradigm shift from the inspectorate system. It introduced a democratic system of teacher evaluation. It put consultative structures in place and allowed educators to make their voices heard during the evaluation process through pre-evaluation meetings and feedback. The IQMS is a standards based system of evaluation. As such it is morphed with the use of rating scores and rubrics to identify the performance gap, which is followed by the development and implementation of intervention strategies to close the gap. The concept of Performance Improvement (PI) which is the process of identifying and analyzing individual performance gaps, planning for future performance improvement, designing and implementing interventions to close performance gaps, comes into play. This study was conducted using qualitative research methods. Data from questionnaires and the interviews were triangulated with information from a review of policy documents from the Department of Basic Education, pertinent documents from the East London District of Education and sampled high schools in Mdantsane. The Post Level 1 Educators are primary stakeholders in this study, and the School Principals and Education Specialists are secondary stakeholders. In this qualitative study, forty-two high school Post Level 1 (PL1) educators provided responses to an open-ended questionnaire. Six PL1 educators were interviewed. Three high school principals and three education specialists provided responses to open-ended questionnaires. Pertinent documents were surveyed. Qualitative responses were categorized and analyzed into themes and sub-themes. The findings of the current study indicate that the IQMS in its current form did not impact positively on the Performance Improvement of educators. Five specific findings emerged from this study: Educators have not embraced IQMS as a Performance Improvement system; The twofold purpose of the IQMS: development and salary progression renders it ineffective in improving the performance of educators; The logical framework for the implementation of the IQMS is not adhered to; The implementation of the IQMS is not monitored; The IQMS has no impact on learner attainment. This study also documents other positive areas in the implementation of the IQMS. This study has implications and recommendations for further research, practice and provides valuable information to the Department of Basic Education and the teacher unions in the Education Labour Relations Council as they review the IQMS and in implementing future teacher performance evaluation policies.

This study evaluates the implementation of Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) policy to improve the quality of teaching and learning at schools in the Cofimvaba Education District. IQMS involves the measurement and evaluation of teacher performance for developmental purposes and to reward the best performers in order to improve teaching. A qualitative research approach was adopted and data was collected using questionnaires distributed and retrieved from schools in order to determine educators’ experience of IQMS implementation. The data were then analysed using constant comparative methods. The findings indicate that most participants agreed with the objectives of the policy and felt that it should be retained to evaluate teacher performance for accountability purposes and improved teaching and learning results. The system has the potential to develop educators if is implemented honesty and as long as educators trust the evaluation processes to identify weaknesses and strengths. A key recommendation is that IQMS should be part of the school management team’s responsibilities, which must report quarterly on implementation.

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.

2020 kommer troligen sammanfattas i historieböckerna som ett mycket turbulent år, många kommer minnas det som ett år fyllt av ångest och oro. Pandemin har orsakat världsomfattande restriktioner vad gäller resmönster, fysiska restriktioner och länder har stängt ned helt. Detta har inte bara förändrat våra vardagliga rutiner, ändrat våra levnadsmönster, utan omdefinierat mycket av det vi finner normalt. I företagsvärlden har många organisationer utmanats både i uthållighet men också verksamhetens flexibilitet. För att kunna överleva har det varit avgörande för organisationer att ändra sitt sätt att arbeta. De har varit tvungna att anpassa stora delar av organisationen till det nya normala. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka organisationers anpassningar av sitt arbete med kvalitetsledning och kvalitetsutveckling under pandemin. Ambitionen har varit att bidra med kunskap som förklarar delar av de omställningar som gjorts under det senaste året. Denna uppsats sammanfattar en handfull organisationers anpassningar med avseende på både företagets struktur och deras förmåga att vara stabil i en värld i förändring. Denna studie baseras på semistrukturerade intervjuer med fyra olika organisationer, aktiva inom både privat och offentlig sektor. Resultaten visar att alla deltagande organisationer i sin kontext har varit framgångsrika i sina anpassningar under det senaste året. Vi kan dra slutsatsen att anpassningar som gjorts är likartade i varje organisation, med störst inverkan på arbetsmiljö och kommunikation. Inom området kvalitetsledning och kvalitetsledningssystem har ingen av de deltagande organisationerna gjort någon betydande förändring. Resultat som visar att det är Quality Management Systems (QMS) som har gjort det möjligt för organisationerna att vara stabila över tid. QMS har varit en möjliggörare för bibehållen kvalitet i produktionen. En begränsning i studien är att ingen av de studerade organisationerna har misslyckats med att anpassa sig. Det är möjligt att organisationer som inte har varit lika framgångsrika avstått från att delta i undersökningen. Det är möjligt att det inte är så attraktivt för en organisation att öppet erkänna att de inte var utrustade för de förändringar och krav som pandemin orsakat. / The year of 2020 will go down in history as a year with a lot of turbulence, it's likely to be remembered by many as one of the most agonizing years in modern times. Due to the pandemic, we have seen countries shut down completely from one day to another. The world spread disease has caused worldwide restrictions in travel patterns, physical regulations and lockdowns. This has not only changed our everyday routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. But it has also tested the corporate world to the limits. Organisations have been challenged both on their resilience and endurance. The need for adaptation has never been greater. To be able to survive in this uncertain world, it has been crucial for organisations to change their way of work. The purpose of this study is to explore how organisations have adapted to the variation caused by the pandemic. Contributing with knowledge explaining what have been the hardest transitions along the past year. This thesis summarizes a handful of organisations adaptations, regarding both the company's structure and their capability to be stable in a world in change. This study is based on semi structured interviews with four different organisations, three of them active in the private sector whilst the other one in the public sector. Results show that all the participating organisations have been successful in their transitions over the last year. We can conclude that there are similarities within the companies' adaptations strategies, with the biggest impact regarding the working environment and communication. In the field of quality management and quality management systems, none of the participating organisations have made any significant change. Results showing that it's the QMS that have enabled the organizations to be stable over time. A limitation of this study is a bias related to that none of the participating organisations have failed to adapt. It is possible that organisations who are not as successful, decline to participate in surveys and interviews. It may not be that attractive for an organisation to admit that they were not equipped for the dramatic changes the pandemic caused. / <p>2021-06-06</p>

D. Tech. (Logistics, Faculty of Management Science), Vaal University of Technology / The strategic importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their role in stimulating economic growth and competitiveness in many countries are well documented in literature. The same applies to South Africa, where the SME sector has grown tremendously to become an important contributor to social and economic development through employment creation and constant input to the gross domestic product. However, in spite of these contributions, South African SMEs face numerous challenges, which negatively impact their prospects for growth and success. Some of these challenges include the limited access to financial capital, the lack of infrastructure and the lack of skills, which play a significant role in the high mortality rate of SMEs. One of the proposed solutions to address these operational challenges is the adoption of supply chain management strategies to strengthen the operational and long-term capabilities of SMEs. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between supply chain management best practices, supply chain agility, risk management and supply chain performance in South African SMEs. The study applied a quantitative approach in which a cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data to test direct and indirect relationships between different constructs (buyer-supplier collaboration, supply chain integration, total quality management, IT adoption, supply chain agility, supply chain risk management and supply chain performance). A structured survey questionnaire was developed using adapted measurement scales and administered to 407 randomly selected SME owners, managers and professional employees who had some knowledge about supply chain management. The collected quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS version 24.0) and the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS version 24.0) statistical software. The actual data analyses techniques applied included descriptive statistics and inferential statistics using structural equation modelling. The latter included a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to test the psychometric properties of measurement scales and the testing of the six hypotheses using the path analyses technique. The results of the study showed positive and significant relationships between all supply chain management practices and supply chain agility. Specifically, buyer-supplier collaboration and total quality management exerted a moderate and significant influence on supply chain agility. Moreover, IT adoption had a strong positive and significant relationship with supply chain agility iv while supply chain integration had a weak but significant relationship with the same factor. More results provided from the analysis confirmed the existence of a very strong and significant relationship between supply chain agility and supply chain risk management. In turn, supply chain risk management had a strong positive relationship with supply chain performance. The study also takes note of its contributions to highlight its merits. From a theoretical perspective, it provides an in-depth examination of some driving factors to supply chain agility, supply chain risk management and supply chain performance within SMEs. Given that a study of this nature has not been performed before amongst South African SMEs, the results are an essential addition to the existing body of literature within the area of supply chain management within SMEs in developing countries such as South Africa. From a management perspective, the study suggests that specific attention should be directed to all of the four supply chain management practices (buyer-supplier collaboration, supply chain integration, IT adoption and total quality management) considered as possible avenues to address operational challenges in SMEs.

Thesis (M.Ed.) -- University of Limpopo, 2006 / The aim of this study is to investigate whether Total Quality Management strategy can address the problem of school development within the previously disadvantaged schools at Sabie Circuit, Mpumalanga Province. In order to realize this aim, sixty-four respondents from eight schools, were given questionnaires as the data collection techniques. To ensure validity of the questionnaires, a pilot study was conducted in one of the primary schools. Findings of the study were used to make recommendations to principals, educators and parents who are members of school governing bodies. The researcher identified insufficient time as a limitation of the study because the researcher is a part time student.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thèse numérisée par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

The study investigated the service quality of the Aga Khan University (AKU) library as an example of an academic library in Kenya using SERVQUAL, a user based assessment tool. Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy formed the basis of the study; a philosophy that is customer oriented and lays great emphasis on enhancing customer satisfaction. The study adopted a survey design and data was collected using a structured selfadministered questionnaire by the name of SERVQUAL. The study sample consisted of nursing and medical faculty; nursing and medical students. A total of 78 (63%) respondents responded to the questionnaire. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 17.0. Descriptive statistics was provided and univariate analysis was applied to examine the characteristics of the 2 main variables; perceptions and expectations. The findings of the study established that the expectations of AKU library users are higher than their perceptions. It is also evident from the findings that there are service quality gaps in a number of library services offered by AKU library. This is demonstrated through the gap analysis between the AKU library users‟ perceptions and the users‟ expectations of AKU library. The study recommends that AKU library as well as other academic libraries in Kenya adopt user based assessment tools such as SERVQUAL in the evaluation of library service quality. The study further recommends that AKU library needs to address gaps between the library users‟ perception and the users‟ expectation in order to enhance customer satisfaction through the provision of quality services. The study also recommends that AKU library needs to address the gaps in service attributes such as those relating to AKU library staff, reliability and efficiency of AKU library service delivery. In line with the findings the study further recommends more training for AKU library staff in areas such as customer service skills as well as the need for AKU library to invest more in its physical facility and equipment. / Information Science / M.A. (Information Science)

by Wong Yuen-yee Grace. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves ). / ABSTRACT --- p.i-ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii-iv / Chapter / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- METHODOLOGY --- p.4 / Official Documents --- p.4 / Interviews --- p.5 / Personal Observations --- p.7 / Chapter III. --- THE SETTING: HAVI GROUP (FAR EAST) LP --- p.8 / Perseco Asia-Pacific --- p.9 / Performance Designs --- p.10 / HAVI Food Services (Hong Kong) Ltd --- p.11 / BDP Asia-Pacific --- p.12 / HAVI Group Services --- p.13 / Current Staff of the Hong Kong Headquarter --- p.14 / Chapter IV. --- TOTAL QUALITY IN HAVI GROUP (FAR EAST) LP --- p.15 / History of TQP Development in the Far East Div --- p.16 / Awakening --- p.16 / Active --- p.18 / Definition of Total Quality --- p.2l / Total Quality as in the Employees' Eyes --- p.24 / Chapter V. --- PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN HAVI GROUP (FAR EAST) LP --- p.28 / Performance Appraisal --- p.29 / Reward System --- p.34 / Training and Development --- p.38 / Chapter VI. --- REVIEWING THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL IN HAVI GROUP (FAR EAST) LP --- p.39 / Work of the Performance Review Task Force in 1993 --- p.40 / Continuing the Review in 1994 --- p.43 / Chapter VII. --- COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.46 / Performance Appraisal --- p.47 / For Managers --- p.48 / For General Staff --- p.50 / Common Aspects --- p.51 / Reward System --- p.53 / Training and Development --- p.57 / Chapter VIII. --- CONCLUSION --- p.59 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.60-61 / APPENDICES --- p.62