The aim of the study is to determine the extent of Total Quality Management training by the government business support institutions in the enterprise development of Small Medium Micro Enterprises in Buffalo City Metro area. The study reflects on the Total Quality Management elements and enterprise development activities by the government institutions located in the Buffalo City Metro area. The researcher conducted literature review to ascertain what does Total Quality Management training entails. The study discussed the enterprise development services offered by the Government business support agencies in Buffalo City Metro. The empirical study conducted determined the views of Small Medium Micro Enterprises assisted by government business support service towards Total Quality Management. The researcher collected quantitative data from the judgemental sample using five point linkert scale questionnaire. The study achieved the response rate of 52.5 percent. Descriptive statistics of the data was analysed using MS Excel, and the internal consistency or reliability was determined using SPSS software. The data achieved the Chronbach’s Alpha co-efficient of 0.879. The research finding has certain limitations, and these limitations provide opportunities for further research studies. The limitation of this study was the fact that the sample was judgemental. It is possible that if another sampling method is used, it could arrive at a different conclusion. The results from the study indicate that the government business support institutions in Buffalo City area do not provide total quality management training. Although it was not a focus of the research, the study found that the three government institutions also located in Buffalo City Metro area are not used by the Small Medium Micro Enterprises. Government business support institutions need to offer total quality management training as part of enterprise development.

MPM / Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / The study investigated the implementation of Quality Assurance as a policy instrument at the University of Venda. Within the study, the researcher critically analyzed the implementation of Quality Assurance policy as a system and the procedures within the University. To universities around the world, quality assurance in higher education institutions has become a matter of great importance. In South Africa, quality assurance roles and practices are closely guided by legislative guidelines, which are primarily structured to report and comply with universities ' obligations to DHET, CHE and SAQA, and so, too the national demand for universities to contribute to the study and advancement of higher education policy. This study used a qualitative research approach which included ethnographic method to address the question on the implementation of quality assurance as a policy instrument using University of Venda as a case in point. The study findings revealed that the illustration of the quality assurance as a policy instrument in higher education context is very critical to enable an institution of higher learning to execute its core business in a way that quality uncompromised. Stakeholders should have faith in the institution and that the university should undertake a syst ematic cycle of external program assessments based on teaching and learning concerns and a ke the necessary steps to build capacity and provide support in curriculum design and program development processes at the school and departmental level. The study concluded by giving recommendations on what are the strategies that the University can apply in enhancing the “quality of its core business of teaching and learning, research and community engagement.” / NRF

The objective of the study was to quantify the evolving scope of quality management as practiced in a sample of companies in South Afiica, and to correlate this with corporate profitability. The empirical data in this study suggests that a more extensive scope of application and practice of quality management and related management practices is related to better organisational profitability. The significant correlations which were demonstrated are: • A focus on results by companies is inversely correlated with Operating Profit Margin. • Quality training, employee communications and internal coordination correlates positively with Net Profit Margin. • The rigorous use of quality standards correlates positively with Net Profit Margin. • Quality control and monitoring correlates positively with Return on Equity. Recommendations flowing from this study include that a broader paradigm of quality management is required, expressed as an integrated model for innovation and change which is holistic rather than fragmented. / Economics / M. Com. (Business Economics)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree: Doctor of Technology: Quality, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / There is extensive focus on the practical performance of ecotourism in respect of environmentally invasive activities and the satisfaction of ecotourists in South Africa. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of quality management practices on service quality in the accommodation sector serving ecotourism destinations in KwaZulu-Natal. The study was conducted at 58 hotels within a 50 kilometre proximity to ecotourism development regions of KwaZulu-Natal province. Two separate self-administered questionnaires were designed for the hotel managers and for their guests. A quantitative approach and a census of 58 managers were conducted and the guest response of 587 was obtained using convenience sampling. The results revealed that there are mismatches in guests’ actual experience on the variables of interest for customer service quality and the importance they attach to each variable. The experience-importance findings show that most guests rated their experiences above the importance they attach to those experiences. Little attention has been paid to hotel service quality research pertaining specifically to quality-related performance. This study fills this gap by identifying congruent hotel service quality attributes and relating these to management performance by analysing the importance of these attributes for hotel-guests seeking experiences of the natural environment. The results of the study offer measures for ecotourism service quality enhancement for the ecotourists experience at the hotels and a starting point for hotel managers to optimise the service quality growth and development while protecting the resources on which they are based. Quality function deployment has emerged as a significant tool to guide hotel managers in ecotourism destinations to attain planned levels of guest service quality and formulate a well-informed and systematic framework that will advance strategies for service quality enhancement.

The objective of the study was to quantify the evolving scope of quality management as practiced in a sample of companies in South Afiica, and to correlate this with corporate profitability. The empirical data in this study suggests that a more extensive scope of application and practice of quality management and related management practices is related to better organisational profitability. The significant correlations which were demonstrated are: • A focus on results by companies is inversely correlated with Operating Profit Margin. • Quality training, employee communications and internal coordination correlates positively with Net Profit Margin. • The rigorous use of quality standards correlates positively with Net Profit Margin. • Quality control and monitoring correlates positively with Return on Equity. Recommendations flowing from this study include that a broader paradigm of quality management is required, expressed as an integrated model for innovation and change which is holistic rather than fragmented. / Economics / M. Com. (Business Economics)

The quest for excellence in institutions is nothing new. Most of the twentieth century saw management sciences grappling with the question how to improve the productivity and general health of institutions through sound management principles and practice. In recent research, proponents of Total Quality Management have identified it as an essential strategy of successful institutions in a highly competitive and rapidly changing business environment. The overall aim of this study is the development of a framework for the implementation of Total Quality Management in the South African Air Force. As a first prerequisite, a theoretical and conceptual analysis is undertaken of Total Quality Management as it is discussed in a vast volume of published literature. In the process, Total Quality Management philosophy and principles are described within the context of organisational theory, mainly based on so-called quality guru prescriptions. The variety of definitions of Total Quality Management is studied to find an appropriate definition for this study. The primary and supportive Total Quality Management dimensions are identified in the available literature, and integrated into a framework, which is called the "Total Quality Management telescopic framework" for the purposes of the study. This framework is formulated for use in the development of an appropriate methodology to implement Total Quality Management in South African Air Force Bases. As a basis for the understanding of the empirical part of the thesis, the context and nature of the SA Air Force are also discussed, followed by the self-assessment methods already in use in the institution. The Total Quality Management telescopic framework is meant to provide a mechanism for the adoption of a systematic and ordered approach to the implementation of Total Quality Management in SA Air Force Bases. To achieve this objective, a structured questionnaire survey is undertaken to establish the nature and extent of Total Quality Management as an internal organisational arrangement for personnel in SA Air Force Bases. The framework developed from the study of the available literature is used as a basis for the survey research, which attempts to determine the main hypothesis of the study: "The attitude of personnel of the South African Air Force Bases towards the primary and supporting dimensions of the framework for the implementation of Total Quality Management is positive." With the aid of computerised reliability analysis (Alpha Cronbach) for the test, the above hypothesis is proven to be true on a statistical basis. The attitude of personnel at SA Air Force Bases towards the nature and scope of Total Quality Management is that it enables them to perform their daily tasks better, and that they accept the Total Quality Management effort positively, in spite of specific deficiencies, which the study has brought to light. With these deficiencies as a guide, recommendations are made for their elimination. The research undertaken during the course of writing the thesis has led to the deduction that the greater the extent to which Total Quality Management principles is applied, the greater the improvement in work performance among personnel. / Public Administration / DADMIN (PUBLIC ADMIN)

The overall aim of this study is to determine whether and how the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) can improve organisational performance in the Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality. There is a reason to believe that TQM can be and is a viable approach for improving productivity and performance in the public sector. TQM principles centred on customer satisfaction, process orientation and continuous improvement are very compatible with preferred public sector management styles. Therefore, a theoretical and conceptual analysis is undertaken of TQM as it is discussed in various volumes of published literature. As a result, quality is examined in terms of how it historically evolved during the various stages of development of mankind and overview of essential concepts that contributed to modern professional practice of the concept. Furthermore, TQM defined within a broad framework of management theory and its dimensions are scrutinised. These dimensions are analysed in such a way that describe a model of how organisations could use TQM as a management theory. A thorough analysis of individual dimension and unique contribution of each to organisational performance is made. The role of managers to implement TQM principles and practices is analysed as well as factors contributing to failures as a check list of what managers must avoid in order to implement TQM effectively. Moreover, the criterion upon which TQM in public institutions could be evaluated is also discussed as the corner stone of a performance measurement system. Local government introduced municipal performance management systems as part of the new public management paradigm shift, adopted in an attempt to find more effective and efficient methods of delivering services. Therefore, the concept of performance management and its impact on TQM on municipal performance is thoroughly discussed. The meaning of quality and performance is defined and evaluated in terms of components of performance management. In this way the fundamental value and impact TQM may have on performance management can be determined. To determine whether and how the application of TQM can improve organisational performance in the Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality, a structured questionnaire survey is undertaken based on nine TQM dimensions identified in the study. / Public Administration and Management / (M. Admin. (Public Admin.)

The principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) have been used in the business, commercial and industrial sectors to improve both product and service. In a limited number of schools worldwide, there have been attempts to adapt TQM theory and practice to the educational management of institutions. In this thesis there has been an attempt to adapt the TQM philosophy to the field of educational practice. Quality tools and techniques used in TQM organisations have been studied to ascertain their applicability in schools. During the course of the study, the researcher discerned the need to give TQM a distinct identity within the domain of educational management. In the management of schools, there are philosophies and practices which are different from those encountered in noneducational settings. The concept Total Quality Education (TQE) was used to acknowledge this reality. Action research was done over a three-year period at a South African co-educational public primary school. During the four research cycles of looking, thinking and acting, TQE principles were implemented in the school. Stakeholders such as parents, learners and teachers identified areas for improvement of the quality of education. Areas identified included the curriculum, physical resources, extramural activities, staff development, learning and financial management of the school. Quality tools and techniques were applied by all stakeholders to effect the desired improvements. In the fourth and last cycle of the research a questionnaire was given to a sample of the parent community. Progress made in the improvement of the quality of education provided was noted and areas to be improved further were identified. The researcher submits that TQE can be meaningfully applied in South African schools. The various stakeholders can make contributions to the betterment of schools. Through the application of the principles of the TQE philosophy, it is possible to transform South African schools into institutions where all learners can experience education of true quality. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

The quest for excellence in institutions is nothing new. Most of the twentieth century saw management sciences grappling with the question how to improve the productivity and general health of institutions through sound management principles and practice. In recent research, proponents of Total Quality Management have identified it as an essential strategy of successful institutions in a highly competitive and rapidly changing business environment. The overall aim of this study is the development of a framework for the implementation of Total Quality Management in the South African Air Force. As a first prerequisite, a theoretical and conceptual analysis is undertaken of Total Quality Management as it is discussed in a vast volume of published literature. In the process, Total Quality Management philosophy and principles are described within the context of organisational theory, mainly based on so-called quality guru prescriptions. The variety of definitions of Total Quality Management is studied to find an appropriate definition for this study. The primary and supportive Total Quality Management dimensions are identified in the available literature, and integrated into a framework, which is called the "Total Quality Management telescopic framework" for the purposes of the study. This framework is formulated for use in the development of an appropriate methodology to implement Total Quality Management in South African Air Force Bases. As a basis for the understanding of the empirical part of the thesis, the context and nature of the SA Air Force are also discussed, followed by the self-assessment methods already in use in the institution. The Total Quality Management telescopic framework is meant to provide a mechanism for the adoption of a systematic and ordered approach to the implementation of Total Quality Management in SA Air Force Bases. To achieve this objective, a structured questionnaire survey is undertaken to establish the nature and extent of Total Quality Management as an internal organisational arrangement for personnel in SA Air Force Bases. The framework developed from the study of the available literature is used as a basis for the survey research, which attempts to determine the main hypothesis of the study: "The attitude of personnel of the South African Air Force Bases towards the primary and supporting dimensions of the framework for the implementation of Total Quality Management is positive." With the aid of computerised reliability analysis (Alpha Cronbach) for the test, the above hypothesis is proven to be true on a statistical basis. The attitude of personnel at SA Air Force Bases towards the nature and scope of Total Quality Management is that it enables them to perform their daily tasks better, and that they accept the Total Quality Management effort positively, in spite of specific deficiencies, which the study has brought to light. With these deficiencies as a guide, recommendations are made for their elimination. The research undertaken during the course of writing the thesis has led to the deduction that the greater the extent to which Total Quality Management principles is applied, the greater the improvement in work performance among personnel. / Public Administration and Management / DADMIN (PUBLIC ADMIN)

The principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) have been used in the business, commercial and industrial sectors to improve both product and service. In a limited number of schools worldwide, there have been attempts to adapt TQM theory and practice to the educational management of institutions. In this thesis there has been an attempt to adapt the TQM philosophy to the field of educational practice. Quality tools and techniques used in TQM organisations have been studied to ascertain their applicability in schools. During the course of the study, the researcher discerned the need to give TQM a distinct identity within the domain of educational management. In the management of schools, there are philosophies and practices which are different from those encountered in noneducational settings. The concept Total Quality Education (TQE) was used to acknowledge this reality. Action research was done over a three-year period at a South African co-educational public primary school. During the four research cycles of looking, thinking and acting, TQE principles were implemented in the school. Stakeholders such as parents, learners and teachers identified areas for improvement of the quality of education. Areas identified included the curriculum, physical resources, extramural activities, staff development, learning and financial management of the school. Quality tools and techniques were applied by all stakeholders to effect the desired improvements. In the fourth and last cycle of the research a questionnaire was given to a sample of the parent community. Progress made in the improvement of the quality of education provided was noted and areas to be improved further were identified. The researcher submits that TQE can be meaningfully applied in South African schools. The various stakeholders can make contributions to the betterment of schools. Through the application of the principles of the TQE philosophy, it is possible to transform South African schools into institutions where all learners can experience education of true quality. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)