This study is a qualitative case study approach to theory building that aims to develop
a more holistic understanding of the patterns of coordination in an organisation that
has successfully implemented TQM using a communication perspective. The data
were gathered at a large private hospital in Bangkok where 36 respondents from nonmedical
treatment areas were interviewed. The study used in-depth interviews as the
primary data source, complemented with participant-observations and document
analysis to address the main research question: In what ways have the effects of TQM
on communicative attitudes and practices contributed to coordination?
Influenced by the notion of social construction, the analysis suggests that despite
TQM consisting of several contributing principles and tools, it is the role of leadership
that demonstrated the most significant value to communication and coordination
outcomes. Three key patterns of coordination emerge in the study: (1) shared meaning
and common purpose derived from management?s interpretation and articulation of
TQM reality from a customer perspective, (2) shared understanding as a result of
management?s construction of TQM influenced administrative arrangements, and (3)
emotional experiences as a result of staff members? social interaction. The finding of
this study suggests that achieving coordination is far more complex, and can be
difficult to control by management, specifically one emerging from an emotional
experience which was found to have more effect on staff members? decisions in
investing or reserving their energy in coordination, as compared to the other two
patterns.
The findings demonstrate that organising coordination is not always rational and
static, as previously discussed in the dominant organisation design-based literature.
Rather, coordination is highly dependent on the process of social construction,
communication, and interaction between organisational members. For this reason, the
role of management in ensuring consistency in interpretation and construction of the
shared reality, and in ongoing communication is imperative, not only to guide and
maintain coordinated actions, but also to achieve meaningful and mindful
coordination of members within the organisation.
The practical theory developed in the study makes a direct contribution to
coordination theory, specifically on the emergence of multi-dimensional coordination
patterns which suggests the need to reconsider a research approach that could
accommodate the complex nature of coordination which is also driven by
communication, social interaction, and reciprocal relationships. Future studies on
coordination could be positioned within a relativist, constructionism or interpretivist
paradigm and investigate interrelated multiple ontological domains, not only the
conventional organisational structure, but also cognition, discursive and social
interaction. The study also offers some useful insights into both coordination and
communication aspects for practitioners who aim to successfully implement TQM.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/219589 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Srismith, Karinrat, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. School of Professional Communication |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Karinrat Srismith |
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