Perceived levels of success of a total quality management program in an institution of higher learning

The purpose of the study was to provide baseline data and information on the perceived levels of success of Total Quality Management (TQM) efforts at a university that is currently employing the process. An analysis was conducted to determine if faculty members and administrators differed significantly in their perceptions of the efficacy of these TQM efforts. Additional analyses were accomplished to determine if the differences in perception were a function of various demographic characteristics of the respondents. To guide the study, eleven hypotheses were developed from the research questions. A stratified random sample consisting of 285 faculty members and 186 administrators was drawn to insure a 95% confidence level. Respondents were asked to complete the University Quality Profile which is based on the seven Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award indices for measuring quality in education. In order to test the null hypotheses, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used. The MANOVA indicated that none of the Baldrige subscales were significantly different overall except for the Customer/Student Focus and Satisfaction category. Administrators perceived a higher level of success than did faculty members. Differences were also found in the independent variable of gender as it related to the dependent variables of Information and Analysis as well as Human Resource Development and Management criteria. Differences were also found among those faculty members who were tenured or on a tenure track in relation to the Human Resource Development and Management criterion. These faculty members viewed the success in this area much more favorably than did nontenure earning faculty members. Significant differences were found in four Baldrige categories as it related to teaching. Those who taught viewed the success of Information and Analysis, Institutional Performance Results, Educational and Business Process Management, and Human Resource Development and Management more favorably than those who did not teach. When asked to assign a percentage value of importance to each of the seven Baldrige indices denoting quality, faculty members and administrators agreed that Leadership was the most important factor. Both groups agreed that Information and Analysis criterion was the least important of the Baldrige indices.