TQM in e-Learning: a Self-assessment Model and Questionnaire

Organizations are seeking new, integrated systems that enable rapid changes through early identification of opportunities and problems, tracking of progress against plans, flexible allocation of resources to achieve goals, and consistent operations. Total Quality Management (TQM) is an overall business strategy. It means that all activities of the company will be focused on satisfying all stakeholders of the company. TQM can be realised by using the EFQM model. The EFQM model is a tool that organizations may use as a framework for self-evaluation that enables an organization to identify its strengths and areas for improvement and the extent to which its operations and results are in line with the characteristics of an excellent organization. We focus on a training organisation or to the learning department of an organization. So we are limiting the EFQM model to the training /learning activities. We can apply EFQM perfect on the level of an activity (business line) of a company. We selected the main criteria for which the learner can play the role of assessor. So only three main criteria left: the enabling resources, the enabling processes and the (learning) results for the learner. We limited the last one to “learning results” based on the Kirkpatrick model

Measuring the quality of an e-learning course

The EU Commission's learning action plan stresses the importance of ICT in education and quality assurance is part of the Bologna Declaration. General approaches to quality and to measuring quality are ISO, TQM and EFQM and Kirkpatrick for education. 2 popular quality measuring models are SEVAQ and SEEQUEL which are both based on EFQM and Kirkpatrick. In the project OLAREX a set of e-learning courses are developed to fulfill the project objectives: to enhance and modernize STEM curricula, foster students' creativity and motivation and develop professional e-didactic and technology competences and skills. The following quality assurance methods and tools are used: external and internal evaluation, comparative assessments, learners evaluation using questionnaires, informal discussions, observations and networking. A  SEEQUEL  revised  model  is  developed  by  the  external  experts  for  the external evaluation. The model is described in the paper. Part of the evaluation report is presented. In this report strong and weak points are formulated and needed improvements of the e-learning  courses are advised

Applied TQM in Public Sector Privatization and Strategic Partnerships in Abu Dhabi, UAE

This paper investigated the extent to which applied TQM enhanced the readiness of the private and public sectors in engaging in strategic partnerships and their management capacity in sustaining such partnerships. The investigation was conducted in Abu Dhabi, UAE and carried out using the mixed method. Purposive sampling was used to ensure that only those involved or had knowledge of their organizations’ partnership initiatives participates in the study. The research data was treated using both quantitative and qualitative tools. The findings revealed that applied TQM was perceived to have enhanced the readiness of the private and public sectors to engage in strategic partnerships and in sustaining their partnerships. The readiness of both sectors was positively correlated with their capacity to sustain their partnership through the use of applied TQM. On the basis of the findings, the researcher developed a framework that highlights the significance of applied TQM for potential and future strategic partnerships between the public and private sector. Keywords: TQM, privatization, PPP, strategic partnership, readiness, sustainabilit

Total quality management (TQM) in the Turkish public sector : the views of public employees on practices, impacts and problems for the implementation of TQM in two public organizations

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Total Quality Management (TQM) has become a popular management approach and system since the 1980s. While it has been adopted by thousands of organizations, the debate on its originality in theory and its relationship with management theory still continues. It can be defined as a management system and approach that has a set of core principles, assumptions, practices, tools and techniques which are systemized into a coherent framework. The studies suggest that TQM theory and practices can be, to a great extent, considered under the scope of management theory. In addition, it makes unique contributions to the management practice. This dissertation examines the practices, constraints and potential problems for adoption of the quality management in the public sector in the international and the Turkish public sector context. Public sector organizations in many developed countries widely implemented the quality management as a management approach and utilized it as a tool for reforming public sector. TQM became an important part of comprehensive public sector reform efforts. Some Turkish public organizations have also adopted the quality management. However, unlike some developed countries, it has been implemented at the organizational level rather than being systematic and being part of comprehensive reform efforts. Although various scholars have been discussing the feasibility and problems related to adoption of TQM in the Turkish public sector, there is very limited empirical research on the practices and problems of the quality management. Thus, a survey is conducted in two pioneering public organizations for adopting the quality v management in order to explore the views of the workforce. The literature proposes that the positive attitude of the employees is one of factors for the success of the quality management initiatives. The findings reveal that the workforce has generally positive views towards the quality management and public sector reforms. The findings also signify that the success and future of the quality management cannot be isolated from the organizational context and approaches to quality management as well as the problems of Turkish political and public administration system.Coşkun, SelimPh.D

Sustaining quality improvement in UK higher education through effective management of best practices

EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Total Quality Management and Paradigms of Public Administration

The implementation of total quality management (TQM) in public organizations is usually associated with the rise of New Public Management (NPM). Together with NPM, TQM has encountered a lot of criticism. The underlying argument has been that NPM and TQM undermine civil service ethos since they advocate entrepreneurial approaches in providing public services. Apart from the discussion of TQM’s suitability for public agencies, there is an ongoing discussion about the downsides of TQM as such. One of the most serious objections to TQM is that it creates mechanistic solutions (Godfroij 1995) and increases bureaucracy (Hill and Wilkinson 1995, 19)

Implementation of quality management in the public sector versus the private sector: a cultural analysis

This thesis reviews the Total Quality Management (TQM) literature and concludes that core to the introduction of TQM in any organisation is a need to be acutely sensitive to the cultural aspects of the organisation. This thesis proceeds to review the Organisational Culture literature and concludes that culture can be measured and changed. It also identifies four factors of Organisational Culture which facilitate measurement of the concept. As the research programme is situated in the public sector the thesis considers the very different and indeed opposing views regarding the development of the public sector and concludes, that irrespective of the strategy used, that the human factor is a key area in public sector reform. This people focus requires culture change and time to implement. The methodology employed to measure and compare organisational culture in both private and public sector organizations at two different times in the quality journey was primarily positivist and quantitative. Cartwright’s 9-dimension culture questionnaire was employed to capture the human facets of organisational culture. The results indicate a significant difference in culture between the private and public sectors at both times but that the variation in culture had reduced during the time interval between the two surveys. The implications of this study will assist in the understanding of organisational culture particularly in the public sector. Due to the shortage of research in this sector the results will assist in the development of public sector reform or modernisation programmes

The Implications of Applying Total Quality Management (TQM) On E-Learning in Egypt. “Suggested E-Learning Service Quality Model”

Egypt is seeking to accelerate comprehensive and sustainable development and to achieve higher growth rates for the interest of all classes and categories of society. According to what was published in 1/7/2013 by the public association for adult education AEA at the information and decision support centre in Egypt; 14.9% of population in age between 15 and 35 years old are illiterate. Here, we have to ask:" How a society where 14.9% of its young working power is illiterate can execute the mentioned adopted strategy of development?!"The Egyptian young working power is poor educated due to the bad education system ranking 131 out of 144 in the world. There is a need for a good High Educational system, affordable to those who does not have the opportunity to leave there jobs, from where they gain to live, in order to have a good education to improve their social life, and help them being part of the required development. Making benefit from the technological revolution and the excitement and passion of using it, can give the chance to offer an E-learning service through which a human development could be achieved. Then, strategies could be well adopted to improve society. In Organizations; Total Quality Management (TQM) has become most widely used management acronym and is considered as the buzz word in the management practices, keeping an eye on details. TQM is mainly concerned with continuous improvement in all work, from high level strategic planning and decision-making, to detailed execution of work elements on the shop floor. On the other hand, Enterprises find ways to set themselves apart in the hyper-competitive global marketplace by applying e-service. E-Service may provide the greatest return on investment (ROI) and sets the foundation for adding and integrating other E-Business functionality in the future. Customers can achieve the service through web page without a need to any help or support at any time. E-service and Total quality management (TQM) seek for same goals, but from different perspectives. Now, what if an organisation offers an E-service while applying Total quality management (TQM)? Hoping to achieve a good affordable High educational E-learning system, it was decided to study “The Implications of applying TQM on E-Learning in Egypt”. This is for the great impact of the E- learning quality on the education as main national issue in Egypt. E-Learning was implemented in the near past few years, through limited programs in national Universities, and the Egyptian E-learning University established in 2009. The Quality management were also taken as essential of management in the higher educational institutes there. This research take a track to suggest Total Quality management Model to improve E-learning service offered in one of the Higher Educational Institutes in Egypt. The suggested e-learning Model emphasize that the eight elements of TQM were engaged in the Baldrige criteria framework. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) the main tool of evaluation of all the processes. The Idea of this model is to use Quality function Deployment (QFD) to translate and plan the‖ voice of the customer‖ into the quality characteristique of the service before enter the market. QFD analyse the client‘s requirements,define how each requirement will be satisfied by the service,organize the needs,illustrate the relationship between the requirement of the customer in the market and the needs to fullfil them. The result will be transmitted to the leadership Management,who will deploy the quality ,and apply the eight Total Quality Management Principles going through the seven categories of the Baldrige Criteria. The result of all the model phases shall affect the learner through the afforded high quality E-learning service. The high qualified personnel educated through the high quality E-learning system, will affect the social culture and environment from where comes the ―voice of cutomer‖, to be analyzed through the QFD, to the leadership management, and the improvement cycle continue.The suggested E-learning service Quality Model represents required emerged recognised set of procedures for validation of quality framework

A TQM based assessment framework for blended learning environment in Higher Education sector

The purpose of this research is to develop an assessment framework in the TQM perspective for a blended learning environment in the higher education sector. Blended learning is a specialized field in learning, i.e., combination of face to face learning and e-learning. This research is an attempt to bring a logical approach in assessing the quality feature of the blended learning environment. The quality of the BLE can be easily enhanced if the implementation of important parameters of quality in the blended learning environment is undertaken at all levels of the institution: individual level, organizational level, and at external stakeholders (employers, government, parents, etc.) level. The six major factors are deduced that affect the quality of the blended learning environment in the HES through exploratory factor analysis. To check the intertwining effects of the derived factors/underlying criteria, the DEMATEL technique is applied. This technique has resulted in the formation of the cause group and effect group out of the derived factors/underlying criteria. This group formation has led to high quality in the BLE. The criterion, Qualification and experience of the tutor of the cause group, influences the other criteria in the most significant way and is the master influencer. The criterion, appropriate use of delivery methods, is identified as the most related criterion. Furthermore, the ranking of alternatives (by applying the MOORA method) to improve the quality of the cause criteria has resulted in the formation of effective quality implementation strategy in the higher education sector. The use of the EFQM model on cause criteria is once again a step to bring effectiveness in assessment related activities of the BLE and eventually leading to high quality in the HES.This research involves a mixed method approach to deal with quantitative and qualitative data. The human perceptions and expectations are dealt with by the use of mathematical techniques. A combination of subjectivism and objectivism is seen in the development of this framework. The result of this study has offered a framework to attain superior quality learning environment in the HES