TQM implementation strategies in hospitals: an empirical perspective

This article reports an analysis of the effectiveness of Total Quality Management (TQM) programs. The objective of the study was gain a better understanding of how hospitals implement TQM and quality improvement initiatives. Results show that some hospital staffs have not realized that they are implementing TQM, even though they report to be using the strategies for quality improvement. On the other hand, some hospitals said that they were involved in quality programs, though not practically implementing TQM strategies. These results suggest two major conclusions about the implementation of TQM programs. First, data indicate that TQM programs may not be as effective as promised, due to a lack of understanding about TQM by the people within the organization. Second, implementation strategies that are statistically correlated are identified. These conclusions may be helpful for successful TQM implementation in from healthcare organizations as well as other service industries.