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Article Summary
The article “Can Selecting the Right Values Help TQM Implementation? A Case Study about Organizational Homogeneity at the Walt Disney Company” (Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja, 2012) discusses effective implementation of total quality management within Walt Disney. In accordance to the authors, TQM is effectively implemented by an organization when employees share values related to the achievement of the highest quality standards in the production processes and delivery of services to customers.
The main problem that is addressed in the article is lack of adequate attention to employee selection strategy, and its importance in promoting the implementation of total quality management within an organization. This is a problem because if employee values are not aligned with the principles of TQM, its implementation within an organization is likely to be unsuccessful (Nasim, Iqbal & Khan, 2014). The values of an organization act as the main building blocks of effective implementation of TQM (Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja, 2012). It is because of this that employees should be selected on the basis of their values towards work processes.
In order for the implementation of TQM to be successful, the values of an organization, which are collectively referred to as organizational culture, should favor conditions that promote quality (Kumar, Antony & Tiwari, 2011). The authors of the article propose two main strategies of effective implementation of TQM. These are the selection and the socialization processes. Selection entails ensuring that only individuals with the preferred values are recruited. The socialization process involves the reinforcement of the right values among employees, after the recruitment process. During the socialization process, an organization should strive towards achieving homogeneity of values (Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja, 2012). This entails sharing and believing on specific core values, which promote desirable behavior within an organization (Nicula & Popsa, 2014).
The analysis of the Walt Disney case study reveals that the company’s selection process focuses at recruiting employees who have special thinking and beliefs on performance and quality standards. This is because the implementation of a strong organizational culture and working with a set of core values is the prerequisite of the company success in creating a high quality customer experience in its family entertainment products (Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja, 2012). Walt Disney has a Casting Center within which job-seekers are evaluated in terms of their values on work procedures.
This allows the company to recruit cast members who are aligned with the company’s desired values on quality. Within the Casting Center, potential employees are shown a film that contains information about the company organizational culture and history. During the interviewing process, the job-seekers are evaluated to determine if their beliefs and values are congruent with the company working culture (Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja, 2012).
The implementation of TQM becomes successful only when it is based on a positive organizational culture. This culture entails the values, norms, beliefs, understanding and knowledge of employees on a company’s quality standards (Zatzick, Moliterno & Fang, 2012). Walt Disney is keen at ensuring that its employees support its working culture because it determines their ability to implement work procedures and standards, which allow it to produce the highest quality and competitive home entertainment products (Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja, 2012). According to Catalin, Bogdan & Dimitrie (2014), leaders play an important role in the socialization process of TQM implementation. This is because it is the leaders who influence and reinforce a positive culture within an organization. Leaders achieve this through role modeling, coaching and the manner in which they allocate resources. Leaders also communicate the values of an organization during the socialization process of TQM implementation (Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja, 2012). Therefore, effective leadership plays an important role in ensuring that the implementation of TQM is successful.
Walt Disney ensures that the values of recruits are enforced during employee retention stage. The company does this by demonstrating that it appreciates the efforts of its employees and making them comfortable (Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja, 2012). This is acts as a form of rewarding employees’ adherence to the desired values of quality, and therefore ensuring successful implementation of TQM. On the basis of the case study and theoretical evidence, the authors of the article suggest the most effective strategies of improving the process of TQM implementation.
Ingelsson, Eriksson & Lilja (2012) argue that the selection strategy within a company should be taken into greater consideration. As a result, the article presents a model of TQM implementation, which allows companies to select and recruit employees in a better way, and ensure that all employees share the values and standards of quality. The authors conclude that neglect of the selection strategy is the main reason why many organizations fail to succeed in the process of TQM implementation.
References
Catalin, S. H., Bogdan, B., & Dimitrie, G. R. (2014). The Existing Barriers in Implementing Total Quality Management. Annals of the University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 23(1), 1234-1240.
Ingelsson, P., Eriksson, M., & Lilja, J. (2012). Can Selecting The Right Values Help TQM Implementation? A Case Study about Organizational Homogeneity at the Walt Disney Company. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 23(1), 1-11.
Kumar, M., Antony, J., & Tiwari, M. K. (2011). Six Sigma Implementation Frameworks for SMEs: A Roadmap to Manage and Sustain the Change. International Journal of Production Research, 49(18), 5449-5467.
Nasim, K., Iqbal, M. Z., & Khan, I. A. (2014). Antecedents of TQM implementation capability: a review with a conceptual model. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 25(11/12), 1395-1409.
Nicula, V., & Popsa, R. E. (2014). Implementation of a Quality Management System in a Travel Agency. Studies in Business & Economics, 9(1), 109-124.
Zatzick, C. D., Moliterno, T. P., & Fang, T. (2012). Strategic (MIS) FIT: The Implementation of TQM in Manufacturing Organizations. Strategic Management Journal, 33(11), 1321-1330.
