A Study of the Significance of Organisational Culture for the successful implementation and operation of Total Quality Management (TQM): A Comparative Study between Iran and the UK

Iranian businesses like all others around the world need to survive and grow in the global marketplace. To facilitate this, they need true executive commitment to the provision of high quality products and services. An established way to begin this important development process is to implement Total Quality Management (TQM). By applying TQM in Iranian organisations they can begin to achieve a high standard of quality products and services at a cost that enables them to compete with their international competitors. The purpose of this research, a comparative study, was to investigate the effect of organisational culture on the successful implementation and sustainability of the operation of TQM within Iran. In the programme of research data was collected from 50 organisations in Iranian and 40 in the United Kingdom (UK). Senior executives, general managers and quality managers were interviewed. They also completed comprehensive questionnaires which identified the issues relating to the implementation and operation of TQM in their organisations. The research then focused upon problems and barriers to the introduction, implementation and sustained operation of TQM that were experienced in Iranian businesses. Specifically issues concerning the relationship between organisational culture and TQM at all levels of the organization are explored. The critical issues that this study set out to address relate to the relationships and interactions that exist within a Quality Management System, organisational culture and the changes that need to be instigated for success. In his investigations the researcher divided his study into two parts. Firstly the Hofestede national culture model (2002) was tested against the organisational culture variables established in work by Denison (2006). Secondly the Denison organisational variables were used to assess the implication of culture on the successful implementation and sustained operation of TQM. The research identified that the implementation and operation of TQM in the organisations studied in the UK was highly successful whilst in the Iranian organisations such success was identified to be low. In response to this, and based upon the knowledge and understanding gained from the investigation and analysis, the researcher presents a proposed framework to aid the successful introduction and implementation of TQM within an Iranian context.