Total Quality Management (TQM) and its impact on higher education with emphasis on academic libraries

Total Quality Management (TQM) is heralded as the management technique that saved Japan from economic ruin after World War II and transformed her into an economic power. Even though TQM\u27s roots are in America and its creators American, awareness of its existence and acceptance in the United States did not begin in earnest until the late 1980s. Since the late 1980s, however, TQM has been discussed as a viable management concept by business, industry, education, and libraries. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of TQM, its feasibility for higher education and academic libraries, and the results of its implementation by colleges and universities and academic libraries. A questionnaire was designed to measure the knowledge and perceptions of academic library directors, department heads, and librarians of TQM, and the extent of TQM utilization in academic libraries in the United States. The data yielded the following results: (1) There was a significant difference found among the respondents concerning their opinion in the implementation of TQM in their libraries based on age. (2) There was a significant difference found in the opinions of respondents concerning TQM\u27s appropriateness for academic libraries and its perception as another management fad. There was a significant difference found in the perception of respondents for TQM based on age. There was a significant difference found concerning the respondents\u27 opinion of TQM as a good management tool for academic libraries based on age. (3) There was no significant difference found in the respondents\u27 knowledge of TQM concepts, and its perception as another management fad. (4) There was no significant difference found in the opinions of respondents concerning the problem-solving abilities of teamwork and the excessive time it requires. (5) There was a significant difference found in the opinions of department heads concerning staff empowerment and reduction of their authority. (6) There was a significant difference found in the respondents\u27 perception of TQM as a good management tool for academic libraries and its implementation in their libraries. (7) There was a significant difference found in the opinions of respondents concerning their empowerment and an increase in their participation in process improvement. (8) There was a significant difference found in the respondents\u27 opinion concerning the use of TQM vocabulary based on age