Dear students,
Welcome to the Total quality management (TQM) course that this year will be offered via Skype.
The goals and pedagogic model and approach can be described in three steps. The first, to discover and learning about key concepts, models, tools and theories as well as results from relevant empirical studies and best practice. Second, reflect on and discuss how the TQM theories, concepts, models and tools provide the basis for understanding and explaining quality management problems and challenges. Third, learn how to apply key TQM concepts, models and tools in practice. I expect students to prepare each session by reading the assigned literature and cases to enable active participation and fruitful discussions.
TQM consists of organization-wide efforts to install and make permanent knowledge, skills and a culture where employees continuously improve their ability to provide products and services in a responsible way. The focus is on creating value for not only customers but all engaged actors such as firms, employees, partners, suppliers. “Total” emphasizes that all actors in the ecosystem are obligated to improve their operations; “management” emphasizes that executives are obligated to actively manage quality through training, staffing, processes & structures, innovation and goal setting. The focus is on creating and continuously improve the prerequisites for value creation for all engaged actors.
While there is no widely agreed-upon approach, TQM efforts typically draw heavily on the previously developed tools and techniques of quality control. TQM enjoyed widespread attention during the late 1980s and early 1990s before being overshadowed by ISO 9000, Lean manufacturing, and Six Sigma. A core definition of TQM describes a management approach to long-term success through value creation for all engaged actors with an emphasis on value-in-use for customers. In a TQM effort, all actors in an organization participate in contribute to improving systems, processes, products, services, and the culture in which they work.
The material including the text-book, articles, cases and my power-point presentations is available on line and you can download from the e-learning platform https://elearning.unicz.it
To be able to use Skype, you need a Skype address and please email me your Skype details. My Skype address is: bo.edvardsson.
My email is: Bo.Edvardsson@kau.se.
My cellphone is: +46-70-6334478.
Welcome to an interesting and important course,
Bo Edvardsson
