An empirical study of cultural values in total quality management : a Chinese culture-specific model.

Although total quality management (TQM) has been so widely adopted, its
theoretical underpinnings remain relatively unexplored as compared to other
management theories. A frequently pointed out research gap is on the cultural side
of TQM as a human-oriented management philosophy.
TQM is known to begin mainly in Japan and the United States. However,
the cultural values of the Japanese and the American people are very different. In
Japan, the importance of group harmony is stressed, while the Americans mainly
value individual creativity and achievements. Even so, companies in these
different cultures have succeeded in implementing TQM and have achieved world
class performance. It is reasonable to believe that when TQM, as a culture-free
system itself, is being implemented in a particular cultural setting, it must
accommodate to a certain extent the local culture. That is to say, Japanese-style
TQM is obviously different from American-style TQM and a culture-specific
TQM indeed exists.
As TQM and ISO 9000 have recently become some of the hottest
managerial issues in mainland China and the overseas Chinese regions, this
empirical study is concerned with the influence of Chinese cultural values on
TQM. In particular, the operations of ISO 9000 certified companies in mainland
China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan and the cultural values of their Chinese managers
were analyzed.
Grounded on sociological and psychological theories, quantitative
(structural equation modeling) and qualitative (case studies and interviews)
research methods were employed to devise a general theoretical model of cultural
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influence on TQM. Furthermore, using Chinese cultural values as a case, the
specificities of a Chinese-style TQM were uncovered. The study has not only
contributed its modest share towards the theoretical development of TQM but has
also paved way for understanding indigenous managerial psychology from a
different perspective.