Fundementals Quality of Management Survey

In a world where the basic fundamentals of business have to constantly change, it becomes essential for any company implement a thorough and effective form of management. Throughout history most civilized societies have constantly searched for ways to better improve the quality of business by improving management. The most common emerging management concept is form of management known as Total Quality Management (TQM). This is a structured system for satisfying internal and external customers as well as suppliers, by improving the production quality of goods and services. Some of the major points of TQM are the creation of a constant sea of purpose for the improvement of product and service; other aspects of TQM include the constant improval and continual process planning. This paper will analyze three different sectors of management and the manner in which each utilizes TQM, including: 1) an organization from the customer service industry (Burger King), 2) a non-profit organization (a public school), and 3) the government (a detective unit within a police municipality). Finally, it will access the importance of leadership within each of the three selected industries as it relates to quality. In order for any company or corporation to maintain a competitive edge they must still follow the basic fundamentals of management which are divided in four major parts. The most common guidelines managers use to ensure effectiveness: 1) planning, 2) organizing, 3) leading, and 4) controlling. Each one of these functions help uphold the quality of any business, however, there are many other functions that also play an intricate part of being successful. Some of these other functions were derived by trial and error, others were imposed because we have become more of a technical society with higher expectations. These other functions include budgeting, evaluating, reporting, and staffing. Although not all of these are the foundations of management, there just as vital to a management team as the four basic others. The first function of management is Planning. In this phase, managers set the tone for all activities run or controlled by the company or business. In the future, this aspect will change in accordance with the philosophy behind TQM. Managers will need to adopt a new philosophy, and end the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag alone. With so many competitors in every industry, a manager will have to recognize that other elements of planning are important for the business to survive. Customer service and the quality of product or service will come to the forefront of customer choice. A cheap product will not be able to survive in this rapidly changing business environment. Organization is another extremely important aspect of the necessary managerial skills for any manager desiring guaranteed success. Organization can be as simple as instituting training at work in a pattern that overlooks no single employee. A good manager cannot expect employees to train themselves or improve their work manners without additional help. A strong organized training program is sure to enhance even the most successful company. A strong Leadership team is another necessary important aspect for business in the 21st century. This leadership team must be instituted and adopted without fear at the workplace. Employees who fear their supervisors simply cannot evolve into successful employees interested in the growth of their company. A strong leadership team will effectively manage the business with the overall objective of accomplishing the larger goals of the organization. Leadership is also represented by effective communication with other members of the team, the establishment of high standards, and the promotion of continuing education in the line of business. Maintaining Effective Control over the business is also a highly regarded area in effective management. Effective control can be exuberant in a number of ways. One of these ways in accordance with the TQM model is to eliminate slogans, exhortations and targets for the workforce, which can be a cause of negative staff response. The system if annual raises or merit systems should also be eliminated and raises should be given based on performance and quality of workmanship. Numerical quotas for the work force and numerical goals for management should be eliminated as well. The role of TQM in the customer service industry is very important; Burger King, a long-standing successful competitor in this market, owes much of its economic success to its' pricing methodology, sales preservation and enhancement, and ability to compete within the unique structure of the fast food market. Since the market in which Burger King competes is characterized by intense competition with other international fast food chains, regional chains, local independent restaurants, convenience stores, grocery store delicatessens and food counters, the ability to effectively plan plays an crucial role. Organization at Burger King is also key, because the fast food market structure can be best described as a monopolistic market structure in which many firms produce similar goods or services but each firm maintains some independent control of its own price. The TQM element of leadership is important to Burger King because the barriers to entry in this type of market are fairly low and new competitors can easily enter the market. Burger King has taken several steps to place themselves in an optimal competitive position. For example, Burger King's non-pricing strategy has been to invest significant financial resources to advertise products, differentiate themselves from the competition, build brand image, and improve brand loyalty. Although such advertising is fairly expensive, Burger King has used this non-price competitive tool to build brand loyalty and change consumer determinants of demand. Burger King has protected their brand by actively pursuing infringers and protecting their trademarked names. Burger King also uses a pricing strategy to preserve and enhance sales. All of its' prices remain competitive with those of competitors, and Burger King will also implement sales or specially priced items occasionally to attract more consumers. Additionally, Burger King routinely tests and places on the menu new items, in accordance with fast food industry trends and consumer surveys. In this way, Burger King has maintained effectively the phase of control in the TQM model. A non-profit organization, such as a public school, also implements the elements of TQM by means of the principal's actions. For example, the leader in a learning organization implements the aspect of planning by developing and administering policies that provide a safe school environment and establish operational plans and processes to accomplish strategic goals. The principal must be organized, because the major sources of fiscal and nonphysical resources for the school including business and community resources must be analyzed and identified. Additionally, the financial and material assets must be managed, as well as capital goods and services, allocating resources according to district or school priorities. Policy development includes an efficient budget planning process that is driven by district and school priorities and involves the staff and community. A strong leadership quality in the public school system is the ability to identify and organize resources to achieve curricular and instructional goals. Research indicates that the process of planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating a district budget must be analyzed, and techniques and organizational skills necessary to lead and manage a complex and diverse organization must be demonstrated. Furthermore, policy development includes the planning and scheduling of one's own and others' work so that resources are used appropriately, and short- and long-term priorities and goals are met. A government agency, such as the detective task force located within a police municipality is also an organization in which TQM is very important. For example, the DNA analysis conducted by a detective can mean the difference between an individual incorrectly serving a life sentence on death row, convicted as a result of forensic hair analysis. Just within the past few years, the rise of DNA testing has revealed enormous failings in the microscopic hair analysis that was considered reliable a generation ago. The use of forensic DNA analysis in solving crime is proving to be as revolutionary as the introduction of fingerprint evidence in court more than a century ago, so planning and organization in such an environment is essential to eliminating false convictions. The value of DNA to police investigations is enormous, and leadership and control in such an investigation are very important. For example, biological samples collected from a crime scene can either link a suspect to the scene, or rule the suspect out as the donor of the DNA. Evidence from different crime scenes can be compared to link the same perpetrator to multiple offenses, whether the crimes took place locally, across the country, or halfway around the world. Thus, as indicated above, TQM is a business model that affects virtually every type of business sector. The importance of leadership as it relates to quality can be seen in each of the above-mentioned sectors. Leadership is important at Burger King, because the fast food industry is so competitive that strong leadership is the difference between success and failure. In a non-profit organization such as a public school, the quality of education that the students will receive while attending that school is directly related to the type of leadership exhibited by the principal. Finally, in a government organization such as a police department, leadership can mean the difference between an incorrect guilty verdict or letting a criminal go free. Therefore, every type of business would be well advised to implement a TQM model in their management style.