The deployment of total quality management (TQM): The Russian experience

The struggle to satisfy clients in services and manufacturing within Russia has forced senior managers to search for new appropriate approaches to conduct business practices. Within Russia supply and demand has historically been the function of an administrative command system and was subject to state planning. Historical background in terms of the evolutionary gap and quality deployment experiences on quality management and problems in Russia are provided which is followed by a literature review of major instruments for evaluation of TQM. Secondly, the compatibility of TQM principles with the measurement instrument as used in the study are explained, finally the levels of TQM is assessed. Through literature review and a survey of data collected from 39 employees and 5 managers in one organisation and another sample of 122 employees and 6 Managers from the Russian Service Industry, this study empirically refines and validates 5 constructs for management functions. The constructs refined in this study are compared with other major quality measurement instruments and matched with the TQM principles. The study reports on the operational framework of Management Functional Assessment Model (MFAM), which can be used to examine the levels of critical factors relating to competitive advantage. The findings indicate that the MFAM is both reliable and valid. Indicative results are that the levels of TQM to be medium among the managers whereas employees scores lowly on the readiness for TQM. The paper concludes with the underpinning research base and establishes that there exists a valid body of knowledge specific for Russian businesses to utilise and take advantage. Russian firms should be able to gain a sustainable competitive advantage through the deployment of TQM.