Abstract
This survey was conducted by collecting data through the use of an assessment questionnaire which was distributed to 18 Total Quality Leadership Advocates at a Naval organization. The Advocates are located at 18 field activities located throughout the United States. Their headquarters is in Washington, D.C. The survey collected data on the attitudes and commitment of top level management officials on Total Quality Leadership, during the time period when these organizations were implementing Dr. W. Edwards Deming's quality and productivity improvement concepts. The assessments were conducted while global events were taking place, e.g. peacetime environment, downsizing of Department of Defense, base closures, consolidations and organization realignments. The methodology for conducting this survey included a questionnaire which was forwarded to Total Quality Advocates at 18 field activities, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. The response rate was 100%. It was important to survey all field activities in order to ensure that the data represented all field activities. The major findings of the study were that the attitudes and commitment of top management officials, toward the concepts and principles of total quality leadership, were favorable for the time frame within which the study was conducted. That is, during the implementation stages of total quality leadership and during a time when the activities were undergoing a downsizing and realignment effort. The findings revealed that top management officials had been trained in the total quality philosophy and that the majority of the managers were viewed as having integrated quality concepts into their management practices. They did not view total quality management as another productivity program, but were actively promoting the concepts in their organizations. The survey conclusions took into consideration that individual and organizational changes can take many years to occur. It was concluded that if top management officials continue to support the total quality leadership efforts, that successful implementation will follow. It was recommended that the new organization leadership issue policies that continue to support quality management, and that they review and revise their short and long term quality goals to ensure that the goals are in alignment with the new organization's customers, mission, and product line.