Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of the chief instructional officers of Taiwan junior colleges regarding Total Quality Management in their colleges and the extent to which they used these strategies. Methodology. The researcher used descriptive research. The population consisted of 200 of the chief instructional officers of Taiwan junior colleges. A questionnaire was utilized to collect data to answer six research questions. A descriptive study approach was used to gather data through the use of the questionnaire with clusters of questions addressing each of the research questions. The study was ex post facto. In order to overcome the language difference and expectations on the part of CIOs, several criteria were followed. Each of the items was stated briefly and succinctly; open-ended questions were avoided because they are often time consuming for the respondents and because responses are difficult for the reader to write and for the researcher to evaluate. The data were collected and then cross-tabulated across the three major themes. Findings. The chief instructional officers of Taiwan junior colleges were mostly male and tended to be middle aged, meaning in their late thirties and into their fifties. The majority of them had been employed in higher education between four and nine years. Almost all of them had earned at least a master's degree, and more than two-thirds of them had an earned doctorate. More than two-thirds had completed their most recent degree in the last eight years. Regarding the area of study of their most recent degree, approximately a third studied business and technical studies, while nearly 28 percent studied in the broad area of mathematics science (engineering). Conclusion and recommendations. TQM works because of an organization's culture, through the organization's structure and management processes. Change may be viewed as an opportunity, not a threat, and the principles and practices of TQM can aid in this transformation. Comparing their research with that of Zagorski's (1994), one can conclude that Eastern and Western culture and philosophy had big effect on the differences between groups of CIOs. Culture influences communication styles and management. Among the recommendations are: (1) Successful implementation of a TQM approach will require the acceptance of a team approach to management and leadership by every member of the management staff. (2) Junior colleges should adopt and adapt the philosophy and principles of TQM to every aspect of their operations. (3) Higher education strongly believes that retaining and becoming comfortable with the term "customer" are important parts of the transformation to quality. (4) A nationwide TQM initiative could make significant inroads in bringing Taiwan educational reform from its current status to its continuous improvement status. It should be developed.