Edwards W.Deming (1986) considered to be one among the "total quality trinity" advocates
that building quality into the product improves productivity, decreases costs and increases customer satisfaction. The other two constituting the 'trinity', namely, Joseph Juran (1988) and Feigenbaum(1991) also insist on total quality as a way of managing an
organisation. While Juran's approach focuses on reducing the cost of quality, Feigenbaum places his emplasis on long term commitment to quality. Subscribing to the old adage 'prevention is better than cure', Feigenbaum considers that quality problems could be overcome by prevention rather than corrective action. Total quality is a function of employee empowerment,meaning that an effective employee recognition system will produce dedicated and customer-focused employees.
It is futile to pretend that the interests of employees and those of management are identical or even wholly compatible. Areas of mutual interests and areas where interests do not overlap need to be identified to bring about convergence or confluence of corporate interests with employees interests. The test of any factory organisation is the extent to which it creates and fosters the atmosphere and spirit of cooperation and goodwill, without in anyway lessening the loyalty of the workers to his own class and its organisation (Cadbury,1912:xvii). If security of employement is seen as the first fundamental precondition to an employee's commitment, opportunities to advance and improve one's own status follow as the second condition precedent of an employee's loyalty and identification (Blauner 1964:180). With economic anxieties having bidden adieu, employment security is vouched for, which results in an employee developing strong interest in the competent
performance of his occupational responsibilities and maintain his professional outlook (Blau 1955:218). Security,after all, is inspired by fear and if fear is the one that one must fear most, then a satisfactory life must have a positive aim inspired by hope (Russell 1988:70). Human resource practices that impact total quality performance need to be tailored in such a fashion as to inject innovativeness and creativity in such practices. It therefore calls for not common sense, but in fact uncommon wisdom. Aside from being one of the means of investing in human capital, the physical and goodwill of the employees become important assets. Areas where human resources should become more involved include employee selection, training and development, career development, performance management, designing innovative pay systems, taking a hard look at pre-requisites and status symbols within the organisation, improving labour relations in unionised setting, and supporting widespread communication of performance results,objectives and strategic plans.
SELECTION:- To begin with, procurement involves the selection of the 'right man for the right job'. No one else has ever so well shown this aspect like the
'Immortal Tamil Poet Saint Thiruvalluvar'. According to him, 'objectives, analysis,tools,personnel and plan of action are to be considered before entrusting the work for execution' (Thirukkural,517). The selection process for prospective employees is therefore critical in the sense that it attempts to identify whether they measure up to the behaviourlly based performance indicators. The essential characteristics to be taken into account of those 'waiting on their wings' are whether they have abilities for learning,unlearning and relearning and to work and interact with others. Development will come to an end when one of these three legs,namely, learning, unlearning and relearning is missing. The stress revolves around the personality correlates of successful employees in a total quality organisational environment. When once successful, they will be on the 'wings of fire' to earn more and more laurels as partners in progress.
EDUCATION,TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT:-
Companies committed to
Total Quality Management invest heavily on training and education. Training and education have become an important responsibility of the human resource function, as empowered employees require new knowledge and skills that are contemporary and made available at the appropriate time. Training generally includes quality awareness,leadership, project management, comminications, team work, problem solving,techniques, interpreting and using data, meeting customer requirements, process analysis, process simplification, waste reduction, error proofing and other issues that affect employee effectiveness, efficiency and safety.