Top Quality Management, Reliability, and Maintainability: Institutional Goals with Built in Barriers.

摘要

TQM has been heralded as the process that will finally cause a cultural change throughout government and industry to usher in a new era of continuously increasing quality. Since 'the system' appears to be slow to react to the change in culture, there may be institutional impediments that are preventing the Air Force from achieving all that it can in RM and TQM. However, the study concludes that there are no concrete institutional barriers preventing the Air Force from reaching the goal of TQM. There are only opportunities for senior leaders to demonstrate their commitment to the TQM program. All members of the Air Force and industry must work toward continuous improvement in all facets of the system and the senior leaders must set the pace. Industry has instituted various forms of TQM (after all, TQM is defined in many different ways) and does not need the Government to dictate implementation plans. The success of the Air Force TQM program will depend on the extent to which its senior leaders are prepared to apply the concept of KAIZEN - gradual, unending improvement, doing 'little things' better; setting--and achieving--ever-higher standards. Keywords: Quality Control, Air Force, Personnel management, Theses. (rwj)