The adoption and implementation of total quality management (TQM) are related to a company's culture. The relationship between cultural orientation and the implementation of TQM practices among certified Singapore contractors is investigated from an organizational culture perspective. The competing values framework was used to assess organizational culture and eight TQM elements were identified to gauge the implementation of TQM practices among contractors. A survey questionnaire was administered. Four organizational culture types have been identified from the survey findings. These are strong comprehensive, clan-driven, hierarchy-driven and weak comprehensive culture. Firms with strong comprehensive culture implement highly the TQM elements of top management leadership, people, process, customer and supplier management. Firms with clan-driven culture implement highly the element of process management while firms with hierarchy-driven and weak comprehensive culture implement lowly to moderately all elements. A culture-based TQM implementation strategy is proposed.
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