Total Quality Management

Kent State University

Kent Branch

M&IS 44150

Summer I, 2001

Instructor: Jalane Meloun, M. A. (not to be confused with all the other Jalanes you may know)

Weekly time we will spend together: Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00 - 9:50

Time we can spend together outside of class: Immediately after class

Office: Desk in main area outside the A4XX M&IS offices

E-mail: jmeloun@uakron.edu

Phone: Leave message with departmental administrative assistant, Jody Khlem: 330-672-1140

Fax: 330-672-2953

Text:

Evans, J. R. & Lindsay, W. M. (1999). The Management and Control of Quality. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western.

Course Description:

This course considers the application of sound management principles and theories needed for successful implementation of quality processes and systems. The course will be based on class discussion and cases.

This course may be used to satisfy the writing intensive course graduation requirement with the approval of the major department.

This course is very writing intensive and time-consuming. Due to the shortened duration of this summer course, you should plan your time wisely.

Course objectives:

� To learn of the historical background on the quality movement within the context of the principles of management.

‚ To have a comprehensive view of quality in product and service environments.

ƒ To develop an appreciation and persona adoption of the quality principles.

„ Through case studies and organizational analysis, to gain a background sufficient enough to comprehend and anticipate the challenges presented as an organization moves to a TQM environment.

… To gain an understanding of TQM, the basics of TQM implementation, and the advantages and threats to a successful migration to a TQM environment.

Method of Instruction:

The schedule of the course and the nature of the material provide an excellent opportunity to blend lecture, class discussion, case studies and group process. This approach will provide you with a variety of experiences that will allow you to be knowledgeable in all facets of TQM, from the basic principles to methods of implementation. This course is student-centered and relies on active and continuous participation. You will be expected to make oral and written presentations. In addition, a group project is required.

You are required to read the background material assigned prior to class meetings. This is NOT a course where memorization of facts will suffice. You must read, comprehend, question, and share well-thought-out opinions.

Grade Components:

Task	Point Value
Quality journal	150
Individual case analysis, 4 @ 50 pts. Each	200
Org. analysis/TQM assessment	200
Course exam	100
In-class group case analysis, 2 @ 50 pts. each	100
Course quality evaluation	50
TQ paper/presentation	200

* Class participation can earn you up to an additional 50 points; however, do not take these points for granted – they must be earned! Also note that occupying space in my classroom is not synonymous with participating. Furthermore, if you choose to discourage others from participating, this will counteract participation points you may have accrued.

Grading:

A	Aim here and be goal-driven	1000-900
B	Not bad, but could be better	899-799
C	Average – who wants to be only average?	798-699
D	Surviving education by the skin of your teeth is not admirable	698-598
F	Needs no comment	£ 597

Quality Journal:

Your are required to keep a journal of 10 quality articles you read in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune magazine, or other business publications. This journal is your reaction to the articles read. Please include the articles, along with your typewritten thoughts and opinions. There is no right or wrong. These are your impression, so be critical and thoughtful. Please include all appropriate bibliographic references. No journals will be accepted late.

Individual/Group Case Analysis:

Please refer to the attached handout on the case method of instruction. You will be responsible for the individual assigned cases that will be noted prior to the class due. Make sure that your cases are to be typed, grammatically correct, and freee from typographical errors. (Reread the previous sentence until you get the point.) Sources are to be cited where needed. Professionalism and neatness is expected. Length is left to your discretion. No cases will be accepted late. Individual cases will be awarded an individual grade.

Group cases will be done in class in self-directed work teams. Groups will be assigned by the instructor in most instances. Each group will select a spokesperson who will coordinate the group’s activities. The instructor will NOT intercede in group disagreements. Groups will have access to a PC lab and will provide their analysis in an outline format, typed, and free from grammar and typographical errors. No make-up work is possible if your group is late. Group cases will be awarded a group grade. Each individual will have peer input into the grading process for the assignment.

Organization Analysis/TQM Assessment:

Arrange to contact the top management of an organization, a division of an organization, or a department of an organization. Conduct a series of interviews on which you obtain information about:

� The organization’s leadership.

‚ How the organization’s leadership uses information for monitoring and improving quality.

ƒ Does a strategic quality plan exist, and how is it used?

„ How are the human resources used in the pursuit of quality?

… How is quality assured in production and/or service?

† How is quality tracked?

‡ How is customer satisfaction measured?

Your group assignment is to write a report to management reporting your findings. In addition to the above, please provide some historical information about the company being examined. The members, name of your team, and the name of your company, are due in writing on June 13. Your report will be handed in and presented orally on July 9. Please use appropriate media to enhance your presentation. Microsoft PowerPoint, overhead projection of slides, hard copy, and video are available for your use. Please coordinate your needs with Miss Meloun. This is a professional presentation; please be prepared.

Total Quality Paper/Presentation:

A paper on one of the four principles of TQM is required. Those principles are:

� “Do it right the first time.”

‚ “Be customer-centered.”

ƒ “Make continuous improvement a way of life.”

„ “Build teamwork and empowerment.”

You may also do a book report rather than a paper. Your book must be by a current management writer; for example Singh, Kantor, Covey, Peters, Deming, etc.

Basic formatting information: Report is to be typewritten and double-spaced with one inch margins, using Times New Roman font in 10 or 12 point size. Put your title, name, date, and class on the title page. Number the first non-title page to be page number 1.

There are plenty of resources on campus to assist you if the rules of grammar and crafting of professional papers challenge you. Because your instructor has taught English and grammar, it is suggested that you NOT slack on your written work. Total quality management also encompasses class writing.

Course Exam:

On written exam will be taken on the final day of class. The exam will be essay and cover all previous material. A review will be held during the class prior to the exam.

Course Quality Evaluation:

In addition to the KSU-provided course evaluation, I would like you to critique the course in a more specific manner. At minimum, I would like to know if the topics you want have been or will be covered. What aspects of the course do you look forward to doing or present a challenge to you? What inconsistencies have you spotted, if any? What suggestions for improvements do you have for this course in the future? This must be typed and double-spaced, but should be no more than a page in length.

Make-up Exams:

You are expected to be in attendance on the scheduled day of the examination. Make every effort to do so. Should an emergency arise, preventing you from attending the class or otherwise taking the examination as scheduled, it is expected that appropriate documentation be presented. In the event a make-up test is given, do not expect it to be a carbon copy of the exam presented in class. There is a distinct possibility that the academic rigor of the make-up test will be a notch or two higher than the standard exam. It behooves you to take exams as scheduled.

Electronic Devices:

No tape recorders, videotape equipment, cameras or other communication equipment and/or devices are to be used in class without the written permission of the instructor.

I hope you are properly enrolled in my class:

Enrollment:

It is well worth your while to properly check your enrollment in my class and section. You are advised to review your official class schedule during the first two weeks of the semester. Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until the second week of the semester to correct it with your advising office. If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for said classes. What a tremendous shame that would be, even though you would be enriched as a students for having sat through my course.

Withdrawal:

If we must part before the natural conclusion of the semester, the last date to do so is to be found in your KSU handbook.

Academic Honesty:

You are an adult and a college student. You should know that claiming others’ work as your own is nothing other than cheating, and although it is often said that doing this is a means of only cheating yourself. This is a truism that needs to be understood, not simply glossed over. KSU’s official policy is:

The use of the intellectual property of others without attributing it to them is considered a serious academic offense. Cheating or plagiarism will result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course. Repeat offenses will result in a dismissal from the university.

Students with Disabilities:

Promptly alert me to any accommodations you may need during my course. The official KSU policy is:

Kent State University recognizes its responsibility for creating an institutional climate in which students with disabilities can succeed. In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability, you may request accommodations to obtain equal access and to promote your learning in this class. Please contact the Office of Student Services to acquire the name of the campus representative to whom documentation should be submitted. After your eligibility for accommodations is determined, you will be given a letter which, when presented to instructors, will help us know best how to assist you.

Tentative Class Schedule*

Date	Week	Itinerary
6/11	1	Introduction Review textbook Syllabi distribution/explanation Students assigned to groups Student biographical introductions Chapter 1
6/13		TQM paper/presentation topic due Chapter 2 Chapter 3 In Class Case Analysis #1, 50 pts.
6/18	2	Chapter 4 In Class Case Analysis #2, 50 pts. Chapter 6 Chapter 7
6/20		Chapter 8 Individual Case Analyses #1 & #2, 50 pts. each = 100 pts. Chapter 9
6/25	3	Chapter 10 Individual Case Analyses #3 & #4, 50 pts. each = 100 pts. Chapter 11 Chapter 12
6/27		Quality Journal Presentations
7/2	4	TQ Paper Presentations
7/4		NO CLASS - Happy Firecrackers Day!
7/9	5	Org Analysis/TQM Assessment Presentations, 200 pts. Review for exam
7/11		Exam, 100 pts. Course Critique, 50 pts.

*Instructor reserves the right to make changes to the above schedule, however, the changes will be announced in advance and, if necessary, in writing.

Format for Case Analysis

Perhaps the most characteristic task that a manager performs is that of making decisions. The typical manager is confronted daily with decisions for which there are no formulas, no precedents, and no established principles. Decisions of this type call for a thorough knowledge of management principles, a personal system of values, and a professional view of what constitutes business ethics and morality.

In your analysis of the cases in this course, you too, will face problems for which no prescribed solution exists. In some of the cases, the solutions may appear quickly. In others, it may be difficult to even determine the nature of the problem. In all of the cases; however, you should strive to determine what the issues are and how they may be resolved.

Attacking a case analysis is essentially a matter of following what is popularly known as the “Scientific Method.” The steps in this method are as follows:

� Identify the facts presented in the case.

‚ Select of identify the salient issues or problems.

ƒ Determine the PROBABLE cause of the issues or disturbance, being careful to separate causes from symptoms. Also remember that guessing at causality is a tricky business; the true cause may not be available.

„ Propose alternative actions designed to resolve the issue or disturbance.

… Develop criteria that the chosen alternative must meet.

† Select the best alternative and consider how and when the decision should be implemented.

You should bear in mind that seldom, if ever, will your proposed alternatives be equally acceptable. Thus you should see the one best solution. When you evaluate your alternatives, consider such things as the practicality of your decision, the effects it will have throughout the firm, the cost of your decision, who must act, and whose actions will be restricted or enlarged.

The primary purpose of performing case analysis is to provide you with the opportunity for decision-making. You will be expected to make a decision and support it. It has been said that there is never an entirely correct solution in case analysis. Nevertheless, you should take the responsibility of advocating a preferred course of action.

To select a good decision is often difficult because most cases appear to lack sufficient information. You may need to make assumptions and, if so, these should be stated. The business executive seldom has all the needed facts and, if you are faced with this problem, as yourself this question: “Am I fully utilizing the facts I have?” At this point, creative expansion of the case material can be in order. This involves looking behind the facts to get at the underlying situation.

In writing or presenting a case, you should include the following, keeping superfluous garbage to a minimum:

� Identification of the facts.

‚ Statement of the problem(s). A concise statement of the problem that gets at the core of the matter.

ƒ Assumptions and observations on the case. Consideration of influencing factors and noise in the system should be mentioned to show your thought processes.

„ Alternative actions or solutions. Do NOT detail workings of each solution. Briefly consider the consequences of each alternative.

… Statement of preferred course of action. Give your choice of the above alternative.

† Analysis. Defend your choice and show why you discarded the other alternatives.

Evaluation Sheet

NAME:	DATE:
COURSE:	SECTION:
ASSIGNMENT:

	FAIL	POOR	FAIR	GOOD	EXCELLENT	SCORE
Organization � (10 points)	0-6	6.5-7	7.5-8	8.5-9	9.5-10
Exposition �� (10 points)	0-6	6.5-7	7.5-8	8.5-9	9.5-10
Factual Integrity ��� (30 points)	0-17	18-20	21-23	24-36	27-30
Thematic Focus ���� (50 points)	0-29	30-34	35-39	40-44	45-50
COMMENTS					TOTAL
					GRADE

� Logical, readable paragraphs with clear purpose and focused intent.

�� Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and proper citations.

�� � The use of accurate facts in an appropriate fashion.

�� �� Meaningful generalizations and insights focused well upon a stated thesis conveying a cohesive point of view and thoughtful grasp of the issue.