Total Quality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Total Quality Management - Essay Example TQM has become part of the organizational culture within the operational environment of the business organization. For instance within the administrative setup of the prison organization, a number of departments interact on a daily basis. As much as a manufacturing or a service organization produces and sells a product for profits, the prison is an organization that delivers a service to the community though the community might not pay directly for the service. Theoretically the concept of TQM has three major principles such as satisfaction of the customer; satisfaction of the supplier; and continuous improvement. The first and major principle of TQM is to satisfy the customer who purchases the product or service. In fact customers always seek value for money when they buy a product or service (Stasiowski, & Burstein, 1993). Thus there are main sub categories under the first principle, i.e. users, company philosophy, internal customers and chain of customers. In the first instance user of the service can be different from the purchaser and therefore both the user and the customer must be satisfied. In the case of the prison management the service rendered to the society at large by efficiently managing the prison would be articulated in terms of the benefits that accrue to the society through such efficient management. For instance a continuous improvement in the quality of the service means that troubles and tribulations of all stakeholde rs including prisoners themselves would be reduced.In the internal organizational context of a prison quality improvement of service would reduce stress on employees and the general administration would improve to reduce the burden on the management. Thus the second sub-principle is centered on repeat sales to customers under TQM. In the prison management context, TQM enables the management to reduce internal conflicts that arise from friction between the management and prisoners. This must be the philosophy of the prison organization.Internal customers' satisfaction is the next sub principle under customer satisfaction is very important in the context of the prison management because managers onwards act as internal customers of services provided by employees. Minor offenders who are spending very short terms in the jail can be enrolled to provide their labor in respect of some services. For example gardeners and office peons are often those minor offenders who might be paid or not for their service (Pilgrim, & Smith, 2000). Customers of such service are primarily the departmental heads such as the meals department. The head of the meals department might co-opt the services of prisoners to clean and cut vegetables, fish and meat. Thus departmental heads might be satisfies with such labor if the latter is performed under efficient management conditions.TQM refers to the chain of customers as a sub category under the main principle of customer satisfaction. In the context of the prison management it is possible to discuss about the existence of an element of customers who purchase prison produce such as handlooms, farm products and agricultural produce made by prisoners. However it depends on the nature of the prison and the prisoners. For example murder convicts and similar major offenders are less likely to be employed on