A critical investigation into the implementation of TQM within construction SMEs

A critical investigation into the implementation of TQM within construction SMEs Hadi Kazemi Surrey University, UK Research Student hadikzm@gmail.com Key Words: TQM, construction industry, SMEs, competitive advantage, critical success factors Abstract Despite the widespread use of Total quality Management (TQM) in the manufacturing industry, it is quite a new concept in construction and its potential benefits yet to be exploited. TQM is increasingly adopted by many construction organisations as an initiative to tackle the quality problems and to fulfil the clients requirements. The focus of this paper is to investigate the implementation of TQM within small and medium size construction enterprises (SMEs). It presents a general overview of the current practice in the construction industry, critical success factors for implementing TQM, primary barriers to the implementation process, and a general proposed framework for TQM implementation in construction related organisations. The methodology used for this research was a combination of questionnaires and interviews. The results demonstrated that quality improvement in the construction industry is possible and a valid mean that can be achieved through the participation of all the employees and parties involved in the process. However, due to the nature of construction industry, there is a limited perception to implement TQM. Introduction It is beyond argument that the late 20 th century has been a change era for the business world. The market experienced a shift towards a highly competitive environment in which client expectations are the only success criteria. Many scholars has stressed the need for organisations to move towards new managerial systems in order to provide a greater customer value [1], [2], [3], [4]. Achieving this objective entails the implementation of any tool that results in a slight competitive edge. Total Quality Management (TQM) has proved itself as a powerful tool. It is what [4] construes as "Total Survival Management (TSM)" and recommends that as the only solution for organisations. The literature is plentiful with definitions of TQM. Basically TQM is a managerial philosophy which aims to achieve organisation s main targets using all sources including employees. The main objective of TQM is satisfying the customers both internal and external. In fact TQM is a holistic and 1

organisation-wide approach that introduces a cultural change to the organisation in order to improve the quality of products and services, manage the production time, cut down the costs, and finally meet the customers priorities. [5] believe that TQM is greater than sum of quality, quality assurance and total quality. TQM is about continuously improving customer satisfaction by quality-led companywide management system. This goes beyond the mere application of total quality as a form of management itself. As [6] state, TQM is a journey and not a destination. [7] believes that the definition of TQM varies from organisation to organisation and even from individual to individual. Accordingly he describes TQM as "both a philosophy and a set of principles" which are the foundation of a continuous improvement of the organisation, which gives an implicit picture of philosophical component of TQM based on "continuous improvement" as the heart of TQM in all aspects of the business. This definition of TQM is endorsed by other authors too [4], [8], [9], [10]. Other scholars, however, identify "continuous improvement" just one of the fundamental principles of TQM along with "integration" and "customer focus" [11], [12]. In this paper, TQM is interpreted as "a way of managing an organisation to ensure the satisfaction at every stage of the needs and expectation of both internal and external customers, that is shareholders, consumers of its goods and services, employees and the community in which it operates, by means of every job, every process being carried out right, first time and every time" [13]. TQM consists of some principle concepts which underline the success of TQM implementation within the organisation s operational environment. Different authors present different attitude in relation to the TQM principles. But in general, the principles of TQM mainly contain customer/supplier relationships, with a focus on the primary objective of meeting the stated requirement perfectly. According to [14], issues to be addressed as principles of TQM include; leadership, commitment, total customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, total involvement, training and education, ownership, reward and recognition, error prevention, cooperation and teamwork. Rationale for implementing TQM in construction The second half of the 20th century was a period of fundamental changes for the construction in which the industry experienced an increasingly specialised fragmentation. According to [15], construction projects have become increasingly complex and technical, and the relationship and contractual groupings of parties involved are also more complex and contractually varied. In fact, the improved coordination between the individuals, in order to provide an advanced quality and customer satisfaction, has become an integrated part of the process. In fact, the pressure for change and improved quality in construction industry has come from outside by informed clients in industry and government. [14] argues that TQM develops a culture of continuous improvement by effectively using all the organisational resources and as a result authorises the senior management to maximise the value-added activities and to minimise efforts on non value-adding activities. According to him, the main advantages of applying TQM to construction projects are; production of a higher quality product, reduction in the overall construction time and costs, increased efficiency and effectiveness of all personnel, and improved communication system. Referring to the findings of the research conducted by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 1982, which formed the initial focus for rectifying the deficiencies of the construction industry, [16] demonstrated the cost benefits of introduction of quality. As shown in Figure 1, a minimum of 15 percent savings on total costs of construction can be expected through eliminating re-work and wasted work. 2

Figure1. Cost Benefit of Quality Management Source: [16], p40 Although it is generally accepted that TQM generates sustainable competitive advantage, there is no theory to support the belief [17]. [18] advocates that TQM can produce economic value to the firm provided that all the critical success factors are addressed in the implementation process. Accordingly he concludes that implementing quality management can lead to improved performance and greater competitiveness through co-operation. Likewise, considering the market-based theory of competitive advantage, resource-based theory of the firm, and system theory, [17] verify that TQM generates sustainable competitive advantage. [19] show that introduction of TQM can generate a wealth of distinctive competencies which partly define the maintaining of competitive advantage. In addition, [20] indicates that implementing a well-established quality system not only results in a cost advantage for the organisation but it acts also as a marketing tool where it promotes the image of the company and provides a better competitive edge for the company. Analysing seven building projects of various sizes in Australia, [20] shows that implementing a quality system can result in 7% saving as benefit of preventive measure (Figure 2). Figure 2: Quality Management Saving Source: [20] 3

[14] states that effective implication of a TQM programme in the construction industry can result in; providing barriers against new entrants to the industry, changing the basis of competition, changing the balance of power in supplier relationships. He further suggests that TQM provides a basis for the construction companies to identify and exploit the full extent of their operational activities and focus on customer satisfaction. [21] believes that most of the construction organisations seek to implement TQM as a valid reason to obtain sustainable competitive advantage. Implementing TQM in the Construction Industry For a long time, manufacturing industry has proved itself capable of adopting changes in a short time. New technologies and management techniques have always been welcomed by manufacturing industry. In contrast, construction industry has been constantly criticised for the lack of innovation and its slow adoption of new technologies. It has been characterised as a highly fragmented industry and reluctant of accepting any changes in the process. Construction industry has always been criticised for its inefficient performance in terms of time, cost and quality with the time and cost overruns being the most important reason of the projects economic invalidation. [22] indicate that the successful experience of the other industries in adapting organisational cultures, achieving significant cost reductions and generating major gains in productivity and quality was a ground for accomplishing a same alteration in construction industry. In the UK context in particular, [13] describes the industry as ineffective, adversarial, fragmented, incapable of delivering for its customers and lacking respect for its employees. Latham advocates the role of customer in the construction process and introduces the client as a 'driving force'. According to [11], the dominant message of the Latham report is the key role of the client in stimulating a cultural change in the construction industry and actualising the adoption of modern management concepts - like TQM. One of the main targets of the Latham report was to reduce the capital costs within the industry. [23] advocates the proposal and suggests the use of quality improvements which affect the running costs and also are easier to achieve. [13] also underpins the requirements of the industry to adopt a team approach and support high-quality training. [24] believe that emphasis on the partnering and using more 'collaborative' and 'teamwork' approaches is the ultimate message of the Latham report. The linkage between priority areas of the Latham report and issues related to the implementation of TQM are illustrated in Figure 3. Priority areas identified in the Latham report 1. Education andtrainingin TQM (theory and practice) 2. Publicisetheopportunit- ies and benefits of TQM 3. Develop measurements of Quality Issues of implementing TQM in construction Training and measurement constructs Identification of advocated benefits of TQM One of the key success factors Figure 3. linkage of the Latham report and TQM implementation Source: [25], p116 Similarly, [26] stresses the need for the industry to make substantial changes in its practice, structure and culture and to improve its efficiency, quality and safety. According to [22] the report develops the earlier recommendations of the Latham Report. The main target of the Egan Report is to provide a 4

practical mean to the industry by which the productivity and profitability are improved and quality failings are reduced. It pictures the need to the industry to embrace a cultural shift and suggests a movement for change. Having the construction industry challenged, Egan urges the industry to learn from the successes of manufacturing and service industries and suggests the use of TQM as an effective approach to ease the quality problems within the industry and ultimately to increase the customer satisfaction [27]. As [23] points out, less reliance on competitive tendering and formal construction contracts, and move to a 'supply chain' system of construction is one of the major elements of the Egan report which can lead to improved productivity and profitability. Emphasising the involvement of all and focusing on the customer requirements, TQM is one of the most powerful tools to do so. Construction industry is regularly condemned because of its poor performance on time, cost, quality and safety issues. Construction is comprised of a multitude of occupations and involves numerous parties that the poor performance of one will affect the whole performance and quality of the final product. Most products of the construction industry are one-offs and each project is unique in nature. Furthermore, excessive changes of the design - due to either the lack of build-ability of the design or variations by the contractors - are typical throughout the process. Accordingly quality performance is difficult to achieve in the construction [28]. However, as [20] states, there are some corporate procedures applied to all projects in different variations which can be standardised through an established quality system to accomplish the specific requirements of particular projects. Tendering, procurement and document control are some examples of these procedures. [29] indicate that the achievement of the acceptable levels of quality has long been a problem in the construction industry. Enormous amount of time, money and resources, both human and material, are wasted because of inefficient or non-existent quality management procedures in construction process. [11] believe that the problem of construction industry is the poor quality culture and it is not truly customer focused. [30] notes that construction industry has undoubtedly experienced an enormous improvement in terms of quality in recent years, but regrettably this progress appears just in certain aspects of the process, and the "final delivery" still suffers from lack of quality. Unlike the construction industry, manufacturing sector has well-established quality systems. This is probably due to the different nature of the two sectors. According to [16], manufacturing includes the repeating processes with products primarily put out in large batches, whereas in construction, work is undertaken mainly in single batches or projects. Moreover, construction industry is typified as a highly differentiated, fragmented and loosely structured system. The skills and orientation of the professionals and practitioners in the industry have developed in an environment of socialisation and differing traditions. [14] observe the consensus definition of TQM in construction as: "TQM is a management philosophy which aims to produce a better performance from a whole project team and to result in better quality products and services, delivery and administration, which ultimately satisfy the client s functional and aesthetic requirements to a defined cost and completion time. For this to work the client has to accept the responsibility associated with being part of the project team". It is believed that the principles of Total Quality (TQ), which have been adopted successfully by manufacturing, are equally applicable to the construction industry. Although projects vary in design, size, location and constraints, the project process from feasibility to handover does not change. Many activities, such as procurement, commissioning and accounting, will be similar and can all profit from the ideas of TQ. People are the important component of TQ and therefore the most profound effects of TQ come through changing attitudes, relationships and work manners. [16] state that the professional customs and practices of the involved parties in the construction industry - in addition to their special technical skills - affect the building process both individually and collectively. According they suggest that the major pressure for change and improved quality in the construction industry comes from external sources like well-informed clients and government. Nonetheless, [20] bewails that the adoption of quality in the construction industry is mainly client-led. Furthermore, [15] stresses the tremendous role of TQM in maintaining and improving the performance in both design and construction stages of the industry. He believes that TQM must start at the top to be successful, and in construction, which is essentially project related, it must be with the client. 5

According to him, construction like other industries needs a "cultural change" to adopt TQM appropriately. In brief, TQM brings together the process improvement, customer and supplier involvement, teamwork, and training in an effort to attain customer satisfaction, cost effectiveness, and zero-defect work. TQM culture, in addition, provides a suitable environment for innovation and technology advancement. Deployment of TQM in Construction Industry A review of the essential elements of TQM exposed a lack of practical application of the processes within the construction industry. The main factors included a lack of adequate budget, failure to plan adequately for quality, inadequate training at all levels except for top or senior management positions, and little recognition given to those who strive for quality improvement on their projects [31]. [32] envisage that there is a general resistance to implementation of TQM in the construction industry. The main reasons of this reluctance are; Product Diversity, Organisational Stability, and Misconception of the Cost of Quality. [22] advocates the uniqueness of the construction industry and specifies a set of barriers which might prevent the organisations from taking full advantage of the adoption of holistic TQM; as follows; product differentiation, organisational stability, change (reluctance to change), contractual relationships, and teamwork and management behaviour. Likewise, indicating the differences of construction industry and manufacturing, [29] state that quality control procedures which are effective in a mass production industry are not considered suitable for the construction. Accordingly [30] suggests that the concept of quality control should be changed from "controlling quality" to "controlling management for quality" in construction which would result in utilising an integrated quality control system based upon the current industry experience and standards. [32] showed that the majority of construction organisations in the UK are reluctant to implement TQM because they feel that ISO 9000 series is enough and therefore they do not want to impose more "cultural shock" to their employees. In addition, [33] state that organisations in the construction industry have refrained implementing TQM practices because they feel that the shortterm benefits are relatively nominal, and further it is common for this firms to consider TQM as synonym to quality assurance (QA). Furthermore, [31] point out the historical reluctance of the construction industry to implement change. According to them, construction companies are intended to implement just those aspects of total quality management programs which will provide them with competitive advantage and lead to an improved financial performance. According to [30], construction industry presents a unique situation for quality management programme due to the disintegration of site management and office management teams. Further, uniqueness of every project, due to different management structures and different internal and external customer requirements, necessitate that the quality management programme be tailored specifically to each project individually. [16] indicate that many of Crosby s approaches to quality fit the construction industry well. According to them, Crosby s quality definition - conformance to requirements - could be adapted to the construction industry as simply conforming to drawings and specifications. Generally, construction process can be broken down into three main phases: planning and design phase (pre-construction), construction phase, and maintenance and operation phase (commissioning). [15] argues that establishing the project s requirements must always be considered at the first phase in the overall process of building. Appointing a committed team of main contractor and subcontractors to the quality process and developing a true quality attitude are the initial important steps in developing the quality in the constriction process. In other words, selection of the team must reflect the quality attitude of the work [16]. [25] suggest a four-phase implementation process for TQM; start up, transition, consolidation, maturity and refocusing. In addition, [16] outline a more detailed process for TQM implementing construction projects as follows: 1) Obtaining the client commitment to quality 2) Generating awareness, educate the staff and change attitude 3) Developing a process approach toward TQM 6

4) Preparing project quality plans for all levels of work 5) Establishing organisation and management bodies 6) Instituting continuous improvement 7) Promoting staff participation and contribution using quality control circles and incentive programmes 8) Reviewing quality plans and measure performance [34] show that generally there is a poor and inadequate coordination/communication system within the construction process. However, undertaking an effective QA system in the process can provide a remedy for some of the coordination problems. Clearly implementation and development guidelines of a TQM programme must be set out in accordance to the organisational needs and requirements. [35] suggests that a successful total quality programme is derived from certain principles. According to him, implementation process is characterised by six fundamental requirements, based on the concept that people are the heart of a successful programme. These requirements are; top management commitment, attitude change, continuous improvement, strengthened supervision, extensive training, and recognition of performance. [29] indicate that the project s quality requirements should be established at the inception stage of the construction process. They refer to the project requirements as the key factors that define quality in the process of construction. In figure 4, the generally accepted elements of TQM and construction industry-specific factors that affect quality of the construction project s process are illustrated. Figure 4. Elements of TQM in the Construction Process Source: [29], p237 [36] argue that there is a general inability within the construction industry in accurately determining the customer requirements and transforming these requirements into the completed facilities. They suggest six factors for indicating the client satisfaction (time, cost, quality, client orientation, communication skills, and response to complaints) and state that construction industry is unable of accurately meeting these indicators. In regard to the aforementioned points, quality of the construction work mainly depends on the attitudes of the parties involved in the process. As a result, an effective total quality approach must be tailored into the construction process in order to eliminate or at least minimise the factors with adverse effect on the quality of construction works [16]. 7

Critical Success Factors for Implementing TQM There are plentiful studies regarding the identification of critical success factors of implementing TQM, though many of those are within the manufacturing industry. There are several factors directing a company into success route, and different authors have identified different factors. However, they all seem to a common core. [37] indicates that there are globally standardised quality models which are used as a guide for implementation process. Each model offers different categories for measuring the success or failure of the approach. Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), and Deming Application Prize are the most well known ones. One of the first empirical efforts that established a new instrument for integrated quality management was the research carried out by [38] that developed a 78-item quality management instrument in order to measure the extent to which the quality system is implemented. The result of the research was verified by [39]. Later, [40] carried out a study based on the research of [38] in which the focus was on plant rather than an organisation and more importantly the role of the management and employees were emphasized. [41] conducted a study in which they compared 76 empirically identified TQM factors and their impact in different countries. The result showed that top management commitment and leadership, customer focus, information and analysis, training, supplier management, strategic planning, employee involvement, human resource management, process management, teamwork, product and service design, process control, benchmarking, continuous improvement, employee empowerment, quality assurance, social responsibility, and employee satisfaction were the most commonly extracted factors. [42] argue that the success of TQM depends on several variables, controllable and uncontrollable, many of which are specific to the company s culture, customers, and capability. They suggest that there is a unique TQM implementation approach for each company. Accordingly they deem the following factors as the most common critical issues for a successful TQM implementation: strong top management leadership and commitment, customer focus, employee involvement and empowerment, focus on continuous improvement, supplier relationship, and the recognition of quality as a strategic issue in business planning. For the purpose of this paper, following factors are considered as the most relevant CSFs in the construction industry; top management commitment, training and education for all employees, teamwork, integrated supply chain management, coordination between quality department and other departments, quality-focused purchasing policy, customer satisfaction, benchmarking and quality control system, and empowerment. Critical success factors (CSF) are used to not only increase the productivity and improve the organisational performance but also build a morale and commitment among employees. To be successful it is essential for the management to focus on empowering the employees through continuous training and education which if implemented wisely can result in sustainable advantage for the organisation. However, according to [43] it needs a great amount of care and supervision since the absence of these factors can totally obliterate the TQM programme. Inhibiting Factors Associated with TQM Implementation It has been widely accepted that there are some basic pitfalls that prevents the practitioners from being quality organisations [44]. In construction industry, however, there are additional hinderers due to its unique nature [31] which preclude a successful implementation of TQM. Accordingly [22] suggests that the full potential of TQM within the construction industry is yet to be exploited. [25] maintains that typically two out of three organisations implementing TQM process consider it a failure. This high failure rate is due to the several inhibiting factors. [25] points out the following barriers as the main hinders of TQM implementation in SMEs: cultural barriers, management awareness barriers, financial barriers, raining barriers. [34] identify the 8

following restrains to implementing TQM within the UK construction organisations: poor coordination, use of one subcontractor, use of Design and Build contracts. [22] suggests a general set of barriers and their influence upon TQM as presented in Figure 5. However, he suggests that many of these barriers can be addressed and tackled in different levels in the organisation mainly by more effective resource management, being open to ideas, and involvement of all the individuals. Figure 5. Set of Barriers of TQM implementing Source: [22], p291 Considering the uniqueness of the construction industry in terms of diversity, operational scale and final product specification, there are additional barriers specific for the construction industry as follows: product differentiation, organisational stability, change, contractual relationship, and teamwork and management behaviour. More currently, [45] conducted a research to identify the problems associated with implementing quality in the US construction organisations. The results show that from the contractors point of view, lack of skilled workers and the low bid contract awarding are the most important obstacles of quality improvement. Additionally, [32] cite the following factors as the resistance to the implementation process; product diversity, organisational stability, and misconception of the cost of quality. [20] indicates that although implementing and maintaining a quality system costs; it should not be seen as overheads for the company since there will be less incidents of rework or rejection. This is the point that is missed by many construction organisations which see the cost of quality as the overhead costs with no immediate result. In this paper, the most important inhibiting factors of implementing TQM in construction organisations are seen as follows; insufficient commitment by top management, lack of customer focus, lack of well-developed plan/strategy, lack of effective communication system, lack of proper training for staff at all levels, transient nature of the workforce, field employees regard TQM as irrelevant, lack of efficient operational approach, low bid subcontracting, TQM to all field operations (not only related to office and ignoring the site-related factors). There are numerous obstacles to the implementation of TQM within the construction organisations which should be identified, removed or neutralised. A successful TQM implementation requires the involvement of senior management from 9

inception to completion. There should be training and education programme for the employees to increase their commitment in order to overcome the implementation barriers. It is also necessary for the field forces to be educated to get the productive results. Improvement measures such as employees' participation and effective communication systems are suggested as the preventive measures. Never before IT has been widely utilised by the construction organisations to coordinate construction projects and supply chain. In addition, [46] shows that implementation of TQM in the construction is affected by the locationbound nature of the industry. He refers to the successful experience of the Japanese contractors in implementing TQM routines in the construction process and creating local norms, which cannot be used in other locations where parties involved in the process, are not imbued with the same quality culture. Data Collection and Analysis Using the online survey, a total number of 100 questionnaires were sent out to various construction organisations, of which 18% responded. Based on the questionnaires two interviews were also arranged. Section 1. shows the characteristic of the respondents and their organisations. Contractors are the dominant group of respondents (60%, 9 respondents). 20% (3 respondents) are developers, 1 respondent from consultants and 2 respondents from other professions (civil engineering). Respondent organisations employing between 100 and 249 people are the main respondents (47%). 27% are from the classification 5 (250-499 employees) closely followed by classification 3 (50-99 employees) (20%). There is just one company employing more than 500 personnel. This means that majority of the organisations are in the range of small and medium sized companies and the balance is toward the medium size. Section 2. examines the implementation of TQM or any other quality management programme by organisations and the rationale behind it. As the findings suggest, 87% (13 respondents) of the organisations implement a form of quality management programme among which 77% (10 respondents) have been certified by ISO, EFQM or other quality programmes, while 23% (3 respondents) operate an internal quality standard within the organisation. Considering the size of the organisations which implement quality management programme, Ahire and Golhar s (1996) argument about applicability of the TQM programme in the small firms - their potential for high employee involvement, multifunctional roles of the employees, and encouragement given to employee innovation - is justified. Comparing the critical success factors in TQM and non-tqm organisations reveals that companies implementing TQM consider the top management commitment and customer focus as the most important factors, while non-tqm organisations identify customer focus and teamwork as the main elements. It is very common especially among the construction organisations that the companies implementing TQM may not use that as a part of daily working tasks. However, the results suggest that 33% of the organisations implement TQM totally, and 47% partially. 13% of the respondents use TQM as a reference and for the rest (7%) it is just a general guidance. Organisations rationale for implementing TQM is different depending on size, nature of the business and also market requirements. 93% of the organisations point out the 'recognition as a quality oriented organisation' as the most important rationale. Obtaining 'customer satisfaction' and establishing the 'effective supply chain system' were the other reasons emphasised by 80%. Interestingly, achieving sustainable competitive advantage is pointed out by minority of respondents (13%). Rivals position in the market and also client s demand were the other reasons pointed out by some respondents. 10

Rationale for implementing TQM Achieve Sustainable Competitive Advantage Provide a continuous improvement culture Setup effective supplier/customer Gain competitive edge Improve organisational efficiency Obtain customer satisfaction Get recognition as a quality oriented 0 20 40 60 80 100 Get recognition as a quality oriented organisation Obtain customer satisfaction Improve organisation al efficiency Gain competitive edge Set up effective supplier/cus tomer relationship Provide a continuous improveme nt culture Achieve Sustainable Competitive Advantage Column1 93 80 60 47 80 27 13 Figure 6. Rationale for Implementing TQM According to the interviewee, the main rationale for implementing TQM by his organisation was getting recognition and obtaining customer full satisfaction through a continuous improvement culture. In addition, introducing the obligatory measures such as having ISO certification by government sector is another initiative. Furthermore, it helps to create a better public image of the company as a quality oriented organisation. Section 3. In order to investigate the critical success factors of TQM implementation, a list of 10 factors extracted from the literature review was used. Respondents were asked to express their views about the importance of each factor. This method provides a valuable mean to examine applicability of TQM in a much wider context. No. Critical Success Factor Score CSF 1 Top management commitment 4.40 CSF 2 Coordination between quality department and other departments 4.06 CSF 3 Training and education 3.7 CSF 4 Teamwork 4.27 CSF 5 Purchasing policy 3.47 CSF 6 Supply chain management 3.53 CSF 7 Customer satisfaction 4.53 CSF 8 Effective quality control system 4.26 CSF 9 Benchmarking 2.67 CSF 10 Empowerment 2.73 Table 1. Ranking of Critical Success Factors As can be seen, customer satisfaction and top management commitment have been suggested as the most important success factors. It is already shown that customer satisfaction is the essence of TQM philosophy and senior management commitment is the main requirement of introducing a change 11

culture into the organisation - TQM programme. Interview results justify the findings. However, it suggests supply chain management as the third significant success factor. Experienced managers can benefit the organisation in two ways, planning and controlling the organisational performance towards the final goal, and coaching and mentoring the employees where necessary (interview). Section 4. Construction industry historically suffers from severe problems regarding quality issue due to its unique nature. It was tried to address a wide range of quality related concerns and barriers in the construction industry. The same philosophy as the previous section adopted. Several obstacles for the TQM implementation process suggested by literature review were used to identify their importance in the industry. Barriers to the Implementation Process Score Top management commitmenttochange the traditional customs 3.20 Top managementinvolvementtoimprove ways of performing tasks 3.40 Primary customer focus 3.33 Well developed planning 3.13 Access of too much paperwork 2.73 Too tight scheduling 3.2 Effectiveandestablished communication systems 3.2 Transient natureofworkforce 3.2 Selection of low bid subcontracting 2.93 TQM application to all field operations 2.8 Field employees regardtqmas irrelevant 2.53 Training for staff at all levels 3.06 Low education level of field forces 2.93 Table 2. Ranking of Implementation Barriers As can be seen, all the factors are almost in a same range. It means all these factors are considered as implementation obstacles which should be addressed to ensure a smooth progress towards the organisational objectives. Section 5. Interview. Additional points which had not been covered in questionnaires are as follows. TQM process usually causes considerable reductions in time and cost of the overall process as it provides a problem-solving means for managers by implementing a corrective approach and minimising the errors and their impact though the process. In addition, construction industry is highly relied on the client and its requirements. As a result a successful implementation process necessitates the close involvement of the client with the project management team during the initial and tendering stages to ensure the clear understanding of objectives by the project team. To summarise, the survey result revealed the same underlining principles, procedures and problems previously identified. Research has discovered. 87% of the total respondents have indicated the using of a quality improvement programme which is a high figure compared with the industry's standard trend. It is advocated that utilising TQM provided the organisations with a competitive edge. However, the process is not seen as great importance in the daily workload by professionals. Various barriers hinder organisations of exploiting the full potential of TQM. It has been attempted to deploy the solutions being practiced in the manufacturing industry but unique nature of the construction still does not allow much improvement. However, middle managers are welcomed to be a part of decision making process and in turn influence the employees. Profound steps are being taken to meet customer satisfaction, mainly via project partnering, supply chain management and employees involvement. Implementation Framework for TQM Developing a sound implementation framework is crucial and should be done before embarking on TQM. The framework will make the organisation more aware of TQM itself, and enables the organisation to introduce TQM s elements and features in a more comprehensive, controlled and timely manner [47]. 12

According to [48], a sound implementation plan should define the final product and the process of doing so in detailed steps. In terms of TQM, as [49] suggests, it means translating TQM theory into practice through systematic means. [50] underlines the wrong implementation approaches as the main reason for failure. TQM implementation within SME s is a long lasting project which should be dealt with as a never-ending process. TQM is a new system apart from the current practice which needs new thinking and managing method. Framework is needed: To illustrate an overview of TQM and communicate the new organisational vision To clarify the organisational strengths and weaknesses To support and provide implementation means and to improve success of the process [21] suggests that a generic model should be adopted to assist the organisation in the deployment process of TQM. The model is presented in Figure 7. Conclusion Based on the findings, it can be concluded that although there are efforts to implement TQM within the construction SME s, the extent of actual implementation is still low. There is faint evidence of successful implementation which means the full benefit of the process is yet to be exploited. However, there are several factors stimulating a new movement in the industry in which many organisations are adopting a variety of quality programmes to enhance their competitiveness as the research indicated. TQM is the most popular approach as it provides sustainable competitive advantages. Shockingly, it is mainly believed of some importance rather than great importance to the construction organisations. 13

Figure 7. Generic Model for Implementation of TQM Source: Watson (2008, p22) 14

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