TQM IMPACT ON QUALITY CONFORMANCE AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION - A CASUAL MODEL

Total quality management (TQM) has had considerable success in terms o f its implementation in companies. It has also been the subject of man y studies in recent years. It seems, however, that there are some shor tcomings in the research on this subject and in particular the lack of an adequate theoretical formulation suitable for empirical research. This study proposes and elaborates a model which examines TQM practice s (orientation towards quality, TQM links with customers, TQM links wi th suppliers, process control, human resources) in relation to two dim ensions of quality performance: quality conformity and customer satisf action. The model is constructed on the basis of established theory bu ilding approaches and on well-known criteria of evaluation of theoreti cal contribution. The model is empirically tested on data gathered on a stratified random sample of manufacturing plants through the applica tion of valid and reliable measures. The model is tested using structu ral equation Modelling. The results show the existence of two distinct paths of direct influences which lead, respectively, to customer sati sfaction and quality conformance. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.