An Employee Survey Measuring Total Quality Management Practices and Culture: Development and Validation

This article presents a survey instrument designed to measure total quality management (TQM) and supporting organizational culture. In this study, 13 a priori dimensions of TQM and 10 a priori dimensions of organizational culture or climate were operationalized in a 113-item survey designed to measure the level of culture and TQM as experienced by individual members. The instrument was successfully administered to a diverse sample of organization members. A factor analysis of results from 886 respondents indicates that seven TQM and five culture dimensions, comprising only 56 of the original items, account for most of the scale variance. This produces a relatively compact instrument that allows researchers and practitioners to measure perceived culture and TQM implementation among all types of employees, work contexts, and TQM program levels. Revised index scores were found to be significantly related to stage of formal TQM program, thus supporting scale validity. Suggestions for using the instrument are presented.