[A Preliminary Analysis of Total Quality Management Approach in Improving The Project Management Effectiveness]

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Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Problem Statement2

Purpose of the study2

Aim(s) and Objectives3

Significance of the Study3

Rationale/ Nature of the study3

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW5

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY8

Gantt Chart12

REFERENCES13

Chapter 1: Introduction

Background of the study

One focus of project management research has been on establishing the attributes of effective project performance, i.e. the success criteria (Cooke-Davies, 2009: 45) and the factors that facilitate effective project performance, i.e. the critical success factors (CSFs) (Daniel, 2009: 64;Rockart, 2009: 145). Traditionally, project performance had been defined in terms of the "iron/golden" triangle (Atkinson, 2009: 188; Gardiner and Stewart, 2009: 201), which refers to meeting cost, time and quality (technical)-related criteria. The iron/golden triangle is still regarded as applicable for measuring project performance, as shown by a recent survey of project managers (White and Fortune, 2009: 236). Project management researchers have explored the factors that influence the emphasis given to the cost, time and quality-related criteria that make up the iron/golden triangle (Might and Fischer, 2009: 145; Kerzner, 198: 365; Pinto and Slevin, 2010: 105; Pinto and Prescott, 2009: 235). However, the predominant approach of these studies has tended to be hypothetical, asking the question how project performance criteria ought to be emphasized rather than establishing the factors influencing actual project management (PM) practice (Shenhar et al. , 2009: 133). There is a need to investigate influences on the iron/golden triangle that focus on asking the question "what is influencing performance-related decisions in projects?" and the study reported in this paper goes some way to meeting this need by focusing on actual practice in relation to the performance criteria emphasized in project environments

Problem Statement

In operations management research there have been studies exploring the links between operational practices and dimensions of organizational performance. Fullerton et al. (2010) reported the impact of just-in-time practices on performance and McKone et al. (2009) considered the effect on performance of introducing a total productive maintenance approach. There has been limited research specifically focused on project environments, though a study by Tukel and Rom (2009) investigated the link between having ISO 9000 certification and the level of customer-focus in PM practice (finding no link). One area that has received attention in studies is the influence of total quality management (TQM) practices on performance (Hendricks and Singhal, 200: 147; Kaynak, 2010: 98). The assumption is that there will be a positive effect on performance through the changes brought about from implementing a TQM-type programme, in such areas as leadership, human resource management, process management, supply chain management and information management (Shieh and Wu, 2009: 157). One study has considered the impact of TQM on project performance, though the study by Shieh and Wu (2009) was limited to appraising the effect on the processes in the architectural planning stage of construction projects rather than on achievement of the end objectives across a variety of projects.

Purpose of the study

The purpose of the proposed thesis is to explore the concept of total quality management approach ...