An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management

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dc.contributor.advisorRyan, Tomen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorTsangarakis, Nicolaosen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2014-11-15T19:40:33Z
dc.date.available2014-11-15T19:40:33Z
dc.date.issued1994en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliography.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThe objective of my project was to find the reasons why the Quality Improvement Process (QIP) which started enthusiastically in Old Mutual in 1987, has lost momentum. Its initial implementation was characterised by success, but later, certain shortcomings became evident. In brief, the initial success of Crosby's QIP programme was attributable to its organised implementation throughout the organisation. It created a general awareness of key quality principles and gave a common understanding of a uniform language and standards throughout the organisation. However, after some years, senior management realised that this process was too simplistic, and that more was needed. A 'second phase' was implemented. This phase built onto the foundations laid by the QIP and focused on achieving client-orientated improvements in all business processes within the organisation. But this phase gradually lost momentum, as it failed to take into account the fact that lasting and continuous improvement in an organisation requires fundamental changes in almost every facet or part of the organisational whole. These fundamental changes include changes to the organisational structure, its management practices, its work processes and systems , changes in the way that managers view the organisation (that is, their mental models) and not merely a focus on process improvement within the organisation. The hypothesis propounded in this thesis would attempt to prove or disprove a component of the aforementioned, namely that a certain dominant mental model, that is, a belief of how the organisation works, is needed amongst the management of an organisation to bring about genuine improvements. This hypothesis propounds that a high-performing organisation would exhibit a strong correlation between the mental model implied by quality improvement and the organisation's managers' dominant mental model of how their organisation works.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationTsangarakis, N. (1994). <i>An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Mechanical Engineering. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9655en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationTsangarakis, Nicolaos. <i>"An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9655en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationTsangarakis, N. 1994. An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Tsangarakis, Nicolaos AB - The objective of my project was to find the reasons why the Quality Improvement Process (QIP) which started enthusiastically in Old Mutual in 1987, has lost momentum. Its initial implementation was characterised by success, but later, certain shortcomings became evident. In brief, the initial success of Crosby's QIP programme was attributable to its organised implementation throughout the organisation. It created a general awareness of key quality principles and gave a common understanding of a uniform language and standards throughout the organisation. However, after some years, senior management realised that this process was too simplistic, and that more was needed. A 'second phase' was implemented. This phase built onto the foundations laid by the QIP and focused on achieving client-orientated improvements in all business processes within the organisation. But this phase gradually lost momentum, as it failed to take into account the fact that lasting and continuous improvement in an organisation requires fundamental changes in almost every facet or part of the organisational whole. These fundamental changes include changes to the organisational structure, its management practices, its work processes and systems , changes in the way that managers view the organisation (that is, their mental models) and not merely a focus on process improvement within the organisation. The hypothesis propounded in this thesis would attempt to prove or disprove a component of the aforementioned, namely that a certain dominant mental model, that is, a belief of how the organisation works, is needed amongst the management of an organisation to bring about genuine improvements. This hypothesis propounds that a high-performing organisation would exhibit a strong correlation between the mental model implied by quality improvement and the organisation's managers' dominant mental model of how their organisation works. DA - 1994 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1994 T1 - An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management TI - An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9655 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/9655
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationTsangarakis N. An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment ,Department of Mechanical Engineering, 1994 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9655en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Mechanical Engineeringen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Engineering and the Built Environment
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.titleAn ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality managementen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMIndAdminen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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