The verification of effective leadership style for TQM: A comparative study between USA-based firms and China-based firms
International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management
ISSN: 0265-671X
Article publication date: 29 July 2014
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to verify the universal applicability of total quality management (TQM) across national boundaries. Specifically, the authors examined the validity of the isomorphic nature of TQM leadership style by comparing survey samples from both USA-based firms (n=112) and China-based firms (n=121).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected the primary data through a survey research method. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were adopted to test the hypothesized research model.
Findings
The study results did not support the universality of TQM practices. For example, the results reveal that in the USA-based firms, transformational leadership has a more significant positive influence on TQM practices, while in the China-based firms, transactional leadership has a more significant positive impact on TQM practices.
Originality/value
Most of the existing literature on TQM assumed that the most effective TQM leadership style would be universal across organizational or international boundaries. However, our findings imply that the effective leadership style for successful implementation of TQM practices could be contingent on the cultural background embedded within the firms. Therefore, the authors anticipate the findings of the study will guide future research on TQM and create a new path to find solutions not only for optimizing the successful implementation of TQM, but also for minimizing the current high level of TQM failures.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are deeply grateful to Professor Wei Fang and the School of Management at Northwestern Polytechnical University with respect to their excellent assistance with survey research in China. The authors also greatly appreciate the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments, which substantially contributed to improving the presentation of this paper.
Citation
Sik Cho, Y. and Y. Jung, J. (2014), "The verification of effective leadership style for TQM: A comparative study between USA-based firms and China-based firms", International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 31 No. 7, pp. 822-840. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJQRM-04-2013-0065
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited