TQM in Non-Manufacturing SMEs: Evidence from the UK Farming Sector

Abstract

KEITH WALLEY IS SENIOR LECTURER IN Marketing at Harper Adams University College, Shropshire, England. Total Quality Management (TQM) is one of the most powerful concepts available to managers today. Many firms have adopted it and much has been published on the subject. However, most of the literature focuses on applications of TQM within large organisations that operate in the manufacturing sector. This paper aims to redress the situation by outlining a study into TQM in the UK farming sector. A postal survey was used to gather data and an expert panel employed to generate insight into the findings. In terms of the attitudes of the respondents and the management practices employed, the survey reveals that the only statistically significant differences between those farms that employ a formal programme of TQM and those that do not, concern the understanding of the respondents of their role in the supply chain. It is argued, however, that while this difference is small, it may well constitute a significant competitive advantage. The paper concludes that while further research is needed to validate and explain the findings, TQM may play a valuable role in the operations of SMEs which reside in non-manufacturing sectors.

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