Using Total Quality Management to achieve academic program effectiveness: An evaluation of administrator and faculty perceptions in business schools at historically Black colleges and universities.

摘要

This study was done to evaluate the perceptions of administrators and faculty about using Total Quality Management (TQM) to achieve academic program effectiveness in the school of business at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The purpose was to evaluate the degree of faculty awareness, practice, and appreciation of using Total Quality Management (TQM) to achieve academic program effectiveness and student-learning objectives in the school of business in the United States. This would require the involvement and commitment of the institution's leadership, faculty and staff through planning, promotion, and implementation of total quality management (TQM).; In the academic community, colleges and universities are now expected not only to maintain regional and professional accreditation, they are also held accountable to the publics they serve. Since the mid 1990s, a number of HBCUs have experienced regional accreditation problems. Accrediting agencies are now demanding quality in both instructional and nonacademic services institutions provide to their students (Armstrong, 1996).; An institution that wants to achieve its goals and objectives must ensure an effective leadership; adequate funding; a sound financial base, and good financial management practices; a committed faculty and staff; teamwork and collaborative partnership; and good governance. It is, therefore, imperative that HBCUs must design workable solutions to address and tackle problems that hinder regional and professional accreditations. Overall, this study was conducted to motivate HBCUs to encourage business schools to adopt the TQM concepts/quality initiatives in order to strengthen their business program effectiveness, to achieve student-learning outcome, and to maintain continuous quality improvement. Specifically, the study evaluated the perceptions of the administrators and faculty about using TQM to achieve academic program effectiveness and student learning outcomes in HBCU business schools. It provided a good assessment tool to identify those vital elements of TQM, such as strong leadership and coordination, shared vision and goals, effective communication, faculty interest and commitment, adequate funding, and teamwork. In essence, this study suggests that TQM can be used as a viable tool to meet student satisfaction; and to achieve academic program effectiveness, and student-learning outcomes.