Towards Total Quality Management in higher education: A case study of the University of Wolverhampton

Abstract

This case study describes why the University of Wolverhampton made the decision first to pursue Total Quality Management (TQM) and then to develop a Quality Assurance System to an international quality standard (ISO 9000).

The study is organised in four major sections.

• 1. The contextual background to the decision making.

• 2. Phase 1—what was done during the first one and a half years of the initiative, describing the wide ranging discussion set up across the institution.

• 3. Phase 2—what was done during the second year of the initiative, describing the practical steps towards implementation, including the first attempts at Quality Circle methodology.

• 4. Appraisal—an assessment of the success, failure and lessons so far.

For purposes of clarity and focus, the TQM and ISO 9000 aspects of the University's experiences have been described and discussed separately although, in practice, they are taking place simultaneously. Financial costs, especially in respect of ISO 9000 have been reported as accurately as possible and some reference, within the limits of a descriptive case study, is made to relevant management-of-change theory.