Analysis of criteria for implementing Total Quality Management in adult education program

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent of agreement among Adult Education clientele for selected criteria to obtain feedback prior to Total Quality Management (TQM) being implemented. A set of specific criteria to facilitate implementation of TQM were identified. The criteria represented possible characteristics of TQM in Adult Education. In order to conceptualize the core concepts of TQM, corporate viewpoints of quality were reviewed to develop a meaningful view of quality with extension to Adult Education.;The study sample comprised of a cross section of ninety-three adult students from five sites enrolled in a one year Adult/Executive degree completion program at a modest size university in the south-east. Distribution of responses and analysis of means were undertaken. For the variables to be more normally distributed, the ordinal scale was transformed into an interval scale. The reliability and validity of the instrument were analyzed. A series of MANOVA with follow-up ANOVAs were undertaken to detect differences in the level of agreement among respondents from different sites. Post-hoc Tukey tests were used to determine site specific pairwise differences.;The study revealed that as Adult Education was undergoing dynamic change, measures needed to be taken to implement TQM in this ever changing academic landscape. It provided insight as to what criteria were critical for implementing TQM. The study suggested that the "one size fits all" approach needed to be modified in favor of specific criteria that were responsive to Adult Education.