| Total Quality Management (TQM) emphasizes continuous improvements. Yet, Deming in his 14 Points (an early framework for TQM) explicitly discourages time standards. However, time standards have historically been used to measure work and evaluate productivity improvements. The objective of this study is to determine how industry addresses these conflicting views. To accomplish this two questionnaires were designed. One was completed by plant or quality managers and the other was completed by production workers. Questionnaires were sent to 437 companies in different industries located in the Midwest.; This study found that companies use both work measurement and TQM with the high acceptances from their employees. Not only can work measurement and TQM coexist in an organization, they can both be used for improving the company. The study differentiated work measurement applications in companies with respect to the existence of TQM. The study shows that time standards can be used in various applications without affecting the workers' acceptance. Fear and distrust of time standards, as claimed by Deming was not found. Cooperation and teamwork, quality, productivity, and continuous improvement were not negatively affected either. One exception, however, was use of time standards in incentive pay. This application was shown to affect quality and continuous improvement. |
