Total quality management in higher education: The application of information technology

The purpose of the study was to analyse the application of information technology to total quality management processes in administrative and business operations of four institutions of higher education.;Four research questions were considered: (a) what concepts, processes, strategies and planning models drawn from the literature related to the application of information technology to the development of total quality management processes in administrative and business operations; (b) the concepts, processes, strategies and planning models utilized by senior executives in the management of information technology and total quality management processes; (c) the roles of senior executives in the application of information technology to total quality management processes in terms of vision, management philosophy, style and empowerment; and (d) guidelines derived from the data to provide a framework for the application of information technology to total quality management processes.;A qualitative case study methodology was adopted to study systematically the issues raised. The institutions included two universities in the unified national system of higher education in Australia. The other two universities were four year public institutions in the United States of America. Data were gathered from documents and interviews of sixty-four individuals including chief executive officers, senior executives, middle managers, total quality management specialists and team members.;The strongest influences from the literature came from the writings of Deming and of Coate from Oregon State University. The Skewhart model was the most used model. Concepts of variation and measurement were not well established in higher education institutions.;High levels of frustration were reported when delays in implementing information technology affected the quality of processes and outcomes. Middle management practices, cultural change and commitment were important in the success of total quality management initiatives. The availability of information technology for reengineering an institution's structure was identified.;Chief executive officers' important role in cultural change was identified. The study provided insights to aid practitioners in universities through guidelines and a total quality systems planning model derived from the data.