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Title: The Role of Leadership and Cultural Contingencies in Total Quality Management in Central America

Authors: Asbjorn Osland

Addresses: Author address listing can be found in the "About the Authors" section at the end of the article.

Abstract: This case study contrasts how leaders learn to build on existing cultural contingencies while implementing total quality management (TQM) in a Central American context. The specific contingencies discussed are high power distance in relation to the quality council and allocentrism in reference to the cross-functional quality action teams. The approaches of two leaders are contrasted. One leader implements TQM interventions at multiple levels of the organization simultaneously; his approach has a statistically significant impact on employee attitudes. Another leader, in a different but comparable site, uses the TQM program opportunistically to further his managerial agenda and proves ineffective in changing employee attitudes.

Keywords: Cultural contingencies; total quality management; quality council; allocentrism, leadership.

DOI: 10.1504/JBM.1996.141018

Journal of Business and Management, 1996 Vol.3 No.2, pp.64 - 80

Published online: 05 Sep 2024 *