Nepalnews.com Mercantile Connumications Pvt. Ltd.

Though the importance of TQM and Quality Circle in productivity enhancement and improving competitiveness has been realised in Nepal for about two decades, the pursuit of TQM and quality management implementation and consolidation here has been rather frustrating, and TQM professionals have started thinking of TQM as a foreign subject which cannot be harvested in this country. I have read about such difficulties experienced in almost all countries. How can Nepal be any different?

The National Productivity and Economic Development Centre (NPEDC), a focal point of the Asian Productivity Centre, Japan, has been promoting this concept through training and consultancy services. A number of Nepali entrepreneurs, professionals, academicians, supervisors and work leaders have developed awareness about productivity, quality management system and total quality management. But, hardly any organisation is actually implementing TQM on a continuous basis. Why is it so?

I put this question obliquely to two famous Deming Prize winners, Dr. Hitoshi Kume and Dr. Noriaki Kano. They are recognised as the left and right hands of Prof. K. Ishikawa, the father of Quality Control Circles and TQM in Japan. Their reply was the same – TQM is a universal concept, and it is feasible in all countries in all types of organisations, both manufacturing, service and even in the government. They said that TQM was definitely made and tested in Japan with overwhelming success, but it has been successfully adopted by many developing and developed countries.

I discussed this matter with some TQM champions of this region too, as they have more or less the same culture and values as we have. Sunil G. Wijesinha (the CEO of Merchant Bank of Ceylon and recipient of APO productivity award for his successful pioneering work in promoting productivity in Sri Lanka) and AMM Khairul Basar (General Secretary of Bangladesh Society of Total Quality Management) explained that the successful implementation of TQM depends on macro-environmental factors such as economic growth, the socio-cultural values and beliefs of entrepreneurs, attitudes of trade unions, government commitments etc. Their opinion was that TQM and productivity movement need more time to be really successful in our part of the world.

Then, three years ago, I got a chance to meet the American quality management champion, Donald L Dewar, in Lucknow, India. Revealing the teething problems he faced while implementing quality circles at Lockheed and other companies in the USA, he said that TQM looks like a universal phenomena, but a lot of training and education was necessary, especially for entrepreneurs or managers. It is an arduous process, but when the entrepreneurs realise its importance, it will immediately begin to show results. For this, unstinting top management commitment is a prime necessity.

I also had the opportunity to present the Nepal experiences and the difficulties faced in implementing a sustainable TQM system during a regional seminar on Japanese Style Management at Colombo, Sri Lanka, three years ago. Those cases were highly regarded and endorsed by the participants agreeing that Sri Lanka too had a similar experience. I learnt that the Nepali cases reflected similar situations in most countries, and I need not feel so frustrated after all.

Two typical cases presented in the accompanying boxes shed light on the problems of TQM implementation in Nepal. As is obvious, the reason for the problems is nothing but the thinking and preference of individuals, which in turn are influenced by their psychosocial and cultural backgrounds. It is no use talking about only the technical aspects of TQM and quality circles if we cannot change these individual traits.

An observation of various enterprises that tried implementing the programme revealed a lack of whole-hearted support from the owners or the top managers. Though some energetic managers and external experts were very enthusiastic, the zeal for continuous improvement, the approach of collaborative action, and the passion for systematic problem solving were pathetically missing.

At this juncture, it becomes necessary to understand the traits, thinking processes and preferences of individual stakeholders who include employers/managers, workers/staffs, and customers/communities. So, in a country like Nepal, instead of trying to convince entrepreneurs to implement TQM simply by narrating its virtues and successes in countries like Japan, USA and Singapore, the whole approach to TQM has to be reengineered to a different mode. We have to reach out to the roots, start by nurturing the individual traits towards the psychological profiles that are suitable for TQM.

It is pertinent to try to find an answer to the following question: Why was it easier to develop and implement TQM in Japan but not in Nepal and some other countries? How did the 1954 JUSE seminar motivate scientists and engineers to develop the foundation of TQM? The answers are getting quite clear now. The World War II had clean-slated the brains of the Japanese industrialists and bureaucrats. Everything was devastated - the infrastructure as well as the peoples' psyche - and everybody had to start from scratch. While Americans induced some insights about how to rebuild the nation, Japanese quality gurus started writing scripts on the clean slates of Japanese people regarding new methods of group dynamics and continuous problem solving for improving the quality of life. This helped in the emergence and success of TQM in Japan. Thus, TQM is more of a psychosocial substance. It should not be seen merely in the context of some simple technical tools, but more as a study of human behaviour. Here, an attempt is made to explore what lies behind TQM and the making of total quality people.

Many writers have postulated a number of theories to understand the human psychosocial traits. Herrmann's four-quadrant brain model (presented in next page) is worth noting here. According to the research carried out by Roger Sperry and others in the 1960s it was found out that the brain has dual functions. The left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side of the body and appears to have the function of logical, analytical, sequential and rational thinking. The right hemisphere tends to perceive the world and the people in a global mode (i.e. instantaneous initiative, visual, synthesising, emotional and expressive). Recently, a new dimension has been added to this famous brain theory by Ned Herrmann who differentiated the left and the right brain into four clear quadrants (see box).

Studies have revealed that while every individual possess some dominant profiles, 7 percent of the people have single dominant, 60 percent have double dominant, 30 percent have triple dominant and only 3 percent have quadruple dominant profiles. There is nothing like good or bad in individuals having any of these profiles, but understanding TQM philosophy and utilising its techniques and tools requires people with quadruple dominant profiles, preferably ones preferring Quadrant A and Quadrant B, and using Quadrant C and Quadrant D.

TQM puts emphasis on people to be more process-oriented. David Cooperriders' Appreciative Inquiry (AI) theory contends that the fact of an organisation is not a problem to be solved, but "a miracle to be embraced". Postulating the 4D cycle (Discovery, Dream, Design and Destiny Cycle) for organisation development (OD), AI describes entrepreneurs as persons who can dream, have wide vision, and posses the capability to envisage the future and its environment. TQM, as such, does not disagree with this. Its only contention is that far out dreams may be harmful and taking a step-by-step approach to problem solving at the process level will be better. It subscribes to the slow-and-steady-wins-the-race philosophy. It assumes that creatively solving problems, continuously with an eye on customers' expectations, and applying the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Act) cycle helps an organisation to be competitive.

However, TQM needs people in the organisation with appropriate values that make them recognise the importance of being customer (process) oriented and not just profit (result) oriented, collaborative (unidirectional cooperation) and not just participative (democratic exercise), and problem solvers (continuous improvement) and not just dreamers (innovation).

Case A: Scared manager not accepting creativity

A progressive entrepreneur wanted to implement TQM to improve quality and productivity in his Pokhara noodle factory. He believed that with his excellent interpersonal relationship with the workers, he could achieve what the Japanese people had. He even allowed an extraordinarily decorated boardroom to be used by the workers for quality circle meetings. He openly professed his readiness to extend all support needed for promoting workers’ education in order to develop productivity and quality. The production manager, a self-taught hard working technician, was appointed to lead the quality circle programmes. But, despite the positive attitude of the workers to learn and work toward improving the quality in the factory, the quality circle programme was not a success. The problem was that the manager was scared to share the new knowledge with his subordinates and his ego prevented him from accepting the workers’ creative ideas. Despite tangible benefits like lowering of wastages from 4.8 percent to 1.5 percent within six months, the QC programme did not get continuity.

Case B: CEO needed ISO Certification only

One very successful entrepreneur with a tremendous record of business growth wanted to introduce Quality Management System in his steel mill at Biratnagar. He built a conference room inside the factory with excellent furniture and logistics. The production manager was quick to understand the strength of quality circles and the participation of employees in establishing standards and norms, and preparing documents. So, he took several classes to train the workers. Workers in turn participated in teams to identify norms and even tried to improve processes. However, this programme did not get the continuity after the mill received the ISO 9000 certification. Clearly the objective of the management was to get the ISO certification alone.

This requires an overall orientation of managers, supervisors and workers towards understanding the customers and their needs, and solving problems continuously in a collaborative way to improve the process. Such orientation depends on the values, beliefs and traits of each individual within whose minds these psychosocial scripts are written right from their early childhood - at home, at school and, later, at their workplace. According to Stephen Covey (in his book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), individual behaviours are reflected as per the script written earlier in their minds.

Human behaviour theorists are on a continuous search for better ways of motivating people for organisational development. Psychologists are trying to enhance their understanding of individual traits to develop different approaches of deskilling adults through experimental learning. These methods are widely used to change the behaviour and attitude of the working people for effective implementation of TQM. But deskilling adults has proved to be an arduous and time-consuming process, as it is very difficult to change or re-script the mind as time passes in the life of an individual.

Scripting on a clean board is a rather easier and effective approach than deskilling. We cannot wait for some miracles like that in Japan to happen to clean slate our brain so that we too can gain from the virtues of TQM. Furthermore, with the strong assaults of globalisation, we cannot afford longer time to deskill our workers and entrepreneurs to implement TQM.

An alternative approach is to start much earlier - targeting the children, i.e., attuning the behaviour of today's children so that they have positive inclination toward development through creatively and continuously solving problems for betterment. The brain-slate of a child is always clean, and therefore it readily accepts any script. TQM implementation will not be difficult when the attitude and behaviour of today's student is moulded in a manner that empowers him to identify the challenges (problems) of the world, analyse them with facts of life and solve them thoroughly by collaborating with other fellow humans for continuous improvement.

Swami Vivekananda once referred to educational institutes as man-making organisations. So, they have the responsibility of producing Total Quality People (TQP) - persons who can develop their latent capabilities, productive skills and who can coordinate their expression for the enrichment and progress of society, says Jagadish Gandhi, a visionary man of India who started a campaign of Students Quality Circle to make Total Quality People for the future. While exploring the factors that contributed to Japan's progress during his visit to that country in 1992, Gandhi identified Quality Circles and TQM as the principal ones. He wondered that if this management philosophy could work in the shop floor of Japan why couldn't it work in the school grounds. After returning to India, with his very qualified and dedicated lieutenants, Dr. Vineeta Kamran and Prakash Bihari, Gandhi initiated the Students Quality Circles (SQC) in City Montessori School, Lucknow, India. Making tiny students exercise Quality Control Circles in a classroom was a remarkable and historic job.

Quality people are those who are committed, have positive outlook, possess leadership abilities and the desire to excel. They are not created by chance, but by a constant and conscious effort. They have to be trained right from the beginning with quality consciousness as their second nature. Our academic institutions and schools have to adopt innovative ideas to respond to the changing times. Their responsibility lies not only in imparting formal education but also in shaping the attitudes and personalities of their pupils. Empowerment programmes like quality circles in these institutions have tremendous potential in moulding children into total quality people, total quality citizens and total human beings.

Forming Students Quality Circle (SQC) at schools, colleges and universities will help realise these objectives. Operating with similar principles of Quality Circle in industry, the SQC is a small group of student volunteers that meets regularly for an hour per week to carry out problem solving activities for self-development and mutual development. In the process, the students of SQC improve their personality and communication skills and develop a sense of social responsibility and global outlook. Students Quality Circle programme, when introduced as an integral part of TQM in school and universities, will help reorient the psychosocial traits of the students (who as future leaders and managers) to promote TQM culture in their respective organisations, to develop a win-win playing field.

CMS School at Lucknow, India is probably the first school in the world that experimented with this approach. There, I found the solution to the problem I was long facing - the difficulty in implementing TQM in industries in a sustainable manner. SQC, the Students Quality Circle (not to be confused with Statistical Quality Control) is an ideal approach to script the minds of students with the idea of solving problems in a collaborative manner right from a young age.

I am witnessing the growth of SQC in Nepal since I first introduced this concept in 1999. Tiny students have solved many interesting problems, which were very difficult for the teacher to even identify. The school principals are now taking interest in this noble methodology of child development, thanks to the World Council for Total Quality and Excellence in Education, which has been organising annual conventions since 1997.

Himalayan Vidya Mandir in Siphal, Kathmandu is the first educational institute in Nepal that tried this new concept of SQC. In 1999, they formed one circle with six students with an average age of 14 years from classes VIII and IX. They practiced circle activities during school time. This circle bagged a special award in the 2nd International Convention on Student Quality Circle (2nd ICSQCC) held in December 1999 in India by presenting a case titled "Towards Maintaining Discipline Among Students".

While two principals, two teachers and six students participated in the 2nd International Convention on SQC (1999) held in India, eleven principals/directors/convenors of schools from the eastern region of Nepal participated in the 3rd International Convention on SQC held in Mauritius in 2000. It was quite encouraging to note that 15 schools with 84 principals/teachers and students participated in the 4th International Convention on SQC held in Lucknow (2001). They bagged several awards, too. The interest is growing and in the 5th International Convention on SQC held recently in July 2002 in Kentucky, USA, 11 principals and directors and one student from Nepal participated.

Nepali delegates in the 6th International Convention held at Lucknow, India made a record of the largest delegates from a single country beside the hosting country among 2500 delegates from different parts of the world. Kathmandu University High School took the lead role in the 7th International Convention held at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Now, the 7th International Convention is again going to be held in the first week of December 2005. Nepal is going to take part in this. It is now time to internalize the concepts of students quality circles among the schools of Nepal. The first National Students Quality Circle is going to be held on 26 to 28 October 2005 in Kathmandu. This will be the first step towards developing total quality people through SQC.

Here, I would like to propose that scripting on a clean board rather than deskilling adults is a correct approach of implementing TQM for countries like ours that are late starters of TQM. And, Student Quality Circle is an initiating strategy.

Keep in mind that large environments and areas are essential for big ideas and strategies. Small surroundings maintain and create small minded people.

Development starts with ideas but a good idea alone is, of course, not enough. A good idea should be realistic and some people develop it by using the right knowledge at the right time. Some good ideas may not be realistic. Creative people who prefer convenience some times come up with the best ideas while many achievements are initiated by necessity. Unusual and beautiful ideas can develop from within a company but you have to hear, see and recognise them. People with brilliant ideas are not necessarily successful. Keep in mind that large environments and areas are essential for big ideas and strategies. Small surroundings maintain and create small minded people. Need, devotion, interest, experience, talent, knowledge and realistic thinking lead to good ideas. A good idea can make the difference but you also can become a victim of your own creations.

In some universities, they divide successful and unsuccessful people on the basis of whether they have vision. Vision alone, of course, is also not enough as you need ideas. Most good ideas develop from needs. So, first comes the need, then the idea and then slowly the vision.

There are many types of needs from which ideas are developed. Needs are of various types: The need to survive, to move forward, to differentiate, to be secure, to solve problems, to maintain a position, to respect, to stop a downfall, to get or maintain a reputation, of demand, of perfection, of needing. Beautiful ideas can develop form all these needs. The greater the need, the more active the brain and the chance of a change.

In order to widen your vision, you have to broaden your surroundings. Freedom, ideas, fantasy, energy, health, flexibility, creativity, courage, self-discipline, and money are helpful tools to get a realistic vision.

Good ideas lead to development, where you can step forward, stay where you are or slow down or reverse downfalls. Real development costs real money and takes real risks but remember development triggers re-development and also development is combining existing stones in a original working, marketable and realistic way. Also real developers are not necessarily successful, as development alone, again, is not enough. Development is indeed an intensive brain gymnastics.

To realize an idea you need to take initiative. The one who takes initiative, starts the process. The more daring the initiative, the bigger chance of success and the bigger chance of failure. Without initiative, nothing changes. For many initiatives you need guts, for some you need a lot of guts. And remember, initiative can trigger chain reactions. You just need the courage to start and the self discipline to realize. To achieve something great, you need a little fanaticism.

People with the vision have to develop the realization of an idea in their brain which you can compare with realization of a film. First you have to develop and see the whole picture in your mind and then start. Along the way, you can always change the mind.