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An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management
Includes bibliography.
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| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Department of Mechanical Engineering
2014
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| _version_ | 1867614202710982656 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Tsangarakis, Nicolaos |
| author2 | Ryan, Tom |
| author_browse | Ryan, Tom Tsangarakis, Nicolaos |
| author_facet | Ryan, Tom Tsangarakis, Nicolaos |
| author_sort | Tsangarakis, Nicolaos |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Includes bibliography. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9655 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:48:18.081Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publishDateRange | 2014 |
| publishDateSort | 2014 |
| publisher | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| publisherStr | Department of Mechanical Engineering |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/9655 An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management Tsangarakis, Nicolaos Ryan, Tom Includes bibliography. The objective of my project was to find the reasons why the Quality Improvement Process (QIP) which started enthusiastically in Old Mutual in 1987, has lost momentum. Its initial implementation was characterised by success, but later, certain shortcomings became evident. In brief, the initial success of Crosby's QIP programme was attributable to its organised implementation throughout the organisation. It created a general awareness of key quality principles and gave a common understanding of a uniform language and standards throughout the organisation. However, after some years, senior management realised that this process was too simplistic, and that more was needed. A 'second phase' was implemented. This phase built onto the foundations laid by the QIP and focused on achieving client-orientated improvements in all business processes within the organisation. But this phase gradually lost momentum, as it failed to take into account the fact that lasting and continuous improvement in an organisation requires fundamental changes in almost every facet or part of the organisational whole. These fundamental changes include changes to the organisational structure, its management practices, its work processes and systems , changes in the way that managers view the organisation (that is, their mental models) and not merely a focus on process improvement within the organisation. The hypothesis propounded in this thesis would attempt to prove or disprove a component of the aforementioned, namely that a certain dominant mental model, that is, a belief of how the organisation works, is needed amongst the management of an organisation to bring about genuine improvements. This hypothesis propounds that a high-performing organisation would exhibit a strong correlation between the mental model implied by quality improvement and the organisation's managers' dominant mental model of how their organisation works. 2014-11-15T19:40:33Z 2014-11-15T19:40:33Z 1994 Master Thesis Masters MIndAdmin http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9655 eng application/pdf Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Tsangarakis, Nicolaos An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management |
| title_full | An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management |
| title_fullStr | An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management |
| title_full_unstemmed | An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management |
| title_short | An ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management |
| title_sort | ethnographic investigation into the relationship between mental models and the implementation of total quality management |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/9655 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tsangarakisnicolaos anethnographicinvestigationintotherelationshipbetweenmentalmodelsandtheimplementationoftotalqualitymanagement AT tsangarakisnicolaos ethnographicinvestigationintotherelationshipbetweenmentalmodelsandtheimplementationoftotalqualitymanagement |