The politics of Total Quality Management in higher education: A critical analysis of communication practices
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the movement of Total Quality Management (TQM) from the corporate sector into higher education. The focus for the study is the discursive practices involved in this movement. The methodology involves a critical case study of a major university that is using a TQM program to transform itself. Micropolitics surrounding the implementation and institutionalization of the TQM program were analyzed by focusing on and critiquing narrative and discursive dimensions. The study draws from critical and postmodern theories as it explores the more complex, nuanced, and non-rational aspects of TQM implementation and utilization. More specifically, Gramsci's (1971) notion of "hegemony" is used and expanded as a conceptual framework for analyzing the dynamics of and repercussions from TQM. Implications of the study are explored including: A conceptualization of resistance in contemporary organizing; insights into organizational power relations; theoretical designs for understanding capitalism and organizational change; and contributions to the critical pedagogy movement.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Mumby, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Communication|Higher education|School administration
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