Values of TQM and employee health: an examination and comparison between two manufacturing departments
Paper in proceeding, 2005

This paper investigates the effects of TQM on the employees´perception of their health. A case study has been carried out at a global Swedish manufacturing company. Two different departments where the sick leave varies have been examined. Both qualitative and quantitative methods have been used. Data triangulation has been used in the form of in-depth interviews and focus-group interviews at three levels at the studied company. In earlier studies, the values ‘leadership commitment’ and ‘participation of everybody’ have been found to be correlated with employee health. One aim for this study was to elaborate this finding and study what aspects of these values that have this influence on health. The qualitative part resulted in a model identifying four dimensions of importance for the leadership commitment. These were ‘empathy’, ‘presence and attendance’, ‘integrity’ and ‘continuity’ and their meaning are further elaborated. For participation of everybody, ‘development’, ‘influence’ and ‘being informed’ were found to be underlying dimensions. In addition, a very high correlation was found between all values of TQM and the employees´ perception of their health, which was in line with the earlier findings. Possible factors explaining the diffence in sick leave between the departments were found to be ‘lesser freedom in work’, ‘high staff turnover’, ‘less qualified work’ and ‘vicious circles’

TQM-values

Health

Leadership commitment

Quality Management

Employee health

Participation of everybody

Author

Yvonne Lagrosen

Chalmers, Technology Management and Economics, Quality Sciences

Ingela Bäckström

8'th QMOD International Conference, Quality Management for organisational and regional development

Subject Categories

SOCIAL SCIENCES

More information

Created

10/6/2017