NCJ Number
169707
Journal
Telemasp Bulletin Volume: 2 Issue: 12 Dated: (March 1996) Pages: complete issue
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the fundamentals of Total Quality Management (TQM), this bulletin analyzes the responses of 183 Texas police managers to an inventory that assessed the application of TQM to policing.
Abstract
Sashkin and Kiser (1992) suggest that TQM principles can be categorized into three broad premises: culture, customers, and counting. Eight phrases describe the elements of TQM culture: measurement for improvement; delegation of decision authority to the lowest possible organizational level; rewards for results; teamwork and cooperation; job security; perceived fairness is reality; equitable rewards; and ownership. There are three primary elements of customer focus: structured programs to ascertain customer perspective, the internal customer concept, and supplier/provider communication by level of operation personnel. There are four elements in "counting": specify customers; define supplier specification; identify steps in work process; and select measurements. During the course of the 1992- 93 Executive Issues Seminars Series, 183 Texas police managers were administered an inventory developed to measure the extent to which an organization applies TQM principles. The findings show that not all qualitative elements of police work can be quantified; there are too many exigencies, contingencies, and intangibles. Private-sector consultants who offer police departments formula solutions to measure quality do not understand the complexity of the police roles. This is not to say that some common TQM measures cannot be applied to police service. Some TQM measures will provide direct measures of quality while others will provide only indirect measures. Some measurement is better than none, however. 1 table, 2 figures, and 12 references