The Canadian Journal of Higher Education La revue canadienne d'enseignement supérieur Volume XXVI-1,19% Book Reviews / Comptes Rendus Sims, Serbrenia Management J., & Sims, in higher Ronald education: R. (Eds.). Is it working Westport C T : Praeger Publishers, 224 pp. Reviewed by Elizabeth A. Meuser, The Quality Why or why Candidate, Ontario Institute Toronto. history o f total quality m a n a g e m e n t ( T Q M ) in higher education r e c e n t , a r i s i n g p r e d o m i n a n t l y f r o m e f f o r t s at i m p l e m e n t a t i o n i n and universities in the U S ture (for example, and arguing methods see S e y m o u r , for adoption of T Q M (Calek, in institutions a case for T Q M tions, due and, to the 1993) deals defining, of many U S describing A s of a result o f in m a n y academic colleges and this institu- experiences o f those in the academic c o m m u n i t y w h o have adopted a T Q M manage- 1995). B y w e a v i n g theoretical k n o w l e d g e w i t h experiential k n o w l e d g e , Q u a l i t y M a n a g e m e n t in H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n offers the reader a broad standing o f the philosophical foundations and the applications Total under- of T Q M . T h i s b o o k m o v e s b e y o n d surface arguments and underscores not only importance o f the p r o m o t i o n o f T Q M quality, "competition, the universities, higher education literature has recently b e g u n to reflect the m e n t strategy (Roberts, litera- for application o f higher learning. has been m a d e efforts with and is colleges 1995). M u c h o f the early T Q M o f the p h i l o s o p h y early w o r k , not? $55.00 Ph.D. for Studies in E d u c a t i o n , University o f Total (1995). costs, in higher education - accountability, and service concerns the over orientation" 134 (p. Book Reviews 10) - i n t o t h e w a y t h e u n i v e r s i t y g o e s a b o u t its d a i l y concerning institutional integration. Improvement administration's Washington 1991 effectively to experience University as the " C a m p u s In Program," ( G W U ) . with The Chapter Annie 5, Administrative Improvement to Total System ( H C C S ) , " ing o f T Q M successful G W U ' s Quality Service In the H o u s t o n a n d o n e c a n c l e a r l y see h o w implementation. model; in late Contrast Case Study Community an in-depth T Q M is n o t it is ' b u i l t into' a managerial The danger o f a 'program' t e n d s t o b e s e e n as t h e ' f l a v o u r o f t h e m o n t h ' b e difficult to maintain o v e r the l o n g o f the most significant is t h a t t h e " c o r n e r s t o n e " understandto as is t h a t T Q M a n d that m o m e n t u m may haul. lessons learned f r o m for successful G W U ' s program implementation is prior commit- resources, mindful p l a n n i n g b a s e d o n the customer's v o i c e b o t h internal a n d external to institution, and k n o w l e d g e about the institution's cultural "provided and students the environment. initial step w a s to c o n d u c t a s u r v e y that e n c o m p a s s e d employees in all f o u r colleges. The full- results a baseline level o f i n f o r m a t i o n u p o n w h i c h later quality pro- jects w e r e d e v e l o p e d " (p. 94). T h e j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f these t w o chapters very useful for gaining approach. T h e repeatedly demonstrates not in variety insight o f case in relations—per- approach ted senior administrative team, financial and h u m a n and part-time a institution's " p r o f o u n d k n o w l e d g e o f the institution" (p. 84). T h i s requires a H C C S ' s of College 'add-on' the fiber o f the structures, planning and decisional processes, and h u m a n sonal and political. model G e o r g e Program." A about a n d its i m p a c t o n i n s t i t u t i o n a l c u l t u r e is f u n d a m e n t a l program O n e at undertaken this e x p e r i e n c e w i t h C h a p t e r 6, " Q u a l i t y in E d u c a t i o n : the R o a d C a m p u s writes implementation was learned' " T h e Woolridge initiative inte- business. significant case studies highlight one important 'lesson Administrative the Rendus but also includes valuable insights into h o w grate T Q M T w o / Comptes into the problems studies offered particular throughout that successes a n d failures d w e l l in to is each the book execution, philosophy. Generally T Q M as a d m i n i s t r a t i v e initiatives are b e g u n in the n o n - a c a d e m i c areas and support systems (e.g., libraries, a n d in the m i c arena m o s t frequently in schools o f management/business). Canadian Journal of Higher Education Vol. XXVI-1,1996 In such acade- Total 135 Book Reviews Quality Management in Higher sized the processes of T Q M appreciation o f T Q M Education, / Comptes Rendus Sims and Sims have as a p p r o p r i a t e for the as a t o o l f o r u n i v e r s i t y f a c u l t y shifts t h e o f application o f T Q M emphasis support services into a n e w dimension for consideration b y the fully "defining developed quality by Bonvillian in the academic professo- administra- governance. In C h a p t e r 3, the "opportunities a n d obstacles" o f T Q M are and reservations b e c o m e s m o r e a p p a r e n t as t h e p r e f e r r e d tive strategy in post-secondary academic tion Their principles and methods f r o m administration riate. I n fact, the b o o k succinctly outlines the c o n c e r n s a n d o f f a c u l t y as T Q M empha- classroom. and enterprise, Dennis. implementa- These defining include: students as cus- tomers, implications o n traditional organizational structures a n d the role o f the and faculty, rewards and recognition for quality performance, measuring individual and organizational performance" experience o f the Rochester Institute (pp. of Technology 37-38). The provided changes in insight into these factors. T h e authors detail R I T ' s (RIT) organiza- tional structure f r o m an individualistic a n d disciplinarian structure to that embraces change meant a team approach. adjusting The ripple and faculty's administration's effect o f this Changes broader focus pass team in R I T ' s tenure which makes activities toward teamwork and promotion norms it p o s s i b l e f o r h i g h e r the individual activity o f teaching w a s approach in curriculum n e w curriculum). A s well, n o w reflect o f pursuit. the encomA shift shifted t o w a r d a (cross-disciplinary R I T ' s traditional For team design teams reward system for was redesigned to a c c o m m o d a t e team performance rewards ("a proportion the college's merit increase m o n e y " [ p . independence self-management and 47]). while I n this w a y , faculty and faculty Although goal Bonvillian for retain environ- occurs. I n addition to a t e a m m o d e l , T Q M predominant of administration together, w i t h input f r o m support staff and students, m a n a g e the m e n t in w h i c h scholarship to performance. for the activities o f scholarship. example, planning lens education to a n d to i d e n t i f y t h e m as w o r t h y has implications structural narrow focus more comprehensively on both individual and team one both e m p h a s i z e s c u s t o m e r service as a manufacturing and Dennis find and no problem service industries. in distinguishing the Canadian Journal of Higher Education Vol. XXVI-1,1996 136 Book Reviews / Comptes Rendus s t u d e n t as a c u s t o m e r external to the institution, W h e a t l e y , others ( H e l m s 1994), & Key, tinction (see C h a p t e r 7). encounters some like c o n f u s i o n o v e r this W h e a t l e y ' s c o n f u s i o n b e t w e e n student as n a l o r external c u s t o m e r arises f r o m a n error in a p p r e h e n d i n g in the m e a n i n g o f partnership in T Q M o f the university external and customer student w h o product and services - the final The student final and processes partnership, learning. is f u n d a m e n t a l t o t h e p r o v i s i o n o f q u a l i t y customers upon w h o m needs to should be focused" listen to the voices and expectations. taxpayers, their needs and "external "the total quality (p. 59). To governments, appreciate fully Students suppliers in order to m e e t and other customers, and future employers s u c h as parents, must be willing to those o n w h o m they rely their to state for products suppliers A expectations In truth, a and a n d / o r services. I n this regard, c u s t o m e r s b e c o m e suppliers a n d become and and feedback. o f their customers fit" mission, e v e r y o n e i n v o l v e d m u s t attend to the roles o f customer supplier in a on-going communication need the educational s i m p l y w a n t i n g a n e d u c a t i o n to b r o k e r h o w e v e r t h e y see 59), nor the vision, context is i n d e e d hand-off o f the the fulfillment o f the educational mission. Students are neither (p. disinter- mutuality philosophy a n d within the relationship. receives Customer knowledge customers] many customers. partnership requires continuous communication of information a n d data concerning the customer's needs a n d expectations and the sup- plier's capability to m e e t these. F e e d b a c k cus- f r o m all the u n i v e r s i t y ' s t o m e r s is u s e d t o i m p r o v e t h e q u a l i t y o f g o o d s a n d s e r v i c e s , e v e n t h e d i v e r s i t y o f c u s t o m e r s ' v o i c e s m a y at t i m e s though compete. W h e a t l y is a p p r o p r i a t e l y c a u t i o u s i n h i s v i e w o f s t u d e n t s a s t h e c u s t o m e r s a n d hints at the difficulties inherent i n a s y s t e m w h e r e i n dents alone define course content. H o w e v e r , only stu- students do h a v e a voice the quality o f course materials, teaching m e t h o d s , a n d so on. I n in addition, it is i n c u m b e n t u p o n t e a c h e r s t o d e s i g n a n d d e l i v e r c o u r s e s t h a t accom- m o d a t e the multiple w a y s that students learn, the learning needs students perceive for h a v i n g registered into the course, a n d the learning e a c h h o p e s t o a c q u i r e f r o m it. T h i s n o t o n l y r e q u i r e s c o n t i n u o u s nication, but also that student feedback be g i v e n serious Canadian Journal of Higher Education Vol. XXVI-1,1996 outcomes commu- attention. 137 Book Reviews / Comptes Rendus O n e o f the major acknowledgments o f Total Quality M a n a g e m e n t H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n is t h a t T Q M administrative and support h a s a p l a c e i n t h e c l a s s r o o m as w e l l as t h e areas o f the academy. Because Sims and S i m s h a v e not o n l y attended to a s o u n d theoretical basis, but h a v e clearly offers demonstrated much insight implementing T Q M the b o o k , h o w e v e r , the application into w h a t works o f theory to practice, and what does into an academic environment. is t h e w a y not also this book work when T h e real strength in w h i c h the principles o f T Q M are Sims h a v e m a n a g e d to demonstrate clearly that T Q M is n o t ' j u s t a n o t h e r or a that 'prepackaged mindfully, management according to program' but each university's it m u s t strengths of con- t i n u o u s l y b e i n g w o r k e d a n d r e w o r k e d in diverse settings. S i m s a n d mented in fad' be imple- and weak- nesses, climate a n d culture, a n d that n o t w o universities are alike. ^ References Calek, A. (1995). Quality Progress, fifth quality in education listing. Progress, 41-73. Quality Helms, S., & Key, C.H. (1994). Are students more that customers in the classroom? Quality Progress, 97-99. Roberts, H.V. (1995). Academic initiatives in total quality management for higher education. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: ASQC Quality Press. Seymour, D. (1993). On Q: Causing quality in higher education. Phoenix AZ: Oryx Press. C O Q O G O C O G O C O G O O O C O O O Centra, John A . (1993). ing and determining Reflective faculty Bass Publishers, pp. xx-244. faculty evaluation: effectiveness. $38.95 San Francisco, volume Determining updates Faculty and greatly Effectiveness C A : teachJossey- (Cdn). Reviewed by Colin Baird, University of Western This Enhancing expands Ontario. Centra's (Jossey-Bass). 1979 I t is a h i g h l y bestseller readable, v e r y u s e f u l a d d i t i o n t o t h e s m a l l l i t e r a t u r e i n t h i s a r e a . T h e a u t h o r is p r o fessor a n d c h a i r o f the H i g h e r E d u c a t i o n P r o g r a m at S y r a c u s e University Canadian Journal of Higher Education Vol. XXVI-1,1996