Title: Total quality management elements and risk resilience at the operational level

Authors: Ali Aghazadeh Ardebili; Marco Boscolo; Elio Padoano

Addresses: Department of Engineering for Innovation, CRISR Research Center, Syda Lab, University of Salento, Campus University Ecotekne, 73047, Lecce, Italy ' Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, P.le Europa 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1625-8877 ' Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, P.le Europa 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy

Abstract: The complex and systematic methods of risk management are not always suitable for addressing the risks in the operational level and the activities performed by blue-collar workers. This study is focused on such risks and how they could be mitigated without employing complex mathematical risk management approaches, which can be difficult to implement at the shop-floor level. In fact, the literature review here conducted revealed a significant gap in the research on risk management at this level. The central stage of the study was a field survey, which was focused on the potentials of total quality management (TQM) to address low-level activity risks. The findings confirm an interrelation between TQM and risk management, and they also reveal that trust and integrity are the most effective elements of TQM that can help to mitigate risks related to the blue-collar workers' activity.

Keywords: risk management; risk resilience; TQM; total quality management; BCWs; blue-collar workers; shop-floor risks; resilience engineering; operation management; operational risks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJRAM.2021.120006

International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 2021 Vol.24 No.1, pp.84 - 96

Received: 20 Apr 2020
Accepted: 16 May 2021
Published online: 04 Jan 2022 *

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