Title: Leveraging concepts of Knowledge Management with Total Quality Management: case studies in the service sector

Authors: Alan D. Smith

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, Robert Morris University, PA 15219-3099, Pittsburgh, USA

Abstract: The exponential growth of Knowledge Management (KM) and Total Quality Management (TQM) methods are studied within modern service-based organisations in the Pittsburgh area to examine their means for arriving at sustainable competitive advantage. Specific case studies of relatively large service companies were selected due in part to their special features of knowledge-based TQM initiatives and implementations. A combination of personal interviews of middle-to-upper management and employees was used to gather perceptions of recent KM and TQM-based initiatives. Examples of tools and practices on managing knowledge workers and applying technological tools to assist with quality-assurance strategies were discussed.

Keywords: continuous improvement; CRM; customer relationship management; employee empowerment; KM; knowledge management; knowledge strategy; performance dashboards; TQM; total quality management; services; quality assurance; service sector.

DOI: 10.1504/IJLSM.2009.024795

International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 2009 Vol.5 No.6, pp.631 - 653

Published online: 01 May 2009 *

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