TQM in practice: a survey of Singapore’s manufacturing companies on their TQM practices and objectives

Presents the findings of a survey on total quality management (TQM) practices of Singapore’s manufacturing companies. Details that the sample comprised 27 companies of different country origins, they came from different industries and together, the companies employed more than 16,000 people, which is approximately 5 per cent of Singapore’s manufacturing labour force, thus, in the view of the writers, representing a fair sample. Confirms from the findings that TQM is well established in Singapore, especially among medium‐ to large‐sized manufacturing companies, although not in all its facets, hence giving a mixed picture. Fails to confirm that the practice of TQM in companies of different country origins was significantly different, though Japan probably had an edge.