Quality managers, authority and leadership

McCabe, S, Rooke, JA, Seymour, D and Brown, P 1998, 'Quality managers, authority and leadership' , Construction Management and Economics, 16 (4) , pp. 447-457.

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Abstract

This paper reports a research finding that some Quality Managers in the construction industry are attempting to institute Total Quality (TQ) Management. Having established Quality Assurance (QA) systems, these managers have realised that the benefits to be gained from this bureaucratic approach are limited. They now aim to transform the culture of the industry, making it less adversarial and more customer centred. Using an sociological analysis based on the forms of legitimation of power identified by Max Weber, the institutional situation of Quality Managers is examined and their consequent ability to introduce innovation is assessed. Weber suggests that there are three forms of authority: traditional, charismatic and rational. These are considered in the light of some modern organisation theory and with reference to the particular problem of cultural change. It is argued that managers have the best hope of successfully introducing TQ when they can establish a measure of charismatic authority. This is consistent with the centrality given to the concept of leadership by writers on TQ. What this might mean in practice is investigated through an account of the process of setting up a quality circle.

Item Type:	Article
Themes:	Subjects / Themes > T Technology > TH Building construction Built and Human Environment
Schools:	Schools > School of the Built Environment Schools > School of the Built Environment > Centre for Urban Processes, Resilient Infrastructures & Sustainable Environments
Journal or Publication Title:	Construction Management and Economics
Publisher:	Routledge Taylor Francis
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	0144-6193
Depositing User:	Users 29196 not found.
Date Deposited:	10 Feb 2010 14:03
Last Modified:	16 Feb 2022 09:14
URI:	http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/3003

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