Cooperation and collaboration: reality or rhetoric?

Abstract

An eight‐year study of 49 schools purporting to practice and apply Quality Management (QM)1 W. E. Deming and J. M. Juran are considered to have laid the foundation for the QM or TQM Total Quality Management movement in organizations. See Deming () and Juran (). Much of Deming's philosophy can be summed up in his ‘fourteen points’ which included: 1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service; 2. Adopt the new philosophy; 3. Cease dependence on mass inspection; 4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag alone; 5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service; 6. Institute training; 7. Institute leadership; 8. Drive out fear; 9. Break down barriers between all staff areas; 10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the workforce; 11. Eliminate numerical quotas or targets for the workforce; 12. Remove barriers to pride of workmanship; 13. Encourage education and self‐improvement for everyone; 14. Take action to accomplish the transformation. Deming is also credited with the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle adopted by many educational institutions in their attempt to implement Total Quality Management principles into their system. techniques and processes uncovered some revealing differences between what respondents thought should be happening in these schools and what they reported was happening. The gaps uncovered could be recognized as differences between rhetoric and reality, or differences between stated desires and perceived practices. These differences are important in understanding the ability of school systems to introduce the kinds of changes many think are needed in order to respond to the public quest for accountability and program improvement. The differences were particularly wide on questions about the value of cooperation and collaboration among professionals within their schools, and on questions related to the importance of outside stakeholders in influencing school operations.