The role of top management commitment in quality management: an empirical analysis of the auto parts industry

TLDR

The study examines how ten integrated quality management constructs relate to product quality in the auto‑parts industry. The authors investigate the influence of top management commitment on TQM implementation by comparing firms with high versus low commitment levels. Using stepwise regression on responses from 449 plant managers, the authors analyze the impact of top management commitment and other quality constructs on product quality. Results show that customer focus, empowerment, and supplier quality management explain 26 % of product quality variation, and that high top management commitment leads to superior quality regardless of individual constructs, while in low‑commitment firms the four constructs—customer focus, supplier quality management, empowerment, and internal quality information usage—are key predictors.

Abstract

Examines the associations between ten integrated quality management constructs and the resulting product quality. Analyzes responses from plant managers of 449 auto‐parts firms using stepwise regression. Notes three primary predictors (customer focus, empowerment, and supplier quality management) explaining 26 per cent of variation in product quality. Examines the role of top management commitment in TQM implementation by splitting the sample into firms with high and low top management commitment based on the mean score on this construct. Concludes, first, that firms with high top management commitment produce high quality products despite variations in individual constructs, and, second, that in firms with low top management commitment, four other constructs, i.e. customer focus, supplier quality management, empowerment, and internal quality information usage are primary predictors of product quality.