BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTING TQM:
The implementation of TQM in library organisations provides an opportunity to update and enhance the abilities of the staff to work effectively, yet it is still not free from some barriers. These could be listed as under:
• The vocabulary barrier : The words "total", "quality" and "management" imply that standards are not already being observed, nor is quality work valued.
• The commitment barrier : TQM requires tong-term commitment, perhaps even longer in the service sectors like libraries and information centres. Cultural change which can not be accomplished over night or in a year, may be positive changes, particularly in staff attitudes and learning, but they should occur early in the process.
• The process barrier : Sometimes the process merely represents a desire to postpone decision making or reluctance to resolve the issue. We should learn to define problems better at the outset and then give them the kind of systematic analysis which can lead to lasting solutions.
• The professional barrier : The higher the degree of professionalisation within an organization, the greater the resistance to certain elements of TQM, particularly its customer focus. Professionals simply are mystified by, if not fearful of, the consequences of what they think could mean turning over their services and practices, which are based on tradition, standards and respected bodies of knowledge, to the uninformed whims of customers.