Employee participation in TQC implementation : the influence of job levels on key organisational constructs

"This paper describes the outcome of the implementation of a Total Quality Control (TQC) program in a large manufacturing enterprise in Australia. Emphasis is given to the effects of TQC on employees' perceived participation in the program and concomitant employee job satisfactioon. An extensive discussionof the relationships between these variables and TQC is contained in an earlier paper. The results obtained, from this study, show that job satisfaction is related to employee participation, but to varying degrees at different job levles. Surprisingly, it was also found that there was a low increase in perceived employee participation following the implementation of TQC. The need for further research in this area is clearly shown. Future research should be based on more comprehensive research designs that incorporate longitudinal studies and investigate the differential effects of TQC at various job levels within an organisation. This approach will facilitate a better understanding of the complex dynamics within organisations when such programs are implemented."--p. i.