Impact of Leadership and Empowerment on Achieving Success in the Application of TQM - Research Proposal Example

Impact of Leadership and Empowerment on Achieving Success in the Application of TQM: Case Study of Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) In the UAE Table of Contents Impact of Leadership and Empowerment on Achieving Success in the Application of TQM: Case Study of Abu Dhabi Police (ADP) In the UAE 1 Table of Contents 1 1.0Introduction 2 2.0 Literature Review 3 3.0 Problem Statement 9 4.0 Significance of the Study 9 5.0 Research Questions 11 6.0 Objectives 11 7.0 Methodology 12 7.1 Philisophical Position 12 7.2Research Approach 12 7.3 Research Strategy 13 7.4 Types of Reserach 13 7.5 Research Methods 14 7.6 Limitations of the Research Mehtods 16 7.7 Population and Sampling 17 7.8 Data Analysis 17 7.9 Project Time Line 18 8.0 Summary 18 9.0 References 20 1.0 Introduction Empowerment basically means getting person to a level where he/she believes in their capacity to make their own choices and to put them into practice. Empowerment in enterpreneurship has a similar meaning; it basically means getting an employee to a point where they have the capacity to make decisions concerning the organization, to implement them and also to be fully accountable for the results of their action (Audretsch 2007). This is a very rare scenario in most organizations, which mainly manage by using the authoritarian and autocratic models, whereby the managers make decisions all by themselves without involving the employees to any degree whatsoever. However, performance is limited and poor when this model is used, because the employee is not empowered to a level where they can give the best service to the customer according to their own judgement, as long as the management has not allowed that (Gronfeldt 2006). Leadership (especially transformaational leadership) and empowerment are especially more rewarding when it comes to the services industry, especially the services that involve hospitality and community service. Not only is the adoption of this practice beneficial to profit-making organizations; non-profit making organizations also have greatly been seen to benefit from this model of leadership (Kuratco 2007). This is mainly because employees in service organizations that do not do leadership and empowerment are normally stressed out, and they therefore give services that are poor, thus leafding to poor performance of the organization they work for. However, when leadership and empowerment is applied, job stress is releived and employees therefore offer much better services (Gill 2006). Leadership and empowerment are great tools in enhancing successful application of total quality management. Total quality management is an advancement from the ordinary quality assurance and quality management. It involves working the organization to a level where the quality of the products (tangible and intangible) and services offered to customers is way above what they would ordinarily expect given to them. Total quality management is achieved by fusing and working together every known facet of quality, and this is implremented on every level within the organization, including the employee level (Samuel 2004). This study will seek to find out and to establish the impact of leadership and empowerment on achieving success in the application of total quality management, the case study being the Abu Dhabi Police in the UAE. The Abu Dhabi Police has its main aim as maintaining law and order in the community it serves and ensuring that there is maximum enhancement of safety and zero tolerance of crime. Its vision is to get to a level where it is the the most effective of all the police forces globally. 2.0 Literature Review Leadership is a very wide topic on its own. There are four main models of leadership that have been known and used for many years. These models include the trait model, the behavioral mode, the contigency model and the transformational model (Casson 2006). The trait model posits that every leader is born with leadership qualities, and thatb these qualities are not made, as most people think. There are several traits which, when integrated, make one a good leader, and this leadership model assumes that a born leader is one born with these traits. With this model of leadership, therefore, there are no external effeforts made to train, equip and make one a bette leader, because it is assumed that the person already has the traits. Therefore, organizations that view leadership from the traits perspective do not see the need for employee empowerment (Gronfeldt 2006). The behavioral model of leadership is quite different from the trais model because its main focus is not on the leader’s traits but on his behavior towards the task he is doing (task-oriented) and the people involved in the task (people-oriented). Apart from concentrating on the accomplishment of a certain goal or task, the leader is also concerned about the people incolved, their feelings, attitude and he cultivated trust and respect among the people involved in the task. this form of leadership model goes well with employee empowerment, because the behavior cultivated in the employee is that of leadership and responsibility (Gill 2006). The contigency model of leadership is quite different from the trais and behavioral models of leadership, because it posits that leadership and actions of leadership are mainly comprised of two functions; the doer and the situation at hand. This leadership model disagrees with the belief that there are certain leadership actions that are perfect forevery condition and in every context. For instance, the leadership practice of involving every person in decision making processes is good, but not perfect for every situation (Roy 2008). For instance, if there is an explosion or a fire, it is not practical to organize for a meeting so that everybody will be involved in decision making. The only logic thing that can happen is having one person (probably the one who will respond fastest) directing the other people on how to safely exit the place (Martin 2006). This leadership model is one of the best models when it comes to integration of leadership and empowerment. This is because employees are empowered to be leaders and to think like leaders in every situation. Employees are empowered to adapt to situations and act depending on the situation that arises, whether or not they have a leadership position in the organization (Storey 2004). Transformational leadership model is another model that goes hand in hand with empowerment. A transformatinal leader mainly focuses on motivating his followers and causing changes in them. The transformational leader sees to it that the employees are transformed to a level where they do more than they are expected or paid to do. They are emowered to look at their actions in the light of the outcome expected, and they are empowered to do the action that will give the best outcome for the organization (Bass 2006). Emloyee empowerment basically involves enabling of employees to make decisions in the organization and to be accountable for the results. Employee empowerment especially works well in organizations that offer direct services to their clients and customers, because the employees treat the customers as their own (Beddi 2009). Empowerment of employees helps the organization to make the best use of its greatest and most under-used reserve; human resource. Employee empowwerment is a practice that has been greatly adapted in today’s new knowledge economy, which is a total opposite of the all time economical structure in which there is a form of vertical hierarchy in organization, where managers do the leading and employees do the following (Veerabhadrappa 2009). Empowerment of employees creates a somewhat horizontal hierarchy in which both the managers and employees “own” the organization. The managers therefore strie to train and empower the employees and to get the necessary resources needed and the employees do their best to make use of these resources for the betterment of the organization (Storey 2004). Employee empowerment is basically regarded as applied leadership. Leadership is different from management and supervision, in that it basicaly entails motivation, guidance, example and empowerment. Management and supervision creates a task master ans slave type of image, where the employees only work because the manager said so. Therefore, in the absence of the manager, no positive action is done by the employees. However, leadership with empowerment creates a sense of initiative in the employees, where they are able to comfortable initiate a process as long as it has positive effects or good end results. When employees initiate tasks and carry them to completion, their confidence is boosted and this confidence is passed around to ote employees as well. Leadership with empowerment basicaly involves the leader being a coach and a guide to the employees for them to have expertise and control. Empowerment of employees also involves boosting self confidence and making them belioeve in their abiloty to perform. However, empoowerment is not only about the leader “telling” the employees that they can perform, bt it aso involves the leader being a leading example to the employees (Gill 2006). Leadership and empowerment, when applied, have a positive impact in the achievemtn of success in application of total quality management. Total quality management is mainly focused on the best approach through which products and services offered can be of high or the best quality (Kesavan 2008). The main driving force of total quality management in an organization is the management of the same. It is impossible for TQM to be applied if the management does not support it by creating the best possible atmosphere for its imlementation. Also, TQM is impossible without raining of employees. Employees should be trained so that they can appreciate totality of quality and the aspects of quality. The main focus, however, of leadership and empowerment in total quality management is usually not the employee but the customers of the organization. it seeks to ensure that these customers are fully satisfied (Mukherjee 2006). Total quality management is not a destination but a lifelong and contnuous journey of improvement. Therefore, practicing the aspects of quality should not be done as a single dose medication, but it should be patiently applied in bits (Nigam 2009). Therefore, total quality management is not an easy thing to do if the culture of the organization is one that does not give the best environment for it. If the culture of the organization is one in which the employees are not involved or hands-on in the process of quality management, then total quality management is impossible. This explains why leadership and empowerment make application of total quality management so easy and effective (Samuel 2004). Most of the times total quality management is mentioned, it is mentioned in the light of its usefulness to profit-making organizations. This is, however, not the right way of looking at total quality management. It is not just a profit-making tool; it goes way beyond making of profits (Naidu 2009). It is commonly known that TQM is aimed at ensuring better quality services to customers, but it can be much easier to understand it if a better expalnation of who the customer is is made. The customer is not only the person who buys or receives the organization’s products or services. In any organization, there are internal and external customers. The internal customers are those within the organization, and this automatically points to one direction; the human resource within the organization. xternal customers are those who receive or buy the products and servives of the organization and any other stakeholders of the organization (Subburaj 2005). Non-profit making service providing organizations, especially government-based ones, are also involved in leadership and empowerment in total quality management (Burns 2008). This practice may not be making any profits for the organizations, but every government is striving to become economically stable. This economic stability is not only compared to other sectors within the country, but economic stability is gauged in reference to other nations in the world, knowing that the world is now a global village and the international markets are now local ones, owing to the spread of globalization. This is especially so when it comes to the police force, which is one of the hugest service providers of any government to its people (Naidu 2006). The police force offers services that ensure that law and order are maintained in the communities and that there is national security. Security and safety are direct determinants of how stable any economy will be. In the past, police officers have been known to give poor services to the people they serve, and this is mainly because of the traetment they get in their work places. However, a new era has begun, in which police officers are empowered. the police force has started applying total quality management together with leadership and empowerment of its employees. Policemen are now being empowered to own the police force and to take initiative in the services they offer and to take full accountability of the outcome of their actions (Whisenand 2010). 3.0 Problem Statement The police force is slowly becoming one of the most corrupt government organizations and bodies. Research findings indicate that the condition in which the human resource in the police force is kept is what triggers poor performance and corrupt dealings. Since time immemorial, authoritarian leadership has been used in the police force, and the police men have always been treated as subjects of their masters. However, there is need for change in the mode of leadership in the police force if things in this body will change. The change that is needed is that of applying leadership and empowerment of the human resource therein. With this application, total quality management will be successfully applied and achieved, and things will change for the better. 4.0 Significance of the Study The police force is a body of the government that gives emergency services to the community. In the kind of services that the police force provides, there is great need for speed and accuracy. For there to be speed and accuracy in emergency services offred by the police force, high quality standards have to be observed and met. Quality in such services has many aspects within it, and none of these aspects is inconsequential. There are some countries that have more awareness to the need of total quality management in the are of their emergency services than other countries. Such countries need education and awareness creation in this area (Barker 2010). Quality in emergency services offered by the police force cannot be attained if there is no leadershp and empowerment within the police force. The workers of the police force are known to be overworked, and they are put in very poor conditions (Mitchell 2007). The main form of leadership adopted within the police fore is that authoritarian form of leadership in which the policement are subjects that merely respond to the harsh orders given to them from above. Therefore, they do not feel the need to own the services they give, and they merely do it for payment and so that they can keep their jobs. However, this should not be so, because it is this attitude that makes the police force have poor services offered to the comunity. Also, it is one of the most corrupt arms of the government, basically because the police use bribes received to better themselves and to “compensate” for the poor conditions they are kept in (Garner 2008). When policemen are empowered using the right leadership models, then it will be possible to apply total quality management for the best services in the police force. Total quality management in the police force can only be achieved if the management of the police force participates fully in the process. Also, the process of applying total quality management should be seen as continuous and not as a practice that is implemented only once. Application of total quality management will also help in management of direct and indirect costs, thus saving the government extra costs incured in this nonprofit-making section (Haberfield 2006). 5.0 Research Questions The main question of this study is: “what are the impacts of leadership and empowerment in the achievement of success in applying TQM?” other questions include: “Is there any effect in changing the leadership style from authoritarian in the police force?” and, “If there is any positive change, does it aid the successful application of TQM?” The Abu Dhabi Police will be used as the case study for this reserach questions. Also, this research will have specific objectives. 6.0 Objectives 1. To find out the benefits of leadership and empowerment in achieving success in application of total quality management 2. To find out the benefits of total quality management in the police force 3. To compare the benefits of leadership and empowerment in application of total quality management in the Abu Dhabi Police in the UAE and in other countries 7.0 Methodology 7.1 Philisophical Position This study aims at integration of the research philosophy, the main reason of the study being to conduct research on the attitudes of the police force human resource. This philosophy has been known to be successful based on other studies in which it has been used. Since there is a lot of displeasure in the police force, this philosophical approach will be of great help (Garner 2008). This philosophical approach will also help in making the study more successful by allowing the researcher to ger better and substantial information from the human resource of the Abu Dhabi Police. however, one limitation of this approach is that a very huge sample size is needed (Mitchell 2007). 7.2Research Approach The best research approach for this study is the scientific approach, which is usually the best and most used of all approaches. This is because the scientific approach will help the researcher to make the best out of this study and top get maximum understanding of the subject therein (Mitchell 2007). Research design basically entails the structure of the research conducted. The research project is given sense by the type of research design employed in the study. Since every research has questions in it that are sought to be answered, the reserach design should be structured in such a way that these questions are adequately answered in a manner that is clear-cut. For these questions to be answered in the right manner, then there is need for specification of the substantiation needed for evaluation, description or for testing. In order to find the best form of evidence for evaluation, description and testing, one needs to do careful designing of the research structure (Mitchell 2007). This research has several objectives outlines above, and a suitable research design needs to be employed for the objectives to be met adequately. The main research design that will be adapted in this research is the use of survey. 7.3 Research Strategy For hypotheses to be adequaltely tested, there is need for a mre descriptive research method. Also, for accuracy and adequacy in the data collected, a case study will be used. The case study here is the Abu Dhabi Police, where there are various issues and problems. For the research objectives to be fully met, then there is need for the strategy of the research to be right. Some reserach strategies are based on careful consideration of logical facts and data for finding of solutions while other research strategies are based on observation of data to get to a conclusion or in order to `produce a principle. For the research strategy to be reached at, there are various factors tjhat are put into consideration. However, the main factors that need to be considered in any research strategy are the objectives of the study and the research question (Mitchell 2007). There are several reserach strategies that can be adopted in a research study, and they include conducting surveys, using a case study, conducting practical experiments or simply using other methods of reserach. In this study, the strategies that will be employed include conducting of surveys, use of qualitative data and the use of quantitantive data. 7.4 Types of Reserach Both primary and secondary data will be used in this study. Primary data will mainly be obtained by using surveys and questionnaires to get first-hand information from the ADP employees. This will help in getting direct views, perception, reactions and ways of thinking. Secondary data will also be used in this study, though it will be used hand in handwith primary data. The secondary data used will include text books, journals and othe documented records. Use of secondary data will help in minimizing the costs and time used for this study. However, use of secondary data has a limitation in that the data from secondary sources is usually written for other reasons and for other studies and not the study being conducted in this research, thus making it fall short of the specific requirements of this research. It is also costly to obtain secondary data, because the main reason why this data is documented is for commercial reasons (Haberfield 2006). 7.5 Research Methods Survey: The survey method that will be used will involve use of questionnaires that are structured. In the questionnaires, the questions that will be used will be predetermined to get specific forms of information from the particpants. Apart from questioning the management of the Abu Dhabi police, members of the community will also be interviewed. The members interviewed will be from several categories, and these include business people, students, white collar job people, social and religious groups among other groups that will be found directly relevant to the study. However, this method is limited because it will only lead to the finding of information that is according to the questions asked, and there will therefore be no room for more details and extra information. The literature review of this study will be used to structure questions that are open ended and those that are not (Mitchell 2007). Semi-structured Interviews: Also, semi-structured interviews will be used in conjunction with those that are structured. These will mainly be used for the obtaining of qualitative data. This interview will only be comprised of questions that are open-ended. Also, there will be an inclusion of any questions that may arise in the process of interviewing a participant that are relevant to the study. The use of such interviews will prove to be quite simpler and more practical as compared to the previous method of interviewing. However, though simple and practical, this method will have the shortcoming that the richness of the data obtained form this research will be highly dependent on the level to which the one conducting the research is creative, observative and spontaneous. Also, the other limitation is that the data obtained is highly dependant on how accurate the interviewee will be during the interview. This form of interviewing is also highly time consuming, and it also requires much more money as compared to the structured form of interviewing. However, despite these shortcomings, this method will be employed in this study (Haberfield 2006). For the structured and semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, the main issues that will be addressed include job stress, compensation, motivation, supervision, leadership and empowerment, quality standards, workplace conditions, communication, employee-employee relationships, employee-employer relationships, performance management policy and other organizational policies (Garner 2008). Qualitative Method: The qualitative method is used when there is need for an outlook of the participants of the research. This method is more specific than the survey method, because it seeks more than just the surface evidence or the general views; it seeks to get more specific data that includes historical evidence and values. The qualitative method is used to bserve data so as to get ideas and principles from the data. In this particular research, qualitative method will be used in getting the opinions of the experts in the police force and the police station of Abu Dhabi. The managers in the Abu Dhabi police will be interviewed for more detailed information (Garner 2008). Quantitative Method: The quantitative method requires the use of huge samples to get as much data as possible so that a hypothesis wil be confirmed. The strategies used in quantitative research have to be somewhat structured. However, this method has a limitation; it mainly used theoretical samples and information, making it very rigid and not open to modifications and new developments during the process of conducting the research. In this study, some structured interviews will be conducted to analyze the data collected using the quantitative method (Haberfield 2006). 7.6 Limitations of the Research Mehtods The limitation of using secondary sources is that the data from secondary sources is usually written for other reasons and for other studies and not the study being conducted in this research, thus making it fall short of the specific requirements of this research. The use of surveys by questionairres and interviews is limited because it will only lead to the finding of information that is according to the questions asked, and there will therefore be no room for more details and extra information. The use of unstructured interview questions is limited in that the richness of the data obtained form this research will be highly dependent on the level to which the one conducting the research is creative, observative and spontaneous, and the usefulness of the data will depend on the interviewee’s accuracy and level of bias. 7.7 Population and Sampling The main population that will be used will mainly contain the employees of the ADP in the UAE. The main sampling method that will be used for the study is the purposive samplig method, where the sample population is picked according to the order in which the samples are likely to give more information. Apart from this, the purposive sampling method is the most approapriate method for use especially when doing case studies. The sample size of the respondents from the ADP will be eight; three from the quality management department while the other five would be from the human resource management department of the ADP. The sample size is good, and the respondents selected purposively will be able to give useful and adequate information based on their level of experience in the management and working at the ADP. 7.8 Data Analysis The data obtained from this study will be conducted in various ways. First and foremost, the data wil be put through the process of preperation after which data description will be done. Any hypotheses in the study will also e tested after the initial steps are conducted. Data preperation will basically involve compiling of the data and entering the information obtained into the computer for storage. Once the data is entered into the computer it will be developed into a more useful form after which it will be documented. The data obtained will be described by making the features more detailed so that the best will come from it. Theoretical statistics will be used to test the validity of the hyotheses in the study. 7.9 Project Time Line Activity Time Proposal writing May, 2011 Questionnaire preparation June, 2011 Data collection July, 2011 Data analysis July & August, 2011 Report writing and publication of findings September, 2011 8.0 Summary Total quality management is the practice in which the best quality of products and services for the best customer satisfaction are worked towards. Total quality management goes way beyond quality assurance or merely quality management, and it is a continuous process in an organization. for it to be successful, the management of the organization has to be participative and supportive of the process. Total quality management is very significant both in organizations that make profits and to those that do not. Also, iy is very significant in tose that sell products or those that offer services. Also, governments are striving to practice total quality management in their organizations so that they will ensure a more stable economy that can compete or have sustainable competitive advantage among other economies in the world, which is now a global village due to globalization. Total quality management is especially significant in the police force, where emergency and security services are offered. The services offered by the police force are those that need maximum speed and accuracy, and this cannot be reached at without total quality management. However, it is impossible for total quality management to work without leadership and empowerment of the human resource within the police force, which is dominated with the authoritarian form of leadership. The huiman resource therein need to be empowered to a level where they can make independent decisions on behalf of the organization and also bear full accountability of the outcomes. This study is important because it will use the Abu Dhabi police as a case study of the impact of leadership and empowerment in achieving success in application of total quality management. Surveys will be conducted mainly by using structured and unstructured questionnaires and by use of secondary data. The data will be prepared, described and any hypotheses in the study will be tested. 9.0 References Audretsch, D. 2007. The entrepreneurial society. New Hampshire: Oxford University Press. Baker, T. 2010. Effective Police Leadership: Moving Beyond Management. New Jersey: Looseleaf Law Publications. Bass, B. & Riggio, R. 2006. Transformational leadership. London: Routledge. Beddi, K. 2009. Management and Entrepreneurship. London: Oxford University Press. Burns, P. 2008. Corporate entrepreneurship: building the entrepreneurial organization. London: Palgrave Macmillan. Casson, M. 2006. The Oxford handbook of entrepreneurship. New Hampshire: Oxford University Press. Garner, G. 2008. Common Sense Police Supervision: Practical Tips for the First-Line Leader. Illinois: Charles C Thomas Publisher. Gill, R. 2006. Theory and practice of leadership. New York: SAGE. Gronfeldt, S. & Strother, J. 2006. Service leadership: the quest for competitive advantage. New York: SAGE. Haberfield, M. 2006. Police leadership. Michigan: Pearson Prentice Hall. Kesavan, R. 2008. Total Quality Management. New Delhi: I.K. International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. Kuratco, D. 2007. Corporate Entrepreneurship. Boston: Now Publishers Inc. Martin, B. 2006. Outdoor leadership: theory and practice. Illinois: Human Kinetics. Mitchell, M. & Casey, J. 2007. Police Leadership and Management. Sydney: Federation Press. Mukherjee, P. 2006. Total Quality Management. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Naidu, NVR & Krishna, R. 2009. Management and Entrepreneurship. New Delhi: I. K. International Pvt Ltd. Naidu, NVR. 2006. Total Quality Management (As Per Vtu Syllabus). New Delhi: New Age International. Nigam, S. 2009. Total Quality Management: An Integrated Approach. New Delhi: Excel Books. Roy, R. 2008. Entrepreneurship Management. New Hampshire: Oxford University Press. Samuel, A. 2004. Total Quality Management. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Storey, J. 2004. Leadership in organizations: current issues and key trends. London: Routledge. Subburaj. 2005. Total Quality Management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Veerabhadrappa, H. 2009. Management And Entrepreneurship. New Delhi: New Age International. Whisenand, P. 2010. Supervising Police Personnel: The Fifteen Responsibilities. New York: Prentice Hall. Read More