TQM Implementation in Al Ain Municipality, UAE

Abstract

The great optimism and passion for quality improvement in the UAE had created the imperative for all government entities to deliver quality services to the community. At the frontline of this endeavor are the municipalities which serve as important channels of the federal government in ensuring that this mandate is attained. Since municipalities are still prone to retain many of the bureaucratic characteristics where services are characteristically delivered in an administrative and legalistic manner, implementing total quality management continues to be a challenge. To understand this challenge, this quantitative study looked into the TQM thinking orientation of the internal stakeholders of Al Ain Municipality in Abu Dhabi, UAE and assessed their views on TQM execution in the municipality. A questionnaire was used to gather data from a quota sample of 345 respondents. The study found that considerable aspects of the quality thinking orientation of employees and managers in the municipality still remain deficient. To help address this deficiency, the researchers formulated a framework for the development of functional TQM-based strategies in municipalities.

Keywords: Total quality management, municipality, quality thinking orientation, TQM execution