TQM in American Cities: Hypotheses Regarding Commitment and Impact

Abstract

This article uses data from a national survey on total quality management in municipalities to test a range of hypotheses. Results show that executive culture and top management leader-ship are significant determinants of TQM commitment and impact, whereas demands from external stakeholders such as citizens and council members are not. This suggests that theories of external exchange may be of limited value in explaining TQM in public management. This study also finds that commitment to TQM and its impact are no greater in cities with council-manager forms of government, which suggests that government form is a poor predictor of these variables.