The impact of quality management on a United States Air Force strategic aircraft logistics group

This study examines the implementation of quality management in a United States Air Force strategic aircraft logistics group. Quality management is a broad philosophy that uses quantitative measurement and participative management to improve continually the quality of products and services, thus, putatively, improving organizational effectiveness. The purpose of this experimental study was to test the effectiveness of both the philosophy and methodology of quality management in a logistics group of a strategic aircraft wing. More specifically, the study was designed to determine whether a significant change in the perceptions of quality culture occurred among senior and non-senior managers following implementation of Deming's philosophy of quality, and whether two independent approaches for implementing a philosophy of quality management, namely, the methodologies of Total Quality Management/Methodology for Generating Efficiency and Effectiveness Measures (TQM/MGEEM) and statistical tools of quality improvement significantly increased the effectiveness of selected logistics group processes.;Pre- and post-intervention data on quality culture were collected by surveying selected logistics group participants on their perception of "quality culture" immediately prior to and following a 12-month intervention period. Six months of pre-intervention data were collected on two separate logistics group processes to independently test the organizational effectiveness of the interventions of TQM/MGEEM and the statistical tools for quality improvement; post-intervention data were collected during the following six-month intervention periods. Significance of all three outcomes was assessed by statistical analysis.;A significant change in the perceptions of quality culture occurred among logistics group non-senior managers following implementation of Deming's philosophy of quality; however, no significant change was found among the senior manager group. Both methodologies of quality management significantly increased the effectiveness of selected logistics group processes.;The results of the study confirmed the viability of quality management in a military setting. Additionally, implications of this study hold promise for future use of quality management as an organizational philosophy and improvement methodology.