Abstract

Total quality management (TQM) is an integrative management philosophy aimed at continuously improving the performance of products, processes and services to achieve and exceed customer expectations. This paper provides an empirical study on the identification of the critical success factors (CSFs) of TQM implementation in Hong Kong industries. Through a thorough and detailed analysis of the literature, 11 success factors with 72 elements were identified to develop a questionnaire. These items were empirically tested by data collected from 32 companies in Hong Kong. A factor analysis was carried out that identified seven CSFs with 38 elements of the implementation of TQM. These factors were shown to be reliable and valid and offer new insights into the understanding of TQM success factors in Hong Kong industries.