Questions: How does quality management create a competitive advantage for an organization? In what ways must education and training be modified to support a TQM environment? What recommendations should be given to an organization to overcome resistance to change when implementing a TQM system?

Quality management creates a competitive advantage for an organization by significantly improving the quality of its products, operations and other areas such as customer service, resulting in better efficiency, reduced wastage and tremendous gains in terms of customer satisfaction. Quality management, thus, provides a strong impetus to the growth of an organization in today's competitive marketplace and make it stand tall among its competitors.

Education and training should be modified to support TQM program in the sense that it should cover all those areas which the organization feels that its employees lack in terms of knowledge, expertise or skills. In other words, any TQM program leads to changes in terms of processes, work practices and technology which is not understood by the employees. Thus, education and training program are the only source to impart knowledge to employees regarding such proposed changes.

Further training and education programs should focus on removing all the apprehensions and fears about the forthcoming changes due to TQM program in order to secure the full cooperation among the employees to implement such program.

Some of the recommendations to overcome resistance to change are:
1) Clarify all apprehensions, doubts and fears regarding the TQM program via a series of well designed training and information program as well as personal coaching via team of experienced consultants.

2) Well designed rewards and incentive program to motivate the employees to accept the changes.

3) Increased communication among the employees at all levels.