Kouroush Jenab, Donald Staub, Mark Rajai PDF (233 K)
Abstract: Students at risk of dropping out of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs often display signs that indicate they are at risk. A need exists to identify at risk STEM students early and to develop and implement effective intervention strategies that utilize the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach. Most of all, a database system is needed to track this early intervention process, if retention rates are to be improved. To address this need at a small community college in North Carolina, a system was developed and underwent a pilot study in Fall 2009 and Spring 2010. The two pilot groups were compared to the two control groups to identify differences in retention, course credit completion rates, and grade point averages (GPA). The first pilot group displayed no significant differences, while the second pilot group displayed significant differences in most of the areas analyzed in the study, indicating a database system can be used to improve STEM student retention. While the second of the two pilot groups displayed promising results, managerial and logistical issues, such as less than optimal instructor involvement, impeded success were identified. This paper will describe the design, implementation, and the preliminary results of this study and outlines the need for further research that confirms these preliminary findings.

Nowadays organizational excellence is regarded as the world’s most effective and progressive issue and many countries and organizations are attempting in the way of applying excellence. In this way, they attempt to improve such models and according to culture and sociopolitical conditions of each country, they attempt to design several models. The present research has been conducted with principal goal of designing organizational excellence model at cellulose industry of Iran. The study determines its components and aspects, priorities the aspects and components and analyzes relationship among different aspects of organizational excellence model at cellulose industry of Iran. The present research is an applied research with respect to goal and it is a descriptive-analytical method in terms of method. Statistical population of the present research covers all experts in the field of cellulose industry of Iran in which on this basis, the number of statistical sample was 207 people from managers to specialists. Results of research indicate that organizational excellence pattern of cellulose industry is a mixture of different aspects of technical, economic, inner environment, outer environment, motivation and behavioral processes.

Total Quality Management (TQM), a comprehensive and strategic management philosophy based on continuous quality improvement, strong customer relations, and involvement of the entire organization, has moved from its industrial roots to become the primary support of modern healthcare deliveries. The present article offers a thorough review of the literature that synthesizes 30 years of scientific work from all over the world and provides a critical analysis of the application, effectiveness, and evolution of TQM in the complicated context of hospitals. The analysis starts with the historical and theoretical foundations of TQM in healthcare, connecting basic quality frameworks to modern practices. It then assesses with great care the large volume of evidence proving TQM's positive effect on the most important hospital performance indicators such as patient safety, satisfaction, clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and economic viability. The discussion devotes a considerable part to the strong challenges and barriers to TQM being successfully implemented, bringing in studies from both developed and developing countries to point out the hurdles that are common and the ones that are particular to a given context. Moreover, the review goes into the interaction between TQM and other process improvement approaches like Lean and Six Sigma. Lastly, it outlines the future path of quality management in the healthcare sector by looking into the alliance of TQM with digital transformation, AI, telemedicine, and innovation management. The paper wraps up by asserting that TQM is still a 'must-have' strategic option for hospitals but that it needs strong and determined leadership, a broad-based quality culture, and an adaptive to change technology and methodology for its successful running.