Relationships of Instructors' Personalities with Total Quality Management Practice in the University Classroom

Abstract

This research examined the relationships of instructors' personalities, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, with Total Quality Management practice in the classroom. Total Quality Management practices in the classroom environment were separated into two dimensions, activities that focus on the student as a customer and activities facilitating continuous improvement in course content and delivery. Hypotheses were developed that define the relationship of Total Quality Management practices with aspects of the personality inventory. These relationships were assessed for a sample of 130 university professors. The results of statistical tests indicate that the Extraversion, Feeling, and Judgment personality preferences may be associated with the quality dimension of customer focus, while the Intuitive personality preference may be associated with the quality dimension of continuous improvement. In conclusion, implications for educators are discussed.

References

Bounds

Yorks

Adams

Ranney

(1994) Total quality management: toward the emerging paradigm. New York: McGraw Hill.

Brownsword

A. W.

(1988) Psychological Type: an introduction. San Anselmo, CA: Baytree.

Chance

(1989) Great experiments in team chemistry. Across The hoard, May, 18–25.

Deming

W. E.

(1982) Out of crisis. Cambridge, MA: Productivity Press.

Flori

(1993) Results from the use of TQM principles in undergraduate engineering mechanics classes. Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Total Quality Symposium, Kansas City, Missouri.

Harris

J. W.

(1993) Samford University's quality story. New Directions For Institutional Research, Summer, 17–28.

Hart

Driver

(1978) Teacher evaluation as a function of student and instructor personality. Teaching of Psychology, 5, 198–200.

Huitt

W. G.

(1992) Problem solving and decision making: consideration of individual differences using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Journal of Psychological Type, 24, 33–44.

Imai

(1986) Kaizen: the key to Japan's competitive success. Cambridge, MA: Productivity Press.

10.

Juran

J. M.

(1988) Juran on planning for quality. Cambridge, MA: Productivity Press.

11.

Marsh

H. W.

(1991) Multiindexal students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness: a test of alternative higher-order structures. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 285–296.

12.

Marsh

H. W.

Bailey

(1993) Multiindexal students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness: a profile analysis. Journal of Higher Education, 64, 1–18.

13.

Marsh

H. W.

Hocevar

(1988) A new, more powerful approach to multitrait-multimethod analyses: application of second-order confirmatory factor analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73, 107–117.

14.

McMillan

(1991) To boost quality and cut costs, Oregon State University adopts a customer-oriented approach to campus services. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 37, February 6.

15.

Myers

I McCaulley

M. H.

(1988) A guide to the development and use of the Myers-Briggi Type Indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

16.

Ord

K. J.

(1993) Total Quality Management in the classroom a personal Odyssey. New Directions for Institutional Research, Summer, 37–39.

17.

Seymour

(1993) The IBM-TQM partnership with colleges and universities-a report. American Association for Higher Education, August, 26–27.

18.

Sokol

P. E.

(1993) Improvements in introductory physics courses. New Directions for Institutional Research, August, 41–44.

19.

Stern

B. L.

Tseng

D. P.

(1993) U.S. business schools' reaction to the Total Quality Management movement. Journal of Education for Business, 69, 44–48.

20.

Tenner

DeToro

(1992) Total Quality Management: three steps to continuous improvement. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

21.

Zemke

(1992) Second thoughts about the MBTI. Training, April, 43–47.