Syllabus for OPM-411

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT


COURSE DESCRIPTION

Total Quality Management explores the theories, concepts, and techniques of total quality management (TQM). The course examines the origins of TQM and how its techniques and tools can be properly integrated into both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Specific topics discussed in the course are the impact of quality on profitability, Lean operations, Six Sigma, global effectiveness, quality culture, and employee empowerment.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:  

  1. Explain the total quality approach and connect it to global competitiveness.
  2. Analyze the role of strategic management in total quality management.
  3. Apply strategic management concepts to the task of gaining and sustaining competitive advantage.
  4. Discuss the role of ethics and social responsibility in quality management.
  5. Analyze leadership issues, including the creation of a quality culture.
  6. Apply methods for achieving customer satisfaction and retention.
  7. Demonstrate understanding of key management issues such as empowerment, education, and training of employees as well as strategies for overcoming obstacles.
  8. Apply tools for information analysis including charts and diagrams as well as problem solving and decision making tools.
  9. Discuss key process quality methods, including quality function deployment.
  10. Apply continual improvement methods and benchmarking.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

           ISBN-13: 978-0133791853

COURSE STRUCTURE

Total Quality Management is a three-credit online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

Course objectives covered in this module: 1, 2, 3, 4

Course objectives covered in this module: 3, 5, 6

Course objectives covered in this module: 5, 7

Course objective covered in this module: 8

Course objectives covered in this module: 8, 9, 10

Course objective covered in this module: 10

           Course objectives covered in this module: 5, 7

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take a proctored online midterm examination, and complete a final project. See below for more details.

Consult the Course Calendar for due dates.

Discussion Forums

You are required to participate in fourteen graded discussion forums as well as an ungraded "Introductions" forum. The online discussions are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete seven written assignments. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the module learning objectives. In all assignments, you should make reference to readings and other sources of information as appropriate, and document these references in proper format.

Midterm Examination

*Note - For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exam, refer to the study guide available in the Examinations section of the course website.

You are required to take a closed-book, proctored online midterm examination. It is two (2) hours long and covers all reading and assignments through Module 3 of the course (textbook chapters 1-9). It consists of six (6) short essay questions.

For the midterm, you are required to use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.

Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Final Project

Your Final Project involves two separate parts. Part A, due at the end of Module 5, consists of a set of PowerPoint slides explaining the causes of quality issues affecting production at XYZ Manufacturing Corporation, where you hold a management position. Part B, due at the end of the semester, consists of a written report where you will recommend TQM implementation strategies to correct these issues.

For more detailed information about the final project, go to the Final Project are of the course website.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A

=

93–100

C+

=

78–79

A–

=

90–92

C

=

73–77

B+

=

88–89

C–

=

70–72

B

=

83–87

D

=

60–69

B–

=

80–82

F

=

Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.

Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:

Plagiarism

Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.

If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > “Citing Sources.”)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.

For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance and originality report checking, click the links provided below.

Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism

When to Quote and When to Paraphrase

Writing Assistance at Smarthinking

Originality Report Checking at Turnitin

Disciplinary Process for Plagiarism

Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.

If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.

If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.

Possible sanctions include:

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