Most TQM programs focus on developing collaborative teams and attaining input from employees. Implementing this type of a program in a control culture, where direction comes from the top-down and individual input is not valued or sought, is doomed to fail. One way to mitigate this failure is to evaluate the culture before implementing the program and then evaluate the value of implementing the program based on the culture change which must occur. As with almost every other tool available to business, re-engineering, SPC, JIT, etc., TQM is seen as the answer to all your ills. It gets thrown out on the shop floor without any real thought going into how this tool fits into the business.
Management generally wants a turnkey answer, which they never get.
It is why companies who get creative always find plenty of people who want to duplicate their success instead of creating their own success. Learning about the tools is a good start, but management needs to use a bit of creativity to shape tools to their needs and be willing to risk trying something a little bit different. The TQM program becomes the end in itself instead of the support it was meant to be to the end product. After that they look for the next good idea to use as a patch. After awhile no one in the organization really believes the quality programs mean anything.