Evaluation of quality management interventions in public services (New Public Management) from the employees´ and customers´ perspective

Austrian Science Fund

Total quality management, originating in production companies in Japan and the USA, is adapted more and more to the field of private and also public services. Most of the publications dealing with effects of TQM emphasize organizational aspects of the TQM interventions. Effects of TQM-interventions on employees strain and satisfaction were not invested. Furthermore, few investigations deal with the actual field of TQM-interventions in public organizations, where strong effects of the interventions, both on organizations, employees and customers, could be expected.


This interdisciplinary research project is based on two lines of research:

• The "Vienna implementation studies" and their contextual factor model for analyzing ef-fects of organizational change on employees' strain and satisfaction.

• The research on customer satisfaction, especially the actual research on links between customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction, based on the construct of "service quality".

Goals of the research project are:

• Adaptation and further development of the contextual factor model of the "Vienna implementation studies"

• Analyzing effects on TQM-interventions in the field of service organizations with a strong emphasis on public organizations

• Further investigation of links between effects of TQM-interventions on employees and customers

• A transfer of knowledge and a cross-national comparison, based on an international research cooperation.

The research proposal consists of three parts. Details available on request.