A review of empirical research on Total Quality Management using scale developing methods: An Australian perspective

Over the last decade, Australian researchers have published widely on various issues of quality management in the context of Australian businesses. Only a few recent studies have measured reliability and validity in the development of quality management constructs and scales through rigorous statistical techniques. In this paper, the quality management literature was surveyed for scale development efforts and four studies were identified. These studies were reviewed to identify the statistical techniques and methods being utilized to develop scales of measurement. Similarities and differences of techniques of scale development were pointed out and suggestions are made for those who conduct future research and who evaluate it for possible publication. Although the number of published studies is small, they provide a baseline to which scale development efforts are measured in the future.