Role of external management consultants in health-care organizations implementing TQM

Abstract

The reliance of organizations on consultants generally is increasing. Although the efficacy of the use of consultants in implementing change programs has been questioned, there have been limited attempts to systematically analyze the contribution of consultants. This article reports observations on the use of consultants in health-care organizations implementing total quality management (TQM). The relationship between the use of external management consultants and successful TQM implementation is not simple. There appears to be a difference in the way consultants are used by the public and private sectors, with the private organizations forming long-term relationships with their consultants. The perceived value of consultants to the private organizations was higher. Consultants are not a substitute for leadership, and the success of outside consultants probably depends on the commitment of senior management. External management consultants appeared to be linked to the successful implementation of TQM. Further, despite the conventional wisdom to the contrary, some prepackaged programs may be beneficial for the introduction of TQM into an organization.