TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT, VOL. 13, NO. 3, 2002, 335- 346 A cross-cultural comparison of top management personality for TQM implementation Hsiu Ju Yen 1 ,Dennis W. Krumwiede 2 &Chwen Sheu 3 1 College of Management, Yuan-Ze University, Taiwan; 2 Idaho State University, Pocatello, USA & 3 Department of Management, Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA abstract Top management is the most important single entity in the implementation of cultural and philosophical changes within an organization. This study investigated the eþects of top management personality on the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) across two very diverse cultures, Taiwan and the USA. We used the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to classify top management personality types. Surveys were then performed to study the relationship between top management personality and TQM practices in these two countries. Several factors (commitment to training, time of implementation and management philosophical approach) believed to be critical to TQM implementation were also tested. The results indicated that top managers in both countries with speci®c personality types are associated with organizational environments that exhibit characteristics conducive to TQM. Introduction Over the last two decades, many companies around the world have been implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) or Continuous Improvement (CI) as a way to enhance their competitive edge in the global market. While some successful stories have been reported, most companies have not received the bene®ts expected from this eþort. In fact, research indicates that two out of three TQM implementations fail. Research has suggested many possible reasons for these failures. Among them, the lack of top management support is often credited as one of the primary factors attributing to the failure of TQM implementation (Krumwiede et al . 1998; Waldman, 1993). According to Deming, TQM is a management philosophy that requires a radical cultural change from traditional management to continuous improvement management style in an organization (Deming, 1986). Since top management is responsible for the transition of existing culture, it must accept this new concept and make the commitment to this cultural change (Westbrook, 1993). Since the personality and behaviour of top management aþect the acceptance of new ideas and philosophies (Forsha, 1992), it is therefore critical to understand top management personalities in order to make the necessary cultural transition to implement TQM. Krumwiede et al . (1998) suggested the use of the Myers- Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Correspondence: College of Business, Department of Management, Calvin Hall Room 101, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. E-mail: csheu@ksu.edu ISSN 0954-4127 print/ISSN 1360-0613 online/02/030335-12 © 2002 Taylor & Francis Ltd DOI: 10.1080/09544120220135219