Assess Likely Support or Opposition to Integration

Quality Management systems have demonstrated their effectiveness in providing efficient, flexible management processes. However, in many instances they have failed to deliver their promises in full and in some cases have failed completely. These failures have been ascribed to cultural obstacles that were not identified during the design process. In a recent survey of 350 senior executives Arthur D. Little, Inc. found that 68 percent of the companies reported unanticipated problems with their change process. 

In most instances cultural problems arise because there is misalignment between the new requirements and factors that drive day-to-day behavior— the unwritten rules. One model for the staff motivation process, shown in Exhibit 3-1, illustrates how staff behavior is influenced by  

Many local business improvement opportunities are required to either have their costs pre-approved and included in the budget-or to have immediate paybacks that offset the costs. When these conditions are not met, integration efforts experience unwarranted delays while the subject business unit waits for the next budget period. 

Look at previous quality management initiatives within your organization to see whether they have met, exceeded or fallen short of expectations. For those that failed to meet expectations, identify the problems that led to the shortfall and make sure to address these in your plan. 

Exhibit 3-2. Guide for Designing Unwritten Rules Assessment Questions 

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