Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to clearly present TQM principles and characteristics initiated by TQM founders and to review the literature that witnesses TQM success as well as failure in higher education and attempts to modify the TQM model to fit the higher education context The higher education total quality management model and its impact on the university including professional autonomy and scholarly activities are examined in order to study its positive and negative effects In order to understand TQM principles and its applicability or inapplicability to the higher education context the TQM principles are studied as developed by the main TQM scholars The founders of TQM basically initiated it in manufacturing yet this paper studies this literature in order to give a comprehensive picture of TQM so as to make its principles clear for the sake of studying its implementation in higher education This paper critically reviews the literature of TQM implementation in higher education and this literature is divided among scholars who defend TQM in higher educationand scholars who argue that this management system cannot be applied in the public sector and specifically in higher education