Influence of total quality management and knowledge management on quality of University Academic Programmes: a literature review

Abstract

Total Quality Management (TQM) and Knowledge Management (KM) have gained significance in the education sector for the last two decades. The purpose of this paper is to assess the application of TQM and KM principles in higher education institutions. Precisely, the paper reviews the broad empirical literature on the influence of TQM and KM on the quality of academic programmes. Two key findings are disclosed; first, effective execution of TQM principles in higher education results in the improvement of the quality of academic programmes particularly by focusing on the teaching and learning activities, which include inputs (students and faculty), outputs (graduate capabilities), and processes (interaction between inputs and outputs). Second, the application of KM philosophies in higher education contributes to the quality of academic programmes through curriculum development and reviews, knowledge sharing, and documentation. This paper serves as a guide to future studies especially in areas focused on the quality of academic programmes in higher education.