Total Quality Management and the Electronics Laboratory Services at Lyceum of Subic Bay / Abello, Maria Angelina Alvarado.

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Total Quality Management has been successfully adopted globally by higher education institutions. It is seen as a way of achieving success in an institution. In the Philippines, several institutions have successfully adopted and implemented TQM. In engineering education, laboratories play an important role in the implementation of TQM especially in a growing institution like Lyceum of Subic Bay. The purpose of this study is to assess the application of TQM and evaluate the school related factors affecting the level of effectiveness of the electronics laboratory services. Specifically, the study aims to determine the significant relationship between TQM, school-related factors and the level of effectiveness of the electronics laboratory services of Lyceum of Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). The data that were gathered from sixty (60) students and thirteen (13) faculty members were analyzed. The findings revealed that the application of TQM at Lyceum of Subic Bay was not in a full-fledge manner. TQM application was found to have a satisfactory rating in terms of continuous improvement, people involvement, client focus and use of quantitative methods. School-related factors revealed a limited administrative support and staffing. School-related factors dealing with usability, availability and adequacy of consumables, supplies, materials, and instruments were strong in implementation. School-related factors had a very satisfactory rating in terms of availability, adequacy and usability of consumables, supplies, materials, instruments and facilities. The electronics laboratory service was found to be very effective in providing services to students and faculty members. It has been found to be very effective in the areas of maintenance, dispensing and retrieval of consumables, materials and instruments and laboratory custodian services. Laboratory trainings and laboratory development were found to be only effective. TQM was found to have no significant relationship with the effectiveness of the electronics laboratory services. TQM variables dealing with continuous improvement is found to have a significant relationship with retrieval of materials and instruments and laboratory custodian services. The use of quantitative method was found to have a significant relationship with dispensing, laboratory developments and laboratory custodian services. People involvement is found to have a significant relationship with laboratory trainings and laboratory custodian services. School related factors were found to have no significant relationship with the effectiveness of the electronics laboratory services. Administrative support was found to have a significant relationship with laboratory custodian services. Usability of consumables, supplies, materials, instruments and facilities was found to have a significant relationship with laboratory trainings. Based from the findings of the study, the researcher recommended that the management should strictly implement the programs and policies of TQM so as to achieve a higher rating for the implementation. The administration should provide full support to the plans and programs of the institution specifically through staffing, availability and adequacy of materials, instruments and facilities needed to support learning for a better quality of service to students and employees. The management should sustain the effectiveness of the electronics laboratory through trainings of students, faculty members and laboratory custodians on a regular basis and the development of new laboratory facilities for robotics, digital signal processing, and communications and to keep up with the advancement of technology. Furthermore, the management should promote the use of Engineering Management tools and techniques like TQM and specifically implement the formation of quality circles, use of quality tools and SPC to improve quality and productivity.