The Office of Quality Assurance and Audit held the “2024 Academic Year Total Quality Management (TQM) Seminar” at 9:20 a.m. on March 28 at Chang Yeo Lan Conference Hall in the Hsu Shou-Chlien International Conference Center. The event's theme was “Inspiring Communication, Leading the Future with Quality” (「智啟溝通 質領未來」). The event was attended by President Huan-Chao Keh, Chairperson Flora Chia-I Chang, the three vice presidents, Robert Ray-Yen Lu, Executive Supervisor of the Chinese Society for Quality (CSG), as well as nearly 300 first- and second-level administrators and faculty and staff from across the university.
In her opening remarks, Chairperson Chang noted that TKU has been implementing TQM for 32 years, and many colleagues have already integrated it into their work practices—proving that TQM has become part of Tamkang’s DNA. In line with the seminar's focus on “communication,” she emphasized the importance of building effective communication channels, particularly the need to pay attention to vertical and horizontal two-way communication within the organization. She also shared related theories, including the “Waggle Dance Principle,” “Dynamic Balance Theory,” and Stanford University’s “5 Stages of Design Thinking” as references for participants.
President Keh highlighted that since signing the MOU with CSG, Tamkang University has co-hosted events such as the Annual Conference of the Chinese Society for Quality and the 2023 International Conference on Quality Management, as well as the 30th Anniversary TQM Seminar. Furthermore, he explained how Tamkang has integrated its core vision “AI+SDGs=∞” into TQM, evolving it into “TQM 2.0: Smart and Sustainable TQM” and incorporating this framework into the Tamkang Quality Award evaluation indicators. He defined the seminar's theme: “Use intelligence to enable high-performance communication; use quality to lead a sustainable future.” Effective communication, he stressed, is a vital soft skill for individuals. The ability to deliver messages clearly and ensure they are well-received and accurately executed is a direction we must continue to pursue.
The keynote speech was delivered by Terry Chung, Head of the Education Quality Committee of CSG, under the topic “The Battle Between Reason and Intuition: Key Communication Strategies for Implementing TQM.” He explained how to implement TQM through effective communication and mental strategies. Using quality control in a factory as an example, Chung emphasized that executing quality standards involves consideration of experience, habits, and environmental influences, not just written SOPs. He pointed out several key factors for successful implementation: “accurate understanding of standards,” “encouraging anomaly reporting,” “regular cross-departmental meetings,” and “external evaluation mechanisms.”
He then discussed how effective communication is critical in helping employees understand and practice TQM, noting that it is no easy task. Referencing American psychologist Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow, Chung introduced the concepts of the rational and intuitive systems of thought and how these affect TQM strategy planning and execution. He emphasized the need to use mental strategies to bridge gaps in organizational environments and perceptions, ensuring that frontline workers can fully comprehend, accept, and implement TQM standards. He proposed 4 key goals to improve TQM execution: “Turn standards into intuitive behavior,” “Create an environment where frontline staff are willing to report proactively,” “Establish a shared language and real-time information sharing across departments,” and “Develop long-term quality mechanisms with external partners.”
President Keh moderated the Q&A session. Dean Tzung-Hang Lee of the Colleges of Engineering, Artificial Innovative Intelligence, and Precision Healthcare asked how to establish effective communication and feedback mechanisms between organizations. Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Chair Hsiao-Chung Tsai raised a question about how to communicate effectively with students and parents. Chung responded with insights to both questions. In his closing remarks, President Keh stated that effective communication within a university organization enhances execution and supports sustainable development. Chairperson Chang added that communication is one of the many critical dimensions of TQM. Students, parents, and colleagues should be considered essential customers in a university setting. She hoped the keynote address would provide participants with diverse perspectives on communication. She encouraged everyone to continue using the PDCA approach in TQM task forces to think about communicating more effectively and applying it in their work, ultimately making Tamkang a better place in a harmonious environment.
