Human Resource Management within Purchasing Management: Its Relationship to Total Quality Management Success

SUMMARY The extent to which human resource management (HRM) within purchasing management affects total quality management (TQM) was empirically tested. Five primary results emerged, first, organizations with more successful TQM programs were more likely to stress formal performance evaluations of purchasing employees. Second, purchasing employees at successful TQM firms were more involved in key decisionmaking processes that impact their jobs than their counterparts in less successful TQM firms. Third, purchasing employees in organizations with more successful TQM programs had a greater level of perceived support through job security and less fear of failure when taking a risk. Fourth, purchasing employees in more successful TQM firms had more TQM‐related training. Fifth, purchasing employees in more successful TQM organizations were more likely to be rewarded for individual goal attainment than purchasing employees in less successful TQM organizations.