Assessing Urban Planners Skills for Entering Professional Joband Measure the Total Quality Management Level (Case Study:Department of Urban Development, Islamic Azad University, MashhadBranch)

Providing superior quality and keeping peoples satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways construction companies differentiate themselves from competitors. Many companies are, however, frustrated in their efforts to improve quality and customer satisfaction through the implementation of total quality management (TQM).Total quality management (TQM) was first introduced as a business management approach in the post-World War II era when Deming and others successfully reinvented the Japanese economy. Beginning in the early 1980s, American business leaders looked to the philosophy, principles, and TQM tools to improve the economy. More recently, education leaders have begun to recognize the potential for TQM applied to educational organizations especially in university. Quality management provides a connection between outcomes and the process by which outcomes are achieved. If, as many people realize, the cause of failures in education is a problem in design, quality management may be regarded as an ideal systemic process for managing change in public education. There has been some reluctance to apply quality practices to education, yet central to Deming’s methods and management philosophy is an insistence that anything can be made or done better. Americans have steadfastly held the belief that education is the fortification against poverty and social unrest. There exists, however, a subtle pessimistic attitude that people are doing the best they can with what they have. The message appears to be that education can only be successful with certain students. Deming (1992, 6) writes that with its “underuse, misuse, and abuse of skill and knowledge...the United States may be the most underdeveloped nation in the world.” Improvement with all levels of students must be viewed as not only possible but also essential. The highest level of quality principles is in learning. This is where it impacts the classroom. To achieve the desired results, educators must question their core teaching and learning processes and methods. The main aim of this study is to find required skills of urban planner to enter to work and assess status of achieving these skills be using total quality management method. Firstly, skills requirements were found by using literature reviews and with depth interviews from faculty members of Islamic Azad University of Mashhad. The next step was to evaluate TQM to understand how much it can response to skills. It was evaluated by questionnaire, which was produced by American Federal Institute (1990) with 8 criteria and a total of 48 items. To obtain TQM accountability response to help with these skills. The method of paper is practical and descriptive and number of sample is 76 of faculty members of Islamic Azad University of Mashhad. To analysis questionnaires a single-sample of T-Test method was used. Findings show that status of TQM is lower than standard average and there is also a vague understanding of the eighth principles of TQM items in faculty members. It is suggested to boost this status, it is necessary to increase level of participation of experienced, motivated and activated professors and assistant professors to have interaction between management and department of education. Providing superior quality and keeping peoples satisfied are rapidly becoming the ways cons truction companiesdifferentiate themselves from competitors. Many companies are, however, frus trated in their efforts to improvequality and cus tomer satisfaction through the implementation of total quality management (TQM).Total qualitymanagement (TQM) was firs t introduced as a business management approach in the pos t-World War II era whenDeming and others successfully reinvented the Japanese economy. Beginning in the early 1980s, Americanbusiness leaders looked to the philosophy, principles, and TQM tools to improve the economy. More recently,education leaders have begun to recognize the potential for TQM applied to educational organizations especially inuniversity. Quality management provides a connection between outcomes and the process by which outcomes areachieved. If, as many people realize, the cause of failures in education is a problem in design, quality managementmay be regarded as an ideal sys temic process for managing change in public education. There has been somereluctance to apply quality practices to education, yet central to Deming’s methods and management philosophy isan insis tence that anything can be made or done better. Americans have s teadfas tly held the belief that education isthe fortification agains t poverty and social unres t. There exis ts, however, a subtle pessimis tic attitude that peopleare doing the bes t they can with what they have. The message appears to be that education can only be successfulwith certain s tudents. Deming (1992) writes that with its “underuse, misuse, and abuse of skill and knowledgethe United S tates may be the mos t underdeveloped nation in the world”. Improvement with all levels of s tudentsmus t be viewed as not only possible but also essential. The highes t level of quality principles is in learning. Thisis where it impacts the classroom. To achieve the desired results, educators mus t ques tion their core teachingand learning processes and methods. The main aim of this s tudy is to find the required skills of urban planners toenter to work and assess the s tatus of achieving these skills be using total quality management methods. Firs tly,skills requirements were found by using literature reviews and with depth interviews from faculty members ofthe Islamic Azad University of Mashhad. The next s tep was to evaluate TQM to unders tand how much it canrespond to skills. It was evaluated by a ques tionnaire, which was produced by American Federal Ins titute (1990)with 8 criteria and a total of 48 items. To obtain a TQM accountability response to help with these skills. Themethod of paper is practical and descriptive and a number of samples are 76 of faculty members of Islamic AzadUniversity of Mashhad. To analysis, the ques tionnaires, a single-sample of the T-Tes t method was used. Findingsshow that the s tatus of TQM is lower than the s tandard average and there is also a vague unders tanding of theeighth principles of TQM items in faculty members. It is sugges ted to boos t this s tatus, it is necessary to increaselevel of participation of experienced motivated and activated professors and assis tant professors to have interactionbetween management and department of education.