Analysis of Variables Influencing Total Quality Management in Micro and Small Enterprises: An Exploratory Study in Emerging Economies

Abstract

This study discusses the elements and dimensions of quality management in the context of micro and small enterprises, from the perspective of owners and managers. The research problem is related to the difficulty of understanding how Total Quality Management is perceived and practiced in small firms that usually operate with limited resources, informal routines and low levels of process formalization. The objective is to identify and categorize the variables that influence Total Quality Management for process improvement in micro and small enterprises in emerging economies. Data were collected from six Brazilian companies and two Colombian companies through semi-structured interviews with owners and managers. The results indicate that the Philosophy dimension presented the highest frequency in the discourse of the participants, especially due to characteristics such as flexibility, ease of change, reduced hierarchical structure, family-like work environment, direct communication and learning processes. The findings also show that micro and small enterprises demonstrate strong soft Total Quality Management practices, mainly related to leadership, customer proximity and interpersonal communication. However, they still face limitations in hard Total Quality Management practices, such as process standardization, formal measurement, documentation and systematic continuous improvement. The study concludes that quality management in micro and small enterprises should be understood as an adaptive and relationship-based system, requiring accessible, flexible and low-cost practices that strengthen process improvement without ignoring the organizational reality of small businesses.