Obstacles and issues in the implementation of self assessment in Yemen

Total quality management (TQM) is still a new issue for organisations in Yemen. These organisations need to establish a new strategy toward quality management. For this purpose, this study focuses on the difficulties and barriers to the introduction and implementation of TQM in such a culture. The study is based on two case study organisations and on the activities proposed by the European Excellence model to exemplify TQM. Time was spent on explaining these activities to people involved and this was followed by a discussion of the difficulties. By the end of this process the authors identified several issues that should be taken into consideration with the aim of improving organisations in Yemen. Issues include the need for proactive government support, for better technical understanding of TQM, and for a change in organisational culture.