Are TQM principles supporting innovation in the Portuguese footwear industry?

The relationship between total quality management (TQM) and innovation is complex. Literature suggests that conflicting arguments exist and that the impact of TQM on innovation depends both on the specific quality management elements under consideration and on the type of innovation. In this research, our goal is to analyse at what extent the introduction of TQM is indeed supporting innovation in the Portuguese footwear industry. Since this is a mature industry, whose traditional competitive base is disappearing and where familiar to medium units dominate, our emphasis is on the study of the organisational requirements to adopt constant changes in process technology. This study is based on empirical data collected from a set of firms by means of a survey instrument, especially developed with this purpose, after an extended contact with the industry where case studies and interviews were conducted with carefully selected organisations and sector experts. Findings give support to the view that in fact TQM principles have a positive association with the adoption of technological innovation. Yet, both the prevalence of features of the mechanistic model and the lack of maturity of most initiatives in the Portuguese footwear firms restrains the role of TQM in supporting innovation.