Abstract—There has been an increasing interest in the implementation of the Total Quality Management (TQM) in the Higher Education (HE) sector over the past decade. However, TQM sustainability remains a significant challenge. This paper draws upon a case study of Libyan HE to explore how models of sustainability and TQM can be integrated into one of Sustainable Quality Management (SQM). The paper introduces the literature relating to TQM, Deming’s’ Plan-Do-Study-Act, and the European Foundation for Quality Management models and sustainability models (Triple Bottom Line and Five Capitals Model) and considers how these can enhance the HE sector. It presents the qualitative and quantitative data and analysis from over 30 interviews and 678 questionnaires with internal HE stakeholders in Libya (University staff and students, administrators and senior management, and representatives of the National Quality Centre). The data collection focused on the integration of TQM and sustainability criteria to generate a framework for SQM. This consisted of eight Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and 72 sub-criteria derived from these models. The overall findings are summarized and detailed consideration is given to one CSF relating to policy and strategy, which is of particular significance for Libyan HE. A final section of the paper presents the key findings relating to this CSF and discusses the relevance of SQM for HE in Libya and more widely. The results clearly show that the policy and strategy will enhance the quality and sustainability of higher education in developing countries.
 

Index Terms—sustainable quality management, policy and strategy, higher education in libya, triple bottom line, and five capitals model

Cite: M. Khoja, M. Lemon, J. Fisher, and A. Algaddafi, "Integrating the Total Quality Management and Sustainability in the Libyan Higher Education System by Evaluating the Policy and Strategy," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 160-165, June 2017. doi: 10.18178/ijlt.3.2.160-165