From my experience I can conclude the following pre-conditions that should exist in order to successfully implement large scale initiatives like TQM:
• Track record of effective responsiveness to the environment
• Ability to successfully change the way it operates when needed
• Champion leaders
• People need to feel a need for a change
• Mechanisms or structures to enable the change to occur and become institutionalized
• TQM processes and models of employee participation are such mechanisms
• Participative orientation
• Interdependency relationship
• Shared responsibility
• Definition of purpose
• High communication
• Focused future
• Focused tasks
• Creative talents
• Rapid response
MACRO
• Crisis
• Leaders championing new ideas
• Continuity of political leadership
• Healthy civic infrastructure
• Key leaders having shared vision and goals
• Trust among those in power
• Outside resources
• Models to follow
MICRO
• Top management support
• Customer focus
• Long-term strategic plan
• Employee recognitions and training
• Employee empowerment and teamwork
• Measurement and analysis of products and processes
• Quality assurance

Bad time to implement TQM
• If an organization has been historically reactive and has no skill at improving its operating systems, there will be both employee skepticism and a lack of skilled change agents
• If it has significant problems such as a very unstable funding base, weak administrative systems, lack of managerial skill, or poor employee morale, TQM would not be appropriate