TQM
The concept of total quality management (TQM) has become a core value in many global companies. Concurrently, the TQM movement has evolved with the change from individual crafters monitoring his or her quality, to production-focused management, and finally to holistic-focused movements involving each part of an organization. This paper will discuss the definition of TQM, provide an assessment of the impact of globalization, discuss the similarities and differences between traditional management styles and TQM, and explain how the principles of TQM are applied in a designated organization.
Definition of TQM
The American Society for Quality states that “in a TQM effort, all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products, services and the culture in which they work” (n.d., ¶ 3). Further, the Society identifies the goal of TQM as long-term success through customer satisfaction (n.d., ¶ 2). In this week’s reading Burrill and Ledolter go to extraordinaire lengths to discuss the various meanings of quality, finally settling on “quality means meet expectations” (1999, p. 131). The American Society of Quality’s definition of TQM is effective because it provides the premise and principles for TQM without causing debate over the meaning of quality.
Impact of Globalization
As discussed in the text, TQM has been significantly influenced by globalization, most significantly by the production successes of the Japanese. However, even during the Second World War, quality control standards were used by both the U.S. and Great Britain to help meet production quotas (Burrill & Ledolter, p. 28). After the war, Japan’s factories were rebuilt; production increased, and by the 1970s Japan had beco ...