Define Total Quality Management
University of Phoenix
Quality Management and Productivity MGT/449
May 6, 2006
Israr Hayath
Total Quality Management
Producing a quality product, whether a tangible item or a service, is the goal of all
organizations, how this goal is achieved will be the challenge. Quality of the end product
has been an obstacle in America for decades. In the post World War II era as production of
products in America rose, the quality of those products diminished. At the same time other
countries such as Japan were not experiencing the same quality issues.
The secrete to successful quality control was in the method of product management the
Japanese were using. The Japanese organizations used an approach which motivated all
employees and organizational functions to provide a consistently high quality product.
America took some time in developing the same dedication to quality control. The slow
response of American businesses was due to the initial excuse making phase, and the
inability to clearly define what is meant by Total Quality Management (TQM).
Define Total Quality Management
Until 1990 there was not a clear definition of what Total Quality Management (TQM) truly
meant. In an effort to provide a single definition which would include the entire process of
TQM the SEMATECH (semiconductor manufacturing technology) consortium developed
a definition which can not be challenged. The definition is represented as Total Quality
Management is a business management methodology that aligns the activities of all
employees in an organization with the common focus of customer satisfaction through
continuous improvement in the quality of all activities, goods, and services ( Burrill &
Ledolter, 1999).
The American Society for Quality (ASQ) has established another definition of TQM as a
term first coined by the Naval Air Command to describe the Japanese style of management
to quality improvement (AQS,2006). A simplistic view of TQM is a management approach
to long-term success through customer satisfaction, based upon the participation of all
members of an organization in improving processes, products, services, and the culture in
which they work(AQS, 2006). Both of these definitions clear demonstrate the philosophy
behind TQM is a dedication and alignment of all resources of an organization to producing
a high quality product which will represent the organization.
Impact of Globalization on Quality
The introduction of the internet has broadened the horizon of commerce. Several countries
now compete for the same consumers anda larger portion of the market. Should an
organization aim to compete in the given product market a high standard for quality will
