Total Quality Management (TQM) Is a Term

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a term that refers to the process of continuously striving to improve quality assurance in an organization's operations, procedures, and results. A key component of this definition is the fact that TQM is essentially a program and not a project; it requires more than a one-time implementation and is a never-ending series of steps to constantly improve quality. This management approach was initially begat in the middle of the 20th century, and became popularized and virtually ubiquitous at its end and at the beginning of the 21st. Total Quality Management strives to get things right the first time they are attempted, and to be as efficient and as productive as possible in doing so.

The proper implementation of TQM encompasses various aspects of a company's culture, organization and attitude. It requires a fundamental concern for ethics and integrity, as well as a dedication to leadership and communication between individuals to enact beneficent processes.

These concepts are fully flushed out in an article by Hackman and Wageman entitled "Total quality management: empirical, conceptual and practical issues." This article provides a comprehensive overview of the history of TQM and its morphing into a social phenomenon near the end of the 20th century. It examines the strengths of TQM and the realistic, everyday applications of some of its most fundamental concepts -- and the inherent differences between these applications and their true intentions. It pays particular emphasis to TQM's reliance on change or transformative action, which is at the heart of TQM processes and is intrinsically related to management and employee motivation. The article concludes by providing a prognosis for the future of TQM and the importance it will play in 21st century management in general.

There are a number of different parallels between the article by Hackman and Wageman and the definition of TQM denoted within this document. One of the most eminent of these is the fact that in exploring the historical writings of authors such as Deming and Ishikawa on the subject attests to the mid to late 20th century roots of this field. Additionally, the outcomes of TQM as explicated within this article are certainly related to a never-ending process of improvement that is based on communication and a strong sense of morality or ethics. More importantly, in identifying what sort of things will have to take place for TQM to continue in the future, Hackman and Wageman's article alludes to the value of communication and a constant, organization-wide refinement.