What is Total Quality Management?

Total Quality Management (TQM) refers to a structured process aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction through the improvement of a company's output (goods and services) and internal processes. 

TQM is a continuous process of removing or reducing to a minimum the manufacturing errors and internal inadequacies that affect the overall quality of a good or service. 

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A Little More on What is Total Quality Management 

TQM was developed by William Deming, it is an approach to organizational management that focuses on improving processes and standards that translate to customer satisfaction. 

TQM aims to reduce manufacturing and internal defects of a company. It shares a lot in common with the Six Sigma improvement processes -  but they are not the same.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is an approach organizations use to deliver improved goods and services. 

This entails using internal practices and standard measures to avert or eliminate errors during production and also correct them when they occur. 

Embracing acceptable industry standards and professional practices and ethical operations can help improve the quality of an organization's outputs. 

Central to the aims and goals of TQM is customer satisfaction. This is why TQM is regarded as a customer-based approach or process. 

TQM calles for guidelines and standards for employees to follow. These standards are not expected to be realistic rules, protocols and standards that employees should practice. 

Academic Research on Total Quality Management

• Total quality management as competitive advantage: a review and empirical study, Powell, T. C. (1995). Strategic management journal, 16(1), 15-37.
• Total quality management, Evans, J. R. (2002). Total quality management. INFOR, 40(4), 364.
• Total quality management: Empirical, conceptual, and practical issues, Hackman, J. R., & Wageman, R. (1995). Administrative science quarterly, 309-342.
• The relationship between total quality management practices and operational performance, Samson, D., & Terziovski, M. (1999). Journal of operations management, 17(4), 393-409.
• Total quality management in SMEs, Ghobadian, A., & Gallear, D. N. (1996). Omega, 24(1), 83-106.
• The relationship between total quality management practices and their effects on firm performance, Kaynak, H. (2003). Journal of operations management, 21(4), 405-435.
• The rhetoric and reality of total quality management, Zbaracki, M. J. (1998). Administrative science quarterly, 602-636.Distinguishing control from learning in total quality management: A contingency perspective, Sitkin, S. B., Sutcliffe, K. M., & Schroeder, R. G. (1994). Academy of management review, 19(3), 537-564.
• Assessing the impact of continuous quality improvement/total quality management: concept versus implementation., Shortell, S. M., O'Brien, J. L., Carman, J. M., Foster, R. W., Hughes, E. F., Boerstler, H., & O'Connor, E. J. (1995). Health services research, 30(2), 377.
• Adapting total quality management (TQM) to government, Swiss, J. E. (1992). Public Administration Review, 356-362.
• Total quality management implementation and competitive advantage: the role of structural control and exploration, Douglas, T. J., & Judge Jr, W. Q. (2001). Academy of Management journal, 44(1), 158-169.
• Management, and financial performance, Hendricks, K. B., & Singhal, V. R. (2001). Journal of operations management, 19(3), 269-285.