Business
Total Quality Management
Total quality management (TQM) is defined as "a philosophy of organization-wide commitment to continuous improvement, focusing on teamwork, customer satisfaction, and lowering costs" (Daft 640). This definition shows the various aspects that are a part of a total quality management approach to business. These include that a TQM approach involves the whole organization, that continuous improvement is a major focus, and that there is an emphasis on satisfying customers. To consider quality management in more detail, these three aspects will now be considered. This will be followed by a consideration of the importance of quality management in business. Finally, the effects on both managers and employees will be discussed. This will provide an overview of quality management, while also showing the impact it has on organizations.
The first important aspect of TQM is that it involves the entire organization. This includes that it involves all tasks, all departments, and all functions. This overall approach was first described by Creech, who described TQM as an approach that puts "quality in every aspect of management" (Creech 7). The important feature is that quality management is not just about identifying areas that are most important to the organization. Instead, it means performing every function well. With the TQM approach, it is considered that improving every aspect of an organization will improve how it operates overall. In addition, it means that even minor improvements will make a major difference, if they are organization-wide.
The next important aspect of TQM is the emphasis on continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is defined by one author as involving everybody in the organization "from the boardroom to the mailroom, in a daily search for incremental improvements" (Cherkasky 6). With this approach, there is no single goal that the organization is aiming to achieve. For example, the goal is not to increase productivity to a certain level, reduce inefficiencies to a certain level, or improve a product until a certain amount of new customers are attained. There is not single goal because the goal of the organization will always be changing. This is true because no matter how much the organization improves, the goal continues to be to find new ways to improve. This also explains why continuous improvement is about incremental improvements, rather than major improvements. The significant point is that a major improvement could not be expected to be found every day. In much the same way, not every employee would be capable of making a significant change. For example, a junior employee with limited experience and limited responsibilities will not be likely to have the knowledge or the authority to recognize ways to improve significantly. However, a junior employee might still be able to find a minor improvement. If everyone in the organization is doing this, the end result can be major because the improvements accumulate. Another aspect of TQM related to continuous improvement involves the use of team. One text describes how teams should be used to identify and solve problems as part of continuous improvement (Daft 641). This involves identifying potential problems that can be prevented, identifying current problems that require solutions, and identifying opportunities for improvement. Teams are used as a way to combine the knowledge of all employees so that everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
The final major aspect of the TQM approach is the emphasis on satisfying customers. The TQM approach is based on recognizing that an organization exists to serve its customers. If the organization does not provide its customers with what they want, it will not succeed. In addition, the organization must provide quality products and services. In this context, quality does not necessarily refer to a product that is the best on the market. Instead, quality refers to a product or service's ability to meet the needs of its customers. This means that a reasonably priced Ford...
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