What do we Mean by ‘Quality’ and ‘TQM’?

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine in detail our two central concepts: ‘quality’ and ‘TQM’. The aim is to define these in as rigorous a way as possible, drawing on the practitioner and academic literature. As we shall see, the concepts are complex and the definitions are in themselves important. The danger is that TQM has been subjected to a somewhat premature evaluation by many writers, on the basis of incomplete definitions. For example, few studies aiming to evaluate its success have actually assessed the extent to which it has been implemented (Hackman and Wageman, 1995). In order to make a broader assessment we need first to rigorously define the concepts.