ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with a brief history of the Baldrige and describes the impact it had on the American economy between 1988 and mid-1996. The Malcolm Baldrige United States (US) National Quality Award has established itself as the premier standard in quality, in large part because it is descriptive of desired results rather than prescriptive of required procedures. The basic legislation for the Baldrige was introduced in Congress in early 1986, quickly relegated to a committee and, equally quickly, pigeonholed. Corning Telecommunications Products Division and Armstrong Building Products Operations—the two 1995 Baldrige Award winners—have already stepped up to the plate and assumed their roles as teachers of quality. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has become a coveted honor for organizations across the US—and a big business for consultants hoping to cash in on the latest quality craze.
