Total Quality Management

This article presents an argument for the new federal government Total Quality Management (TQM) initiative by showing that TQM principles and practices should be foundational considerations when refocusing national attention on the challenges of the 1990s and beyond. Nothing less than a major American culture enhancement is required to sustain and improve the standard of living desired by most Americans. TQM reinforces the positive philosophies, values, behaviors, and norms organizational development academicians and practitioners have long known to be significant in attaining high levels of employee satisfaction and organizational performance. We now have an organizational language called TQM that integrates what we know can work. We need to learn the talk, and then, walk that talk.