ABSTRACT
Philip Crosby (1926-2001) graduated from Western Reserve University and had a professional career in quality management. Following military service, he went into quality control in manufacturing where he worked his way from Line Inspector to Quality Director and Corporate Vice-President of ITT. Based on many years of practical experience, his first book became a best seller and led him to establish the consulting organisation Philip Crosby Associates Incorporated and the Quality College based in Florida. He is described by Bendell (1989) as ‘particularly well marketed and charismatic’, by theFinancial Times (26thNovember 1986) as having ‘the look of a sunbelt Senator rather than aman from the quality department’ and by Bank (1992) as exhorting his message with ‘almost religious fervour’. Clearly a man who acted as he spoke or ‘walked the talk’. His approach has been well received; over 60,000 managers were trained at the Quality College and his quality books, particularly Quality Is Free and Quality without Tears, continue to sell well.
