ABSTRACT

The history of, and current thinking around, QM places a strong focus on CI which, along with BE, have become the cornerstone of much of the activity organizations undertake to improve their performance. Sitting at the heart of much of what has been written about the field over many years has been a concern with finding efficient systems and processes by which to manage effectively. Whilst the work of many of the early quality ‘gurus’ focused on this search, there appears to be less concern in much of the literature around how to manage the HR associated with this area. This chapter considers some of the concepts underpinning CI and BE as well as TQM which have come from that historical development. It also begins to look at the strategic implications of working with CI, and sets the scene for consideration of where and how HRM and HRD can support such developments.