ABSTRACT
Total quality management (TQM) is an integrative management philosophy aimed at continuously improving the quality of products and processes to meet or exceed customer expectations (1). Researchers show that, in an increasingly complex global market, TQM implementation is critical for a firm’s competitiveness and survival (2–5). Systemic decision making, continuous improvement, experimentation with new ideas, and teamwork are some of the critical elements of TQM philosophy that were found to be important for a successful research and development (R&D) work environment (6). Hence, an organization whose survival depends on the success of R&D operations (e.g., a pharmaceutical company) provides a unique arena for the introduction and implementation of the TQM philosophy. However, a survey of the literature indicates that TQM research, for the most part, deals with the manufacturing and service sectors and lacks an R&D focus (1,7,8).
