ABSTRACT
Quality processes have a far higher chance of success in a democracy than under an authoritarian regime because of a crucial element that democracy and a well-conceived quality process share: both believe in the value of the individual. An attempt to establish a quality process—particularly one with 100% employee involvement—in an authoritarian political setting would be extremely difficult at best. Both the American Revolution and the quality revolution hold the belief that institutions must be designed to meet the needs of people, rather than that people exist to perpetuate institutions. In the workplace, the quality movement has sought to embody this same ideal: the principle that everyone is capable of contributing to the common good. There are alternatives to quality teams that are clearly less directive; some of them are very effective. In every scenario, employees are compelled to receive training in how the quality improvement process within the company works.
