Quality concerns for management was one of the key themes of the Fifth Annual British Academy of Management Conference which was held in Bath in September 1991. This brought together a number of writers from a range of disciplines including production management, marketing and industrial...

Increased control of the process through, for example, reduction of special and common causes of variation, is fundamental to total quality management (TQM), yet this is one of the main areas targeted by its critics. However, there appears to be much misunderstanding between those from the...

Examines the factors which underpin the success of total quality management (TQM) initiatives. Uses data drawn from an in‐ depth, longitudinal case study of British Steel Teesside Works. Provides information on the background to the case study and an overview of the historical development of...

Total Quality Management (TQM) looks like being one of the management fashions of the 1990s. In this respect the academic and prescriptive literature on TQM is reviewed. The factors which have encouraged organisations to introduce TQM are discussed and some of the implications for the management...

Examines the implications of total quality management for the management of people. The implementation of TQM requires the development of a high commitment employee relations strategy and involves an attempt to build a culture of continuous improvement among employees. Argues that employee...

While quality management practices have spread in recent years, academic investigation of the phenomenon has lagged behind. Discusses what TQM comprises and whether there are partial or contingent forms; employment practices and relations, including the links with HRM and the issues of...

In recent years, the term empowerment has become part of everyday management language. It has also been associated with popular management movements of the times such as human resource management (HRM) and total quality management (TQM). Empowerment is regarded as providing a solution to the...

A brief introduction to Total Quality Management (TQM) is presented. It is a holistic concept and must be implemented as such. However, there are four barriers to full implementation. These are short‐termism, organisational segmentalism, reluctant managers, and poor industrial relations. These...

Questions whether “quality” is having as much impact in the financial services sector as the evidence of use of quality management techniques in the UK suggests. Explores the context within which “quality” is finding a place in financial services, and presents the findings of a postal...