The Race Without a Finish Line

Based on interviews and site visits with twelve Baldrige National Quality Award-winning companies as well as with two winners of the President's Quality and Productivity Award. A complete guide for implementing total quality management (TQM) in all organizations. Lessons learned by leading TQM companies will help managers and executives assess an organization's readiness for TQM and prepare for the cultural revolution required to truly embrace quality. Part 1: The race for quality: starting points and participants

The roots of the TQM movement

The basis of TQM

Using TQM in a public sector setting

Where TQM will work (and where it won't)

Part 2: Entering the race: strategies that work

Planning for change: developing the requirements

Leadership and commitment: laying the foundation

Strategy No. 1: establish supportive organizational roles and structures

Strategy No. 2: Use the right tools and processes

Strategy No. 3: Implement long-term educational programs

Strategy No. 4: Create meaningful recognition and reward systems

Strategy No. 5: Encourage complete and regular communication

Part 3: Breaking out of the pack: building on other's experience

Auditing the process: the Baldrige and President's awards

Sharing the experience: comments and reflections from the award winners

Striving for quality: rewards without end

Resource A: Glossary of TQM terms

Resource B: Directory of TQM terms

Resource C: Annotated bibliography of TQM publications

"An excellent primer on the most important subject for American business in the 1900's--training its people." --James Flannigan, Business columnist, Los Angeles Times

WARREN H. SCHMIDT is professor emeritus of public administration at the University of Southern California. JEROME P. FINNIGAN is human resources manager for Xerox Corporation's Office Document Systems and was instrumental in the firm's transition to TQM. Based on interviews and site visits with twelve Baldrige National Quality Award-winning companies as well as with two winners of the President's Quality and Productivity Award. A complete guide for implementing total quality management (TQM) in all organizations. Lessons learned by leading TQM companies will help managers and executives assess an organization's readiness for TQM and prepare for the cultural revolution required to truly embrace quality. "An excellent primer on the most important subject for American business in the 1990's--training its people."--James Flannigan, business columnist, Los Angeles TimesBased on interviews and site visits with twelve Baldrige National Quality Award-winning companies as well as with two winners of the President's Quality and Productivity Award. This complete guide for implementing total quality management (TQM) in all organizations offers lessons learned by leading TQM companies to help managers and executives assess an organization's readiness for TQM and prepare for the cultural revolution required to truly embrace quality.