Ethical dimensions of total quality management

Total quality management (TQM) ought to go beyond the traditional meaning of the quality of a product or service; it should include not only customer satisfaction, but also efficiency, productivity, quality of work life, commitment and loyalty within the organisation. It is also about more than just listening to the customer, which means that the organisation ought to integrate its quality performance targets within its corporate social responsibility strategy - that is, to analyse more the "big picture", which incorporates the important notion that the perceptions of the customer ought to equate to those of the supplier. Inevitably, quality and its continuous improvement take time. What is required is a long-term commitment to the fundamentals to be perceived more as a process than a one-off plan. Thus, the two basic elements highlighted are: (1) to ascertain a sound formula based on a careful examination of an organisation's past performance and future goals and (2) to install a sophisticated programme of training for all levels of the organisation, emanating from the leadership. Total quality management is a key ingredient towards achieving business excellence, but must embrace an all-inclusive approach.