Approaches to Quality Management Discussed here six thought leaders Essay

Approaches to Quality Management Discussed here six thought leaders who had a lasting impact on quality management practices thr - Essay Example The historical backgrounds of quality gurus, development of interests in quality, and their contributions to total quality management are also elaborated. The research used secondary methodology in collecting data. Data collected was analyzed using qualitative data analysis. Key words: total quality management, quality gurus, organization, contributions Introduction to the Topic During the 1960s, concerns about widespread global competitiveness forced most companies to show new interests in total quality management (Goetsch & Davis, 2013). The leading six quality gurus who augmented interests in quality management included Crosby, Deming, Feigenbaum, Ishikawa, Juran and Taguchi. These gurus were active consultants, lecturers, and authors with several years of experience. Most of the quality gurus were at advanced ages and widely influenced the growth of industries through development of distinctive approaches to total quality management. Total quality management philosophy seeks to i ntegrate all organizational functions to focus on meeting customer needs and company objectives (Summers, 2009). Examples of organizational functions include marketing, customer service, engineering, finance, design, and production. It is critical for all organizations to comprehend the contributions of quality gurus and institute their ideas into business operations to enhance performance. Research Methodology The data collection method for this study was secondary methodology. This methodology involved collecting data from already available datasets and researches done by other people. The sources of secondary data the researcher considered include companies’ publications, journals, periodicals and books that have been published under the subject of total quality management. Secondary methodology was advantageous because it helped reduce the costs of research such as finances, time, and facilities. The researcher selected the most recent resources from credible sources such as libraries and websites. The research adopted evaluative research strategy. Evaluative strategy involved assessing systems, theories, and frameworks of total quality management in relation to their effectiveness and outcomes. Data analysis involved comparing the contributions of various quality gurus, identifying their similarities and differences, and forecasting their outcomes. Data was analyzed by reorganizing and refining it to adapt standards of simplicity and understandability. Findings, Analysis and Interpretation Philip Crosby Philip Crosby started his career in industry as an inspector. Later, he became a vice president of quality at ITT. Crosby left ITT in 1979 and founded Philipp Crosby Associates, Inc., and Crosby Quality College that had trained 35,000 managers and executives by 1986 (Summers, 2009). Crosby influenced General Motors; General Motors purchased over 10% of Crosby stock in addition to setting its own Crosby school similar to IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Ch rysler (Besterfield, 2009). Crosby directed his messages to top managers and sought to change their perceptions and attitudes about quality. He spoke of quality as conformance to requirements and made managers to believe that products consistently reproducing its design specifications conformed to standards of high quality. According to Crosby, the goal of quality improvement is achievement of zero-defects. This is achieved through prevention rather