Question

Total quality management (TQM)

A.) is a philosophy of managing that involves convincing employees that superior product quality is the most reliable key to competitive success in the marketplace.

B.) is a tool for providing customers with the highest quality product of any company in the industry.

C.) involves managing company operations in a manner calculated to quickly and efficiently make quantum gains in the quality and effectiveness with which production activities are performed.

D.) is a philosophy that entails creating a total quality culture bent on continuously improving the performance of every task and value chain activity.

E.) involves managing company operations in a manner calculated to result in mistake-free management of a company's entire business.

Answer 1

TQM is an all-encompassing approach focusing on continuous improvement and customer satisfaction through a company-wide effort. Theory Y management aligns well with TQM, encouraging employee participation in decision-making and goal-setting. TQM also embodies characteristics of transactional and transformational leadership styles.

Step-by-step explanation:

Total quality management (TQM) is a comprehensive and structured approach to organizational management that seeks to improve the quality of products and services through ongoing refinements in response to continuous feedback. TQM requirements may vary from one organization to another, but the philosophy holds that long-term success stems from customer satisfaction and is achieved through a company-wide effort. Within this concept, continuous improvement is essential as it involves everyone in the organization from the top management to the floor workers.

In the context of TQM, Theory Y management styles are promoted. Theory Y suggests that employees are inherently motivated and can seek inner satisfaction and fulfillment from their work. This is in contrast with Theory X, which posits that most people inherently dislike work and must be coerced into performance.

In a Theory Y environment, employees are involved in setting goals, decision-making, and they have input on matters such as efficiency and safety. One notable example is the empowerment of Toyota production line workers to stop the assembly line to address defects, which exemplifies the employee inclusion in quality management.

It is important to note that TQM is not just about manufacturing or product quality; it's also about the quality of all organizational processes, including management styles and interactions between employees and leadership. TQM incorporates elements of both transactional leadership, with its rewards and punishments system, and transformational leadership, which motivates and inspires employees to exceed their own and the organization's expectations.