Final answer:
Total Quality Management (TQM) is the term that describes a comprehensive, company-wide effort towards continuous improvement in all aspects of an organization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that describes a company-wide effort to continuously improve the way people, machines, and systems accomplish work is a) Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM is a holistic approach to long-term success that views continuous improvement in all aspects of an organization as a process and not a short-term goal. It aims to radically transform the organization through progressive changes in the attitudes, practices, structures, and systems. TQM contrasts with strategies such as Lean Manufacturing, which focus on waste reduction, or Six Sigma, which is aimed at reducing variation and improving quality through a set of statistical tools and techniques.
Referring to the historical figures in the question, Frederick Taylor's work on scientific management, also known as Taylorism, sought to improve industrial efficiency. Taylorism focused on breaking down tasks into small, repetitive parts to increase productivity, which eventually influenced later management and continuous improvement philosophies such as TQM.