Final answer:
The quality management method focusing on improving products to align with changing consumer expectations highlights the need for continuous innovation and technological research to maintain market competitiveness and respond to external environmental changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The approach to quality management that emphasizes on improving products to meet changing consumer expectations involves continuous innovation and adaptation. Manufacturers understand that consumer preferences can be volatile and dynamic.
For example, car designers not only have to meet the desires of consumers but also consider factors such as environmental regulations and lifecycle changes of customers, like shifting from being single to having a family. Hence, they must research advances and changes in technology, consumer behavior, and regulations.
In addition, companies often need to update their products to stay competitive. A consumer might be satisfied with a product like a toothbrush, but upon their next purchase, they find that the design has changed. This is a result of continuous product improvement driven by a company's commitment to innovation in design and marketing strategies, aimed at maintaining market relevance and addressing the potential decline in manufacturing demand that could lead to recession and job loss.
Therefore, quality management aims not only to satisfy initial customer expectations but also to anticipate and respond to possible future needs and preferences driven by changes in the external environment, thereby ensuring improved product safety, reliability, and market competitiveness.