TQM, Will it Work in the DoD

Abstract

This paper examines the Deming management methodology known as TQM (Total Quality Management) in an attempt to determine its suitability for use with the Department of Defense (DOD). The author's thesis is that this management methodology was not designed for use in the military environment and therefore will not preform up to the expectations that it has delivered in the civilian sector. This study in Deming's TQM application in the DOD identifies numerous areas which contrast with the Deming model. Likewise, peculiarities of the DOD environment are highlighted against the backdrop of the TQM approach and conclusions reached by the author that either substantiate the suitability of elements of the TQM model for application within the DOD or argue that they cannot be applied. This paper, while focusing extensively on the Deming model, deliberately ignores other management theories in terms of their suitability for application within the DOD. While the author's conclusions are that Deming's TQM is not an appropriate management model for the DOD, he does endorse elements of the model's use as valuable to improve efficiency within the DOD.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1994
Accession Number
ADA280604

Entities

People

  • Michael J. Dormeyer

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Department Of Defense
  • Human Behavior
  • Instructors
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • Operations Research
  • Personnel Management
  • Quality Control
  • Schools
  • Students
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Training
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Applied Combinatorial Optimization and Logic Circuit Design.
  • Defense Financial Management and Audit.
  • Systems Analysis and Design