Total Quality ...So What is New?
Abstract
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges faced by Air Force leaders during the last decade of the twentieth century will be establishing a total quality culture where trust, teamwork, and continuous improvement are a way of life. Although a lot of time, money, and effort is currently being expended in pursuit of this goal, the question still remains whether total quality is just another fad in a long line of management initiatives, or a genuine attempt to establish a new leadership framework. This paper attempts to answer those questions by examining personal experiences, and comparing Total Quality Management to some of the management initiatives used throughout the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force over the last forty years. It further looks at the applicability of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's Fourteen Points to the Air Force, and emphasizes the role of leadership in implementing the principles of total quality.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA280657
Entities
People
- William J. Beck Jr.
Organizations
- Air War College