Total Army Quality: TQM or Something Else

Abstract

Abstract : The Army has been directed by the Department of Defense (DOD) to change corporate management philosophy and practices by adopting Total Quality Management (TQM) as espoused by W. Edwards Deming and others. Total Army Quality (TAQ) is the Army's new management philosophy, responding to the DOD TQM mandate. TQM gurus prescribe revolutionary change that transforms management and organizations. Such an institutional metamorphosis portends modification of shared assumptions, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations of soldiers. That is, a significant change of the Army's culture. Indeed, the DOD TQM Master Plan's long-range goals focus on long-term cultural changes as the principal desired outcome of TQM within DOD. This study summarizes the key principles of TQM as articulated by Dr. Deming, postulates significant aspects of organizational culture fostered by prescribed TQM principles, identifies pertinent aspects of extant Army culture, and compares the postulated TQM culture with Army culture.