CHAPTER 10.

QUALITY TEAMWORK & EMPOWERMENT

Total Quality Management

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a continuous improvement management concept. It is similar

to Six Sigma in that the fundamental philosophy of TQM is to reduce production and service defects,
increase customer satisfaction with the product, and streamline supply chain management. In
addition, TQM ensures that equipment is well maintained and current, and that employees are well
trained. Most companies who use Total Quality management also utilize other lean processes such
as Kaizen, Kanban and 5S.

History of Total Quality Management

The TQM concept was developed by American management consultants, including W. Edwards
Deming, Joseph Juran, and A.V. Feigenbaum. Originally, Japan embraced the ideas of quality
management and continuous improvement introduced by American consultants following World
War II. Toyota adopted these practices and developed strategies unique to Japanese culture to
create the Toyota Production System, the basis for Lean manufacturing. As Japanese electronics
and automotive companies boomed, industries in the United States were struggling to keep up.

The solution was total quality management, a specific quality management approach developed in
the 1970s and 1980s. TQM in the US Federal Government began in 1985 when the United States
Navy adopted Deming’s teachings and named it Total Quality Management. The Department of
Defense, United States Army, the Coast Guard, and the EPA eventually followed by adopting
elements of TQM, setting the stage for companies to begin implementation.

The popularity of total quality management peaked in the 1990s and the Federal Quality Institute (a
result of the Navy implementing TQM) was officially closed in 1995. Although interest in the official
TQM program has declined, many of the strategies and principles are practiced in the newer quality
management philosophies of Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma.

TQM Principles
In TQM, the goal is to limit defects to 1 per million units produced; production should be done right
the first time, every time. The way to do this is the preventing defects during production. One of the
main mechanisms for defect prevention is mistake-proofing, or poka yoke, which is the concept of
preventing and correcting human error or incorrect operation as it occurs. Poka yoke refers to any
type of constraint designed into a process to prevent incorrect operation. For example, a two-hand
operating device is a poka yoke used to reduce injuries by requiring the operator to use both of their
hands to control the machine.
The driving force for TQM is continuous improvement. In TQM there is no place for stagnation. You
must move forward, and you must get better, systematically and in every way. At its core, TQM is a
management approach to long-term success through customer satisfaction and this is achieved by
ensuring conformance to internal requirements. TQM works to integrate all functions (such as the
marketing department, the accounting department, the design team, etc.) to create customer
satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is the most important concept in total quality management
because the customer determines the level of acceptable quality.

Several of the principles of TQM are the same key concepts of Kaizen. Like Kaizen, a TQM effort can
only be successful if all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products,
services and the culture in which they work. All employees are involved and committed to
continuous improvement. Another Kaizen tool TQM utilizes is the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to
continuously identify and solve issues efficiently. It’s important that improvement projects be
strategic and systematic in nature and managers make decisions based on data and facts.

When the United States Navy first implemented TQM in the 1980s, ad hoc cross-functional teams
were responsible for identifying and addressing immediate problems. These teams are nearly
identical to quality circles, and important concept in Lean manufacturing in Kaizen. Cross-functional
teams bring together workers who perform the same (or similar) job tasks to solve issues related to
their work. Teams will meet periodically and will typically work through the PDCA cycle for
continuous improvement projects, creating an established flow of improvement.

Total Quality Management Tools

Finally, total quality management relies on what is known as the Seven Quality Tools, a set of
charting and graphing techniques to help identify quality issues. The tools used in TQM are:

1. Fishbone Diagram / Ishikawa Chart: Used to visualize cause and effect and identify the root
cause.

2. Check Sheet Template: Used to collect data in real time.

3. Control Chart: Used to check if the process is in a state of control.

4. Histogram: Used to estimate probability distribution based on values within a certain range.

5. Pareto Chart: Used to evaluate the defects that are frequently occurring and assessing them
by category.

6. Scatter Diagram: Used to represent two values in a set of data.

7. Stratification Diagram: Also called a flow diagram or a run diagram, stratification diagrams

are used to sample a group.

Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in

communities.
In the sphere of management and organizational theory, "empowerment" often refers loosely to
processes for giving subordinates (or workers generally) greater discretion and resources:
distributing control in order to better serve both customers and the interests of employing
organizations.

Motivation is the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented

behaviors. ... In everyday usage, the term "motivation" is frequently used to describe
why a person does something. It is the driving force behind human actions.

The Four Forms of Motivation are Extrinsic, Identified, Intrinsic, & Introjected
 Extrinsic Motivation. ...
 Intrinsic Motivation. ...
 Introjected Motivation. ...
 Identified Motivation.

Extrinsic motivation is an external influence that impels people to act or behave in a

specific way such as accomplishing a task or job but can also be a personal goal such
as losing weight. External influences include rewards, promotions, prizes, etc.

Intrinsic motivation refers to an internal motivation, which is subjective but believed to

occur as a result of actions aligning with values or with pleasure for performing a task.
This type of motivation, though subjective, can be accessed in a variety of ways such as
providing rewards that reflect value such as “employee of the month” or giving out a
coffee mug printed with “best salesmen.” 

Introjected motivation is an internalized motivation like intrinsic motivation, but it is a

negative form of motivation which results from non-action such as the job being done
poorly or not at all and the person feeling guilty.  People who endure manipulative
behavior, passive aggressive attitudes, or bullying may form introjected motivations .

Identified motivation refers to a form of motivation which occurs as understanding or

feeling the need to perform or accomplish some task but not yet acting on this need. This
is a powerful form of intrinsic motivation that prepares the person to act. Often people
believe the behavioral influencers such as a reward or punishment are enough to
motivate action, but more often, motivation is a building process. For example, if lung
cancer’s risk could motivate a person to quit smoking

Types of motivational techniques

 Ask for employee input.
 Offer personal enrichment programs.
 Validate good work.
 Set intermittent goals.
 Celebrate milestones and achievements.
 Radiate positivity.
 Create a mentorship program.
 Create a comfortable and inspiring workspace.