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Comparison of Total Quality Management Philosophers W. Deming, J. Juran, and P. Crosby Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Charles Dickens

Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................................................... 3 Scope of the Study .......................................................................................................................... 4 Sources and Methods ...................................................................................................................... 4 Secondary Research Findings ......................................................................................................... 4 Comparison of Three Approaches ................................................................................................ 10 Similarities ................................................................................................................................ 10 Differences ................................................................................................................................ 11 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 12 Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 12 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 14

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Introduction The implementation of quality management has gained significant acceptance in various, diverse organizations such as health care, non-profit, and educational, as it promotes principles that generate increased performance and productivity (Hackman & Wageman, 1995). The fundamentals of improving and managing quality in organizations evolved from three philosophers; W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, and Philip B. Crosby. These philosophers contributed to the fundamentals of Total Quality Management (TQM) through their ideas and research. The philosophy behind quality management stresses continuous improvement and has become an integral part of all organizations as it provides a solid foundation for management. Every employee’s effort towards the improvement of business activities enhances customer satisfaction. Total Quality Management (TQM) stresses these viewpoints as it provides a unique approach on how organizations strategically improve performance and quality through reengineering processes to meet long-term and short-term goals (Bretcu & Demyen, 2018). The quality management approaches used in organizations derived by philosophers W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and Philip Crosby will be discussed individually and compared. Purpose of the Study This study analyzes the work of three philosophers who have made significant contributions to the quality management theory that have been practiced by organizations worldwide. The purpose of this report is to identify and provide recommendations on how an organization can effectively improve quality by applying the ideas and principles of philosophers Deming, Juran, and Crosby.

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Scope of the Study This study is limited to a sample of three philosophers. There was a time constraint of two weeks to investigate the approaches to quality management these philosophers had and recommend possible practices that should be used in an organization. The study paid particular attention to the following concerns: Sources and Methods Kwantlen’s online database will be used to gather and interpret data regarding the principles of Total Quality Management and the differences in approaches Deming, Juran, and Crosby had. Secondary Research Findings Organizations worldwide focus on quality management as a means to reduce costs, increase productivity, and meet customer needs (Stevenson, Hojati, & Cao, 2018). The importance of continuously improving the quality of their services and products are a way these goals may be achieved. The philosophers W. Edwards Deming, Joseph M. Juran, and Philip B. Crosby are the pioneers of quality management who have been studying and teaching the importance of quality for years. Although their teachings are over a century old, organizations still use principles taught by them today. The secondary research findings will describe Deming, Juran, and Crosby’s basic principles and approaches to quality management. A comparison of the philosophers’ approaches will be addressed at the end. William Edwards Deming Williams E. Deming is one of the major contributors to the fundamentals of Total Quality Management that organizations study today. His strategic thinking in Japan after WWII led to the development of quality management principles which helped transform Japan into the 4

second-largest economies in the world (Wayhan, Khumawala, & Balderson, 2010). Not only did Deming contribute positively to Japan’s economy, he contributed to the framework for Total Quality Management which revolutionized quality approaches and processes in organizations worldwide. He stated that quality can only be defined by the customer and is contingent depending on the customer’s needs. Taking a systems and leadership approach to quality, he created concepts including: (1) Chain Reaction for Quality Improvement, (2) System for Profound Knowledge and (3) 14 Points for Management (Wayhan, Khumawala, & Balderson, 2010). Chain Reaction for Quality Improvement Deming’s “Chain Reaction for Quality Improvement” theory, demonstrates that when quality improves a chain reaction of actions occur. For instance, quality must be improved in the first box to create the chain reaction. This is done by having management implement the 14 Points and understand the statistical approach to improvement processes in the organizations. If this were implemented, costs would decrease as fewer errors would have to be resolved resulting in fewer delays and increasing productivity and then, so on. However, the transformation of an organization is not that easy. Deming notes that it is the management’s responsibility to change their outlook by implementing the 14 Points and encouraging workers to work (Wayhan, Khumawala, & Balderson, 2010).

(Wayhan, Khumawala, & Balderson, 2010)

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A System for Profound Knowledge Another one of Deming’s approaches to quality management included the concept of “A System for Profound Knowledge.” In an organization, there is no substitution for knowledge. Without knowledge, management cannot positively transform (Stepanovich, 2004). This system is composed of four parts: (a) Theory of Systems - Deming recognized that organizations have interdependent relationships that must be studied. The lack of knowledge may cause dissolution of an organization affecting their productivity. (b) Theory of Process Variation - Management must be aware of statistical theory as it is essential to understand the causes of variation that occurs in an organization. Deming acknowledged that measurement of variation allows management to predict the behaviour of a system. By measuring wasted costs organizations can identify whether process is being made. (c) Theory of Knowledge - Deming believed that management should advance their knowledge through conducting experiments and by analyzing/interpreting data. (d) Knowledge of Psychology - To optimize performance, management should be able to understand the interactions between people, different learning styles, and employee motivation (Stepanovich, 2004). 14 Points for Management Deming provided 14 points on how quality management can be achieved and successfully implemented for any organization. These steps provide obligations that a manager

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should follow in order to achieve transformation within his/her organization. These 14 points focuses on customer satisfaction which would in result improve quality (Stevenson, Hojati, & Cao, 2018). In conclusion, Deming contributed immensely to the foundation of Total Quality Management. He focused on how management should involve statistical thinking in organizations, have an understanding of profound knowledge, and adopt the 14 points in order to achieve quality. Joseph M. Juran Joseph Juran is an electrical engineer and law graduate who has also contributed to the fundamentals of Total Quality Management. Juran’s teachings in quality management in Japan had helped Japan’s economy flourish significantly (Stevenson, Hojati, & Cao, 2018). Juran focused on managing or quality using a strategic and structured approach. The concepts he is recognized for are: (1) the Juran Trilogy, (2) Quality Planning Roadmap, and (3) the Vital Few and the Trivial Many. The Juran Trilogy The Juran trilogy is a systematic approach on how quality should be managed. There are three interrelated quality-orientated processes that help organizations reduce costs of defects and plan quality measures into the organization (Beckford, 2002). The three elements are quality planning, quality control, and quality improvement. The first element, quality planning involves workers identifying who the customers are. This will help identify what their expectations may be and how to plan for it. The second element, quality control is concerned with the control process. To measure if an organization is working productively, management must collect data, 7

set performance goals and identify the reasons for variations in processes. Lastly, quality improvement is seeking innovative ways to reduce variations in production and lowering the cost of poor quality ( (Beckford, 2002). Each step in Juran’s trilogy is inherent in every organization that focuses on quality improvement. Quality Planning Road Map In addition, Juran’s methodology called “quality planning road map,” describes how quality is achieved. The road map offers a nine-step guide which provided a more detailed approach on how to and organization should address change (Beckford, 2002).

The Vital Few and the Trivial Many Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto observed that 80% of wealth was owned by 20% of the population. Juran fell across this principle and applied it to the concept of quality issues. According to Juran, the cost of poor quality can be attributed to the “vital few,” which is the small number of causes. The “trivial many,” are the other defects are insignificant. Juran’s

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observation has been applied in various fields such as the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Institute of Medicine and more (Tom, LaPlante, & Shaffer, 2014). Philip Crosby One of the last major contributors to Total Quality Management was engineer, Philip Crosby who is best known for his concept of “Zero Defects.” Crosby believed that quality was free and that the costs of quality are extremely high. He believed that quality improvements would eventually pay for themselves. Also, Crosby defined quality as a measurable variable that aided organizations to identify on how to take action and create tangible goals (Stevenson, Hojati, & Cao, 2018). The main foundation of Crosby’s approach to quality management was prevention. The concepts taught by Crosby include: (1) Zero Defects, (2) Do It Right the First Time, and (3) the Four Absolutes of Quality. Zero Defects The “Zero Defects” process is a concept created by Philip Crosby. This concept stressed that one defect is too high, and organizations should aim for zero. This technique stimulates high-quality products by eliminating defects during the process of designing, selling, producing and providing service. Crosby found that defects usually occur due to a lack of training, attention, or stems from the employees’ attitude. Transforming each individual’s attitudes toward conformance to requirements is how management and employees can commit to high-quality (Mazel, 1965).

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Do it Right the First Time Crosby stressed that quality should be managed by preventing defects to occur and not 14 pointsby detecting and inspection. Things should be done right the first time. Having this attitude would help organizations reduce costs as it decreases costs of repairs and rework (Stevenson, Hojati, & Cao, 2018). Four Absolutes of Quality Philip Crosby created the Four Absolutes of Quality. Crosby’s main idea was that by preventing defects, it would decrease spending on inspection and rework. It contained four principles that provided insight on his approach to quality management (Wangen, 2009). 1. Quality is defined as conformance to customers’ requirements 2. The system for improving quality is prevention 3. The performance standard is zero defects – a commitment to conform to requirements each and every time 4. The measurement of quality is the price of nonconformance (Wangen, 2009). Comparison of Three Approaches Similarities Deming, Juran, and Crosby’s philosophies have been implemented in various modern organizations and have many similar approaches. For instance, all three philosophers agree upon a customer-orientated process that would allow quality to improve. They all identify that understanding what consumers need and what their expectations are will help prevent further problems. Secondly, Deming, Juran, and Crosby’s approaches all recognize that management involvement is extremely important. Management is responsible to help create a culture where 10

quality is important and that their actions leads to the success of the organization. Through continuous education and learning, management can help employees develop their skills. Differences Deming, Juran, and Crosby had several differences when it came to their approach to quality management. One of the differences was their definition of quality. Crosby defined quality as a “conformance to requirements,” (Stevenson, Hojati, & Cao, 2018). Management was responsible for measuring quality and the wasted costs of doing it wrong. This allowed management to have a measurable variable in order to track progress within the organization. Juran took an alternate approach defining quality as a “fitness for use.” He believed that products free from deficiencies was important as products with deficiencies would cause dissatisfaction amongst customers (Beckford, 2002). On the other hand, Deming stated that quality can only be defined by the customers (Wayhan, Khumawala, & Balderson, 2010). Although three definitions may be difference, the definitions of quality have been adopted in organizations and have seen drastic improvements. Another difference in Deming, Juran, and Crosby’s approach is the goals of quality management. Crosby strongly believed in the “Zero Defects,” concepts stating that one defect is too high. He stressed that products should be consistently produced free of errors. In comparison, Juran addressed company-wide objectives in order to meet the quality-related goals. It was important that people were educated on what to do in order to mean the specific quality goals that the organization had. On the other hand, Deming advocated for reducing process variation on a continuous basis. Lastly, one of the main differences in Deming, Juran, and Crosby’s principles were their view of how to improve quality. Crosby emphasized on prevention to meet quality 11

specifications. Deming viewed the organization as a system where statistical and scientific methods should be used by management in order to measure consumer research, needs, variation, and more. Juran was concerned with problem-solving and worked towards process improvement. Conclusion Many organizations have successfully implemented Deming, Juran, and Crosby’s approaches and principles in Total Quality Management to their workplace. Each philosopher significantly contributed to the fundamentals of Total Quality Management through the teachings of their concepts they created. Deming took a leadership approach to quality management with the concepts of the Chain Reaction Diagram, 14 Points, and the System of Profound Knowledge. Crosby emphasized the importance of prevention developing the concepts of Zero Defects, Four Absolutes of Quality, and Do it Right the First Time. Lastly, Juran focused on a more strategic approach creating the concepts of the Juran Trilogy, the Vital Few and Trivial Many, and the Quality Planning Roadmap. Recommendations The following recommendations were made for organizations who have the goal of implementing quality improvement processes in their workplace. These recommendations are based on the principles taught by Deming, Crosby, and Juran. 1. Upper management must be involved with creating an organizational culture reaffirming commitment to high quality and standards 2. Upper management should have knowledge of statistical theory in order to measure variation and predict behaviour of the organizational system

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3. Leaders should allocate resources to employees such as continuous ongoing education/training and access to tools 4. Management must consistently commit themselves to a prevention workplace environment helping each other conform to these requirements 5. Develop continuous education and training plan defining what quality is, how it should be implemented, and prevention measures

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Bibliography Beckford, J. (2002). Part two: The quality gurus: Chapter 9: Joseph M. Juran. Quality (Routledge), 105-115. Bretcu , A., & Demyen, S. (2018). TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND THE COLLABORATIVE ADHOCRACY. Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Serires, 402-422. Hackman , R., & Wageman, R. (1995). Total Quality Management: Empirical, Conceptual, and Practical Issues. Administrative Science Quarterly, 309-342. Mazel, J. (1965). Setting Up a Zero Defects Program. Management Review, 60. Stepanovich, P. L. (2004). Using System Dynamics to Illustrate Deming's System of Profound Knowledge. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 379-389. Stevenson, W. J., Hojati, M., & Cao, J. (2018). Operations Management. McGraw-Hill Ryerson. Tom, M., LaPlante, D., & Shaffer, H. (2014). DOES PARETO RULE INTERNET GAMBLING? PROBLEMS AMONG THE "VITAL FEW" & "TRIVIAL MANY". Journal of Gambling Business & Economics, 73-100. Wangen, B. (2009, December). The Four Absolutes of Quality. Retrieved from Lansing Business News: https://lansingbusinessnews.com/ Wayhan, V., Khumawala, B., & Balderson, E. (2010). An empirical test of Deming's chain reaction model. Total Quality Management, 761-777.

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