Sustainable quality management: a strategic perspective

The topic is restricted to the components of total quality management (TQM), in which a set of values, tools and techniques unites the descriptions of TQM. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact on an additional core value of the components of TQM, namely the sustainability of values, tools and techniques.

A strategic perspective of sustainable quality management is applied, rather than tactical and operative ones. The term “sustainable quality management” is used.

The paper contends that quality management (in general) and TQM (in particular) should be scrutinised by stressing the sustainability of values, tools and techniques.

Sustainable quality management provides a potential to improve and extend the theory generation and the best practices of TQM in the future. An important area for further research is to examine the extent of sustainable quality management practices beyond the organisational boundaries and traditional channel structures. Sustainable quality management is complex to implement and evaluate.

The paper provides theoretical and managerial ideas and insights in order to anticipate and avoid the non‐sustainability of TQM practices.

One contribution is a model of a circulation approach to TQM. Another contribution is a model of the sustainability of TQM, which connects and reconnects corporate values, tools and techniques in quality management.