The origins and development of quality initiatives in American business

Abstract

Purpose

Seeks to examine the origins and development of quality initiatives in US business.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviews and discusses the literature and history pertaining to quality initiatives in US business, with particular reference to the reconstruction of Japanese industry following the Second World War.

Findings

The real beginnings of “quality initiatives” in the USA came after W. Edwards Deming, Joseph Juran, and others returned from Japan in the late 1950s. These men and their colleagues had answered a call from the US Government to assist in the reconstruction of Japanese industry following the Second World War. Their techniques and methodologies had raised the industrial output of Japan to heights not previously envisioned.

Originality/value

Examines current quality initiatives in a fresh light by reviewing their origins and history.

Citation

Goldman, H.H. (2005), "The origins and development of quality initiatives in American business", The TQM Magazine, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 217-225. https://doi.org/10.1108/09544780510594180