• The literature coalesces around a cohesive theoretical core for Total Quality Management, integrating quality assurance, organizational strategy, and work performance as a framework for transformation [4], [10], [13], [15], [19].

• Domain-specific adoption shows TQM shifting from manufacturing to education and public administration, shaping governance, outcomes, and policy-driven management [6], [9], [17], [18], [20].

• People-centric implementation surfaces as a driver of TQM success, highlighting employee involvement, HR practices, and performance implications under quality regimes [7], [15], [16].

• Quality is reframed as a multidimensional outcome, linking life quality, customer satisfaction, service quality, and performance metrics across contexts [3], [12], [14].

• Tools and environmental design—5S, quality management systems, and strategic alignment—emerge as mechanisms for enacting TQM and embedding quality into daily work [2], [4], [5], [10], [19].