Total quality management: origins and evolution of the term

TLDR

The term TQM emerged in the mid‑1980s, with foundational contributions from Feigenbaum and Ishikawa and later shaping by Crosby, Deming, and Juran, though none of them originally used the term. This paper traces the origins of the TQM term, clarifies its various definitions, and analyzes the key dimensions that underpin the concept.

Abstract

The focus of this paper is to trace the origins of the term TQM and clarify the different definitions employed by academics and practitioners. Feigenbaum and Ishikawa are perhaps the greatest contributors to the development of the term. The other recognised quality management gurus such as Crosby, Deming and Juran have shaped the dimensions, practices and mechanism which underpin the concept, but it is noted that none of these three actually uses the TQM term. TQM started to be used in the mid‐1980s and only became a recognised part of the quality‐related language in the late 1980s. The paper also analyses the key dimensions of TQM and traces their origins.