CONNOR, Patrick E

Total quality management : a selective commentary on its human dimensions - malden, MA : Blackwell Publishers, nov./dec.1997

This article investigates some of the human dimensions of the total quality management movement (TQM), discussing its costs along with its potencial benefits. It argues that the human costs of TQM are often substancial and may under certain circumstance be largely unavoidable. Indeed, it argues that the human costs of TQM are a direct consequence of middle managers' egos and fears, employee motivations, trivial employee participation, and the coercive nature of team structures. The artcle acknowledges TQM's potential benefits but admonishes its adherents not to ignore its potential costs.