The origins and development of quality initiatives in American business

Abstract

PurposeSeeks to examine the origins and development of quality initiatives in US business.Design/methodology/approachReviews 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.FindingsThe 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/valueExamines current quality initiatives in a fresh light by reviewing their origins and history.