Why do you think that companies in the United States were slow to adopt the quality management principles japanese companies had used to gain market share worldwide?

Discuss the following question in class or outside of class with your fellow students:

1. If you were the quality manager for this company and the employee empowerment effort had been your idea, how would you have gained a commitment to it from the new management team?

Discuss the following questions in class or outside of class with your fellow students:

1. Assume that you are siding with the VP of operations, and list the arguments for implementing TQM.

2. Now assume that you are with the heads of manufactur-ing and quality assurance. List the arguments for ISO 9000.

3. You have heard both sets of arguments, and you believe there might be a third approach that could satisfy both factions. What would you propose?