Quality management, problems and pitfalls: a critical perspective

Quality initiatives have become widespread in recent years. However, the diverse meanings attached to quality initiatives make it a seductive and slippery philosophy of management and an elusive topic of study. Many books champion the cause of quality management but few address its meaning or reflect on its practical implementation or social significance. Attempts to introduce a fresh perspective to open up a different research agenda for those investigating quality initiatives and to stimulate discussion and debate between the “gurus” of quality and those who have studied its theory and practice.