Quality: where have we come from and what can we expect?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the major themes of the quality movement in the past 25 years along with some of the lessons learnt from this. The future direction of quality is then explored by identifying a number of issues which are likely to impact on quality in organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is a review of trends in the academic, professional and business world around quality. Findings –The main outcomes from the past 25 years of quality are presented and discussed along with the lessons from this experience. A number of current and future trends on the quality movement are identified and discussed. Research limitations/implications – Emerging trends are identified which could provide the stimulus for future research. Originality/value – Lessons for managers and leaders on the mistakes of the past and matters which they will need to deal with in the future are presented.