Theory C: the near future of quality management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an idea on the next step in quality management, based on the experiences of the last 100 years. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review has been undertaken on the history of quality management so far and on trends for the near future. Based on these findings a model has been designed to describe different elements of quality management. A focus is on the human aspects, like vision on the employee, roles of the quality manager and the skills required. Findings – After the control, continuous improvement and commitment paradigm the time has come for a new paradigm based on the importance of the context. Originality/value – The paper provides more insight into the near future of quality management in times of emergent change.