An empirical study of USSMEs using TQM

Total quality management is a managerial philosophy that has received great attention in the business world during the past several years. There are many philosophical reasons as to why companies should implement TQM. However, the main reasons why companies should consider implementing TQM are increased profitability and competitiveness. As the result of a perception that smaller firms do not have the resources necessary to implement TQM effectively, the focus of the literature has been on large organizations. For this study, a survey instrument was developed to evaluate the impact of TQM on small and medium enterprises in the United States. The results provide useful insight into the manufacturing and service organizations that use TQM as compared to those who do not.