What is meant by "Total Quality Management" (TQM)?

Total Quality Management (TQM) refers to an organization-wide approach aimed at continuous improvement of products, services, and processes through the involvement of all employees. This approach emphasizes the importance of customer satisfaction and seeks to improve quality at every level by fostering a culture where every individual is responsible for maintaining and improving quality standards.

By focusing on continuous improvement, organizations employing TQM practices can increase efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance customer satisfaction. This holistic view encourages collaboration and teamwork across all levels, ensuring that quality is not the responsibility of a single department but rather a shared goal of the entire organization.

The other choices represent ideas that do not align with the core principles of TQM. For example, a focus on individual performance contradicts the collaborative nature of TQM, which relies on teamwork. Similarly, reducing employee involvement goes against the TQM philosophy, which emphasizes empowerment and participation. Additionally, while increasing production output can be a goal, it does not encapsulate the essence of TQM, which focuses more on quality and continuous improvement than merely increasing quantity.