Which year is often cited as the beginning of the TQM movement?

The beginning of the Total Quality Management (TQM) movement is often linked to the 1950s, a pivotal decade during which the groundwork for modern quality management practices was established. This period saw the introduction of quality management principles that were heavily influenced by the teachings of quality pioneers such as W. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran. Their work in Japan and later in the United States laid the foundation for many of the concepts that are central to TQM, such as continuous improvement, customer satisfaction, and the involvement of all employees in the quality process.

In the 1950s, organizations began to focus on quality not just as a final step in production, but as an integral part of the entire production process. This shift in perspective was essential for the TQM approach which emphasizes quality as a culture within the organization rather than a set of isolated practices. Consequently, the ideas and frameworks developed during this time were critical to the evolution of TQM and its subsequent adoption in various industries during the later decades.