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W. Edward Deming And His Effects On The Total Quality Movement

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W. Edward Deming and
His Effects on the Total Quality Movement
Nicholas LoConte
Johnson & Wales University

Abstract
This paper explores a variety of published articles regarding the effects that W. Edward Deming had on Japan during the total quality movement. The articles vary in terms of what aspects they focus on from his beginnings in Japan, all the way to the establishment of The Deming Prize. Articles such as William Edwards Deming, by Greisler, D. S., focus on Deming’s life as a whole whereas others such as Guidance for Deming Prize and Deming’s Fourteen Points focus on more specific aspects of Deming’s achievements. This paper focuses on a variety of articles highlighting varying aspects of Deming’s history and …show more content…

Edwards Deming., n.d.). In 1948, he returned to Japan to conduct studies on the occupation forces. During Deming’s trips to Japan he began to develop an admiration of the Japanese people. At the time Japan had some of the lowest quality industrial goods in the world. While in Japan, Deming convinced one of the founding members of the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers (JUSE), of the potential of statistical methods in the rebuilding of Japanese industry (W. Edwards Deming., n.d.). In turn, Deming was invited to teach courses in statistical methods to Japanese industry members. Deming arrived in Japan to teach again in June 1950 and he returned five times to act as a teacher and consultant to the Japanese (W. Edwards Deming., n.d.). It seems strange that Deming went to Japan to help manufacturers rather than helping the United States, where he was from. A reason for this occurrence is that the Japanese were hungry for innovative ideas. Deming was able to successfully influence a group of managers who had risen to the top in Japanese business after the war (W. Edwards Deming., n.d.). They wanted help to correct serious and persistent quality problems that they had been having for years (W. Edwards Deming., n.d.). Japan wanted to improve and stop being known globally for having low quality industrial goods. In the United States at this point in

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