Question

which of the following is a characteristic shared by all versions of total quality management (tqm)?
a. it is a product - focused approach to quality management.
b. it lays emphasis on building cellular layouts throughout an organization.
c. it focuses on prevention rather than correction of errors.
d. it focuses on short - term quality improvement.

Explanation:

• Option a: TQM is not just product - focused; it's a holistic approach involving all aspects of an organization, so a is incorrect.
• Option b: Cellular layouts are related to lean manufacturing and not a core characteristic of all TQM versions, so b is incorrect.
• Option c: A key principle of TQM is emphasizing error prevention (e.g., through process improvement, employee training) rather than just correcting errors after they occur, so c is correct.
• Option d: TQM is about long - term quality improvement, not short - term, so d is incorrect.

Answer:

c. It focuses on prevention rather than correction of errors.