In TQM, who is primarily responsible for managing quality levels?

In Total Quality Management (TQM), it is primarily the responsibility of managers to ensure and manage quality levels within an organization. Managers play a crucial role in establishing the strategic vision for quality, setting standards, providing resources, creating an environment that fosters continuous improvement, and ensuring that all employees are trained and equipped to meet those quality standards.

They are responsible for implementing processes that engage employees at all levels, which is an essential aspect of TQM. While employees indeed contribute to quality management through their daily tasks and interactions, and customers provide critical feedback on product or service quality, the overarching responsibility for managing and promoting quality initiatives rests on the shoulders of management. They are the ones who make decisions about quality systems, allocate resources, and drive the quality culture within the organization, thereby enabling a systematic approach to achieving high quality in products and services.

Shareholders, while they may influence business decisions through their investments and expectations, do not have a direct role in the day-to-day management of quality levels.