A new holistic definition of TQM towards sustainability

The intense pressure of global competition forces companies to consider incorporating sustainability into their quality management models to ensure a lasting competitive advantage through improved performance. For this reason, quality management models, primarily Total Quality Management, have expanded their scope to accommodate other dimensions, such as including social and environmental responsibility in quality policies and objectives. Several studies have highlighted the solid interdependencies and points of contact between quality management and sustainability. However, to date, no publications have been reported to provide a new definition of the concept of quality management capable of incorporating the concept of sustainability encompassing the three pillars (economic, social, and environmental). Through a systematic literature review on Scopus and Web of Sciences, the study analysed the definitions of Total Quality Management and sustainability cited in 91 articles from an initial sample of 2,534 papers. After analysing the most recurring keywords and identifying the main topics, the research proposes a new definition of Total Quality Management, including the three pillars of sustainability. The proposal of a new definition supports managers in understanding the scope of a sustainability-oriented Total Quality Management approach.