Managing for quality in the USA and Japan: differences between the MBNQA, DP and JQA

Japanese and US organizations, in their strivings to achieve organizational and quality excellence, differ significantly in various aspects of management and work culture. Spiritual teachings, such as Shintoism and Buddhism, have shaped the Japanese people’s concept of human relations and management philosophy. The West, on the other hand, highly advocates freedom and creative thinking, and has created competitiveness through fostering a culture of entrepreneurship. The US Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the Japanese Deming Prize, and the Japan Quality Award, contain in their frameworks several total quality management (TQM) concepts, including: leadership and social responsibilities, strategies and plans, customer focus/relations, human resource development, information management, processes, quality, suppliers, and overall results. This article compares the distinctive differences and overlapping concepts between the US and Japanese approach to TQM, with regard to the countries’ quality award frameworks and criteria.