Why quality initiatives are failing: The need to address the foundation of human motivation

Companies all over the United States have initiated quality programs in order to meet the demands of international competition. However well‐intentioned, many of these initiatives have by and large met with failure. United States corporate leaders seem confused as to the causes of those failures. What business leadership has failed to realize is that there are certain underlying assumptions about human motivation in the workplace that must be addressed before any quality program can be successful. This article addresses those basic concerns and provides a framework for business leaders who embark on quality initiatives.