The contemporary quality management (QM) literature prescribes various quality improvement shategies. However, it lacks scientifically developed and tested constxucts that represent an integrative QM philosophy. Moreover, an impact of the prescribed QM strategies on a fm's product quality has not been analyzed. Through a detailed analysis of the literature, this research identifies 12 constructs of integrated QM strategies. Using a survey of 371 manufacturing firms, the c o n s t~~t s 8ce then empirically tested and validated. LISREL 7 is used for this purpose. Finally, a framework to examine the effects of integrated QM strategies on a firm's product quality is suggested. Comparisons between this and two other comprehensive scales of TQM are made. Subject Areas: Quality Management, Scale Development, and TQM Theory. S d a y L.Ahire is an assistant professor in the Department of Management at Western Michigan University. He received a Ph.D. in management science from the University of Alabama in 1992. He also holds a master's degree in management studies and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, both from the University of Bombay. Dr. Ahire's current research interests include evaluation of quality management strategies, and interfaces between quality management and operations decision models. His research has been published or accepted for publication in

The TQM revolution of the 1980s has led to a formal adoption of TQM by many firms. However, several organizations fail in their campaigns because of a variety of reasons ranging from lack of top management commitment to focus on tools instead of approach. Through a focused survey of 359 manufacturing firms in a single industry answers two critical questions: is it necessary for a firm to embark on a formal TQM campaign to manage quality effectively?; and is it worthwhile for a firm to embark on a half‐hearted TQM campaign? Using a criterion of existence of a formal TQM campaign in a firm and quality of products offered by the firm, classifies firms into four groups: high performance TQM firms, low performance TQM firms, high performance non‐TQM firms, and low performance non‐TQM firms. Compares them along ten literature‐based, empirically‐validated TQM constructs and derives the following major conclusions: it is not necessary for a firm to implement a TQM campaign formally in order to practise elements of TQM philosophy and thereby manage quality well; a firm should implement a formal TQM campaign only if it plans to execute the TQM constructs to their full extent, or it is better off by not investing in the formal campaign; and the product quality of a firm improves with the extent of the rigour associated with TQM implementation. Discusses implications of these findings for TQM research and practice.

Total quality management (TQM) is a revolutionary approach to effective management. The research in TQM has emerged from practical needs of organizations embracing this philosophy, and the literature is mostly conceptual and practitioner‐oriented. There is a lack of sound theoretical framework classifying past efforts and guiding future research. To fill the void, a study of the published TQM literature is undertaken. A review, classification, and analysis of the research in TQM spanning the last two decades is presented. A total of 226 TQM‐related articles are identified from 44 refereed management journals published from 1970 to 1993. These articles are then classified and analyzed using the following two‐dimensional scheme: (1) article orientation (conceptual, case study, empirical, analytical, simulation, and overview) and (2) article focus using the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria. The analysis of the literature presents pertinent developments in each of the seven criteria. In addition, it provides future research directions as well as a ready reference of the TQM literature. The suggestions for research should guide future developments in the TQM field and help transform it into a formal discipline.

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