Quality management initiatives and people management strategies: The need for integration in the new millennium in an Irish context

This paper uses three case studies of prominent Irish organisations, which have attempted to integrate quality management (QM) with people management (PM) as an approach for implementing and sustaining a competitive advantage. Based on an inductive research methodology, the core finding is that these two management techniques in harmony can facilitate a more effective “bifocal” continuous improvement strategy if and when they are integrated.