The concept of quality management began in the manufacturing sector in the 1920, since when it has gone through many incarnations and has spread to all sectors of the economy. A great quantity of material relating to quality management has been produced over the years, particularly since the 1980s, much of it by small presses, professional and trade institutions, and consultants. However, it is only when you come across a publication like this that you realize the sheer volume of material written on the subject. The purpose of this comprehensive and well‐produced book is to bring together in one place the most important international sources and “package” them in an easy‐to‐use format. This the authors ‐ two social science reference librarians ‐ have achieved in admirable fashion.
This collection of over 900 citations covers books and book chapters, journal articles, software and training material including videos, multimedia and computer‐based training programmes. Its potential readership would include people in industry, government, academic institutions and, in particular, management consultants, quality engineers, reference librarians and information brokers. Students on academic courses with a quality management component would also find areas of interest.
The book is divided into five sections. Finding relevant sources is made infinitely easier by the use of three detailed indexes ‐ name, title and subject. After the introductory sequence of key books and articles applications of Total Quality Management (TQM) are categorized under Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. The third section focuses on specific aspects of quality management: these are teams; customers; analytical and statistical tools; corporate culture; leadership; human resources. This is followed by a short interlude which deals with the future role of ISO 9000. The final 120 pages outline the resource materials available ‐ including much expensive training material ‐ and useful lists of executive development programmes, quality consultants and associations. Inevitably, many of the sources are US‐based although there is a not insignificant input of UK‐based ones. One of the many beauties of this sourcebook is the quality of the abstracts attached to each of the entries. A good balance has been struck between description and critical evaluation. The price of the book is a fair one. It represents excellent value for a huge amount of preparation resulting in an exemplary work of reference.
