The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion of organisation and management by uncovering some embedded contradictions in total quality management (TQM).
Based on discussions of leadership, TQM and the demands of modern working life, three examples of embedded contradictions that organisations can be confronted with have been discussed: collectivism versus individualism, manipulation versus empowerment and standardization versus innovative learning.
One conclusion from this paper is that organisations, in a matter of complex navigation, need to find balance between these contradictions, something that can be a significant problem for many leaders and often seems to be handled in an instrumental manner.
Although these contradictions are a growing concern in TQM research, they are seldom discussed in management literature, and therefore need to be addressed.
