Total Quality Management (TQM) is ____.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is fundamentally a participatory process that emphasizes the involvement of all employees at all levels of an organization in improving processes, products, services, and the culture in which they work. This approach is built on the belief that everyone in an organization contributes to quality and that continuous improvement can only be realized through collaboration and commitment from all employees. TQM encourages open communication, training, and empowerment of staff to identify problems and contribute toward solutions, creating a strong culture of quality throughout the organization.

In a TQM framework, the focus is on meeting and exceeding customer expectations by fostering teamwork and promoting a sense of ownership among employees. The emphasis on participation and engagement helps ensure that quality improvement efforts are sustainable and effectively meet the needs of both the organization and its customers.

Other options, while they may relate to different aspects of management or quality control, do not capture the essence of TQM. For example, a top-down management approach suggests a hierarchical structure that can limit participation and feedback from lower levels within the organization. A financial accounting method pertains to how financial data is recorded and analyzed, which is not directly related to managing quality in processes. Lastly, a customer feedback system is important, but it is only one component of the