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measures (which were reported up through the organization) and performance to goals became a part of each employee’s annual appraisal.

The site was able to achieve total involvement in continuous improvement efforts (including all support areas of the business), and the program showed excellent results. Quality values were effectively translated and deployed throughout the site, resulting in true customer focus. Employees at all levels were empowered to make decisions to improve quality and to take corrective actions in all aspects of their work. Individual and team initiatives yielded incremental improvements that were all aligned with the critical success factors, which in tum drove the organization towards achieving their site vision.

IBM’s view of human resources:

If you hire good people and treat them well, they will try to do a good job. They will stimulate one another by their vigor and example. They will set a fast pace for themselves. Then, if they are well led and occasionally inspired, if they understand what the company is trying to do and know they will share in its success, they will contribute in a major way. The customer will get the superior service he is looking for. The result is profit to the customers, employees, and stockholders.

Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

Former IBM CEO

Blended Management at Alliant Techsystems

Alliant Techsystems Inc., a major defense firm, also employs a top-down & bottom-up implementation strategy for their Total Quality Management (TQM) initiatives (see Figurę 5). The TQM efforts are led by the corporation’s Quality Board which is composed of the CEO, COO, and their staff members. Each year the Quality Board updates and distributes their Strategie Management Framework (SMF), a four page document that outlines the company's mission, goals, objectives, and annual milestones. The SMF serves to focus the efforts of everyone in the company on improvements critical to the business success.

The body of the SMF is structured according to the categories of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award criteria. Goals are identified for each category, and objectives are written for each goal. The objectives are ąuantifiable statements of desired improvements that are associated with specific calendar milestones. Specific objectives areassigned to designated