Managing Quality: The Strategic and Competitive Edge

by David A. Garvin

David A. Garvin rocked the foundations of U.S. manufacturing when his devastating indictment of American product quality first appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1983 and subsequently in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0029113806
• ISBN13: 9780029113806
• Release Date: February 1988
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 319 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Comprehensive, Brilliant, Practical, Useful

I was surprised to find that no one had written a review for this book. I came across it while writing my thesis for MBA on the subject of quality. This book is an extension of his McKinsey award winner article in HBR. Garvin expounds that there are 8 dimensions of quality, such as reliability, aesthetics, durability, etc. He begins by explaining different definitions and perceptions of quality; for example, engineering has a different definition than marketing, which in turn has a different interpretation than manufacturing. Through case study comparison of Japanese and American companies he demonstrates how quality management impacts the end product and profitability. Although, it is less engineering/statistical than the works of Juran and other quality gurus, Managing Quality is probably the most comprehensive book on quality; ideal for a manager/executive. Garvin's research is exhaustive; his writing style lucid.