New American TQM

The benefits of applying TQM in manufacturing are well-known: eliminating product defects, enhancing product design, speeding delivery, and reducing costs. Most people readily agree with the basic premise of TQM, but how many have have been able to implement it successfully? What makes it so difficult for TQM to permeate a company? How can an approach to corporate management first develop in Japan take root and flourish in the very different corporate climate of the U.S.?