s, and the development of new work relationships that are based on trust and teamwork.
The American Quality Foundation (Schmidt & Finnigan, 1992) re ports that the "core threads" of TQM are the maintenance of an in tense customer focus, the use of hands-on management, the deploy ment of strategic objectives, the use of continuous process im provement, empowered involvement of satisfied workers, maintaining a long-term orientation, the use of targeted measurement data, be ing responsive to the market, the use of continuous learning and development, and the establishment and maintenance of internal and external partnerships. This approach to TQM, thus, requires that both managers and subordinates reconceptualize their roles, respon sibilities, and relationships; and factor in the customer in an as sertive manner.
Coopers and Lybrand (Schmidt, & Finnigan, 1992) report that TQM consists of the production of products to fit customer use, maintaining a focus on building quality into work processes, the systematic approach to seek, understand and satisfy internal and external customer requirements, the lack of tolerance for errors; the gradual, but continuous, improvement of all functions; and the use of participative and disciplined problem-solving. Thus, this approach to TQM requires that both managers and subordinates recon ceptualize their roles, responsibilities, and relationships (4).
Gore (1993a; 1993b) reports that the federal government, as well as other levels of government, can become "successful" by in stituting four principles. These principles are: the reduction of 1. red tape," placing the customer first, empowering employees to get results, and cutting back to basics. The reduction of "red tape" refers to shifting from a system based on adherence to rules to one in which government workers are accountable for the achievement of results. Placing the customer first refers to listening to custom ers, restructuring...