Who Is William E. Deming? What Is He Credit with?

Who is William E.

Deming? What is he credit with? William Edwards Deming was a native of Sioux City, Iowa. He received a PhD at the Yale university in the field of Theoretical Physics. After graduating from Yale University he worked as a laboratory research in the Department of Agriculture. He worked for the Department of Agriculture for ten years on the development of nitrate fertilizers. Also, Dr.

Deming used to give training for the Department of Agriculture engineers on Statistics to better help the employees.In 1939, Dr. Deming joined the Bureau of the Census in Washington, DC. His knowledge of Statistics became very helpful in the development of a new kind of survey, which was based on sampling. This technique of the Census was then adopted worldwide.

In 1946 he retired from the Administration and became consultant in Statistical Studies and Professor of Statistics at New York University (France Deming, 1996). While in Washington, during World War II, Deming used his knowledge to help the Armed Services.He joined a long time friend Walter A. Shewhart and they organized management seminars at Stanford University with the aim to improve productivity and the quality of military equipment. The project was the outcome of studies they had been making together since 1938(France Deming, 1996). After the outcome of the studies thousands of engineers and managers from army factories made the trip to Stanford to attend the seminars.

This project only had a limited impact because many senior executives did not commit themselves to using the information learned at the seminars. With that being said productivity did not improve and quality did not improve the army. Around 1947, Deming went to Tokyo as an advisor to the Allied Forces Headquarters on his sampling techniques. While in Tokyo he had the opportunity of working with some of the Japanese managers, who were interested in his management theories.He invited them to one of his lectures and seminars and suggested that the managers attend his lectures because of pass experiences from Stanford lectures. In 1950, he held the first lectures in Japan and from that point on the Japanese industry adopted the Deming management theories.

In ten years the Japanese products start to enter into America. From 1981 to 1993, he gave 250 seminars. It has been stated that 120. 000 people attended these seminars, an amazing number! He also gave many lectures in American companies which had adopted his management philosophy.

Under his influence, the management style has profoundly changed for a few years in the United States, even if much progress has still to be done (France Deming, 1996). The Deming's teaching deals with management, not only with quality. Contrary to a generally accepted idea, his goal was not to improve the present style of management by adding a new component, but to transform management practices from top to bottom (France Deming, 1996). The primitive meaning of the verb "manage" is "put a house in order and let the occupants live together in harmony"(France Deming, 1996).

In a company, according to Deming, managing means having the processes under control, coordinating the operations and preparing the future. He said that management does not concern only production and service companies but also public administration and education (France Deming, 1996). Since the first seminars in Japan, many universities across the world have been teaching management as a science. It is known that the Deming Prize is the highest award that a company can obtain for its excellence in management (France Deming, 1996).Deming’s has stated that the style of management leads the world economy to a dead end, because it emphasis is put on competition and leadership by money causes huge financial losses, poverty and unemployment (France Deming, 1996). Deming is credit for the style of management he recommends, which stresses knowledge, which he considers the most important resource a company has (France Deming, 1996).

. He is also credited for promoting the idea that companies should develop knowledge in a climate of cooperation and this is the goal of the famous Deming's 14 Points.Finally it’s important to see that the Deming's style of management is extremely favorable to social cohesion. Violence is part and parcel of the traditional style of management Deming’s has stated that the style of management leads the world economy to a dead end, because it emphasis is put on competition and leadership by money causes huge financial losses, poverty and unemployment (France Deming, 1996). It is know that violence on the job - even if it is just symbolic, brings about behavioral problems in an employee’s everyday life.With the Deming's style of management it contributes to improving human relations in society by softening the climate of violence and fear that is raging in companies Deming’s has stated that the style of management leads the world economy to a dead end, because it emphasis is put on competition and leadership by money causes huge financial losses, poverty and unemployment (France Deming, 1996).

| | | | | | | | ReferenceFrance, Deming (1996). The French Deming Association. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from http://www. fr-deming.

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