Safeway vs. Kroger Tqm Paper Mgt 449

Running head: TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Total Quality Management

Jerome Anderson-Harris

University of Phoenix

02.12.2009

Total Quality Management

In this exhibition the evaluation of Safeway Inc Total Quality Management (TQM) style will be discussed and compared to the Kroger Co. Total Quality Management is a holistic business management methodology that aligns the activities of all employees in an organization with the common focus of customer satisfaction (Burrill, 1999). Each of the organizations is known for implementing new ideas, using creativity, and having customer satisfaction. Safeway and Kroger are very well respected companies. The impact on strategy, process, and product for each of these companies is what separates them from their competition. Being innovative and creative will ultimately give these organizations the momentum to move forward and continue to excel.

Being part of a well known organization, Safeway is always looking toward new ways to become more innovative from retail levels, manufacturing levels, and even corporate. These departments are all focused on making the company more distinctive and furthering themselves from the competition. Knowing that you can be a manager and not leader is very true. To have a very professional and respectful work environment, a manager that is a leader is a necessity when it comes to innovation and the characteristics of the roles played in the organization. The difference between management and leadership expressed within my organization happen both in retail, which is store level, and backstage which is corporate.

Management, which is always working with others to complete a task, and leadership, the manner of gaining someone’s obedience to complete a task, well defines the retail department (S. Bateman and S.A. Snell, 2007). With leadership, it is definitely an autocratic environment. A manager at store level will have continuous monitors to make sure his employee’s...