Hypothesis 1: TQM firms outperform non-TQM firms
A central notion in TQM training and literature concerns the need to adopt longer time horizons, and the expectation that TQM programs will not produce short-term bottom-line results. Most TQM advocates agree that TQM cannot produce consistent performance advantages until after third year of implementation, at which point most organizations have had sufficient time to adapt, assimilate and stabilize under the new approach. This notion suggests the following hypothesis: