The Management Theory of Joseph Juran

Management theory of Juran

Juran was one of the first to apply modern methods to address the problem of quality, according to Rita McGrath, an author and strategy professor at Columbia Business School. “Unlike other theorists of the day, he believed that you could build in quality from the very first point at which a product or service was designed,” she explained.

Juran’s management theory relies on three core tenets, often referred to as the “Juran Trilogy.” These principles are designed to foster the highest level of product and service quality.

The Juran Trilogy: Quality planning, control and improvement

The key steps in Juran’s theory encompass three fundamental stages: quality planning, quality control and quality improvement. Today, these stages are used to describe the quality management journey and establish best practices for reducing waste.

• Quality planning: This stage focuses on instituting quality by design (sometimes referred to as Design for Six Sigma). Specifically, it promotes designing a product, service, idea or information together with the processes that will produce the final iteration. This method creates processes and design features that cater to customers’ needs.
• Quality control: After the planning process, quality control measures progress and evaluates performance. To conduct successful quality control, a business should outline what should be measured to evaluate goal achievement. Is there a gap between where the process should be and where it currently is? If a discrepancy exists, the business should develop a method — such as quality improvement — to act on the gap and rectify the difference.
• Quality improvement: This involves identifying underlying causes of chronic issues and finding remedies. The ways to promote quality improvement include repair, refinement, renovation and reinvention.

These three processes work together. Planning sets the standard, control monitors that standard and improvement raises the bar over time. For small business owners, this cycle offers a framework for building quality into operations from the ground up rather than trying to correct problems after they occur.

An understanding of customer needs

Want to establish a comprehensive quality management system across an organization? Then identify the customer base, learn about their needs or problems and strive to solve those issues.

It’s imperative to develop quality metrics and establish consistent measures to meet these needs — all while designing processes that hold up under real-world conditions. A thorough understanding of the customer’s mindset enables decision-makers to anticipate issues during the planning stage, leading to a more streamlined user experience (UX) and fewer defects down the line.

Businesses can fulfill Juran’s first step of quality planning by defining what the customer wants and how the business plans to solve that need. What does the business require to build that solution? A defining part of this planning process is that key stakeholders have involvement in the process; it is multidisciplinary, rather than siloed.

Commitment from leadership

The effectiveness of Juran’s quality theory depends on the genuine commitment of top-level management to quality — without which, all efforts would be useless.

This principle, evident throughout Juran’s approach to quality improvement, calls for a company-wide dedication to quality driven by a top-down mentality. Leaders can follow Juran’s 10 steps to quality to guide their commitment to quality planning, control and improvement. The first step is to communicate with their team that there is a need — and an opportunity — to improve. Once management secures buy-in from the rest of the team, the focus shifts to setting goals, providing training, measuring progress and communicating results.

Juran outlined specific responsibilities for upper management, including:

• Establishing quality goals as part of the overall business plan.
• Allocating resources to meet quality goals.
• Reviewing progress against goals regularly.
• Recognizing and rewarding teams that achieve quality improvements.
• Removing obstacles that prevent employees from doing quality work.

For business owners, this framework is a reminder that culture flows from the top. When leaders visibly prioritize quality — not just in words but in how they allocate time, money and attention — employees follow suit.

Tips for implementing Juran’s theory

Here are a few ways you can implement Juran’s theory into your business.

Find consultants who use Juran’s management theory.

If you are a business owner interested in adopting the Juran Trilogy, overhauling your entire production or service cycle alone can be daunting. A deep knowledge of the theory and buy-in from your peers is foundational to success. Find a consultant who specializes in Juran’s management theory to help guide you and the business in a new direction.

A passionate commitment to quality improvement is difficult to maintain for businesses, with many stakeholder distractions and customer expectations. Working with a consultant who has experience instituting this management style in other businesses will prevent early burnout or abandonment of the Quality Trilogy.

Become educated in Juran’s background and management theory.

To gain a full understanding of the meaning behind Juran’s management philosophy, learn more about his educational background and the influences he had in creating his quality control theory. Understanding the context of his work helps leaders apply the principles correctly.

Born in Romania in 1904, Juran was a prodigy, proficient in math and science. He was the first in his family to attend college, at the University of Minnesota. After graduation, he worked in America for most of his life as an engineer. In 1951, he wrote “Quality Control Handbook,” which remains one of the most essential reference books in quality management and engineering.

Juran’s management theory builds off of the Pareto Principle; it’s a theory from the late 1800s that says 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes. In both his prime and later years, Juran used the Pareto Principle to craft a management theory that takes into account the full cause of issues in a process and innovative, efficient ways to solve them.

Read more information on Juran and his theories.

Read Juran’s books for yourself. The Juran principle remains a nuanced, interesting theory — especially when used on real-world problems that need a solution. For example, learning more about the cost of poor quality and how to avoid chronic waste gives business owners a deeper understanding of the benefits of consistent quality improvement. This information can guide them on how to solve resistance to change.

Alternatives to Juran’s management theory

Juran’s management theory is just one of many frameworks that may work for your business. Organizations today often explore different leadership approaches to keep pace with shifting market demands and workforce expectations.

“Leadership theories have always looked at a number of psychological, sociological and philosophical theories (and even history) as a way of defining and guiding effective leadership practices,” said Laurie Cure, CEO of Innovative Connections and an executive coach/HR expert. “I also believe that leaders can embrace elements of a theory … and discuss how to bring those pieces into their culture more effectively.”

Below are some alternatives to Juran’s management theory.

Classical management theory explained

Classical management theory, developed by Frederick Taylor, consists of four main principles. The first requires the company to break each job into tasks and establish a consistent method for doing each task. Second, the best worker is selected for each task based on the worker’s abilities. Third, the work should be intentionally planned out to mitigate interruptions. Lastly, workers should be offered financial incentive to encourage increased output. 

Contingency management theory explained

Contingency management theory posits that leadership styles should adapt depending on the situation. Theorist Fred Fiedler created a scale to identify if a manager should use a task- or relationship-oriented approach, as well as a model that accounts for the favorability of any given situation. The harmonious interaction between these two is key for leadership success.

Covey management theory explained

Stephen Covey’s theory revolves around the seven individual habits of highly effective people, which collectively improve performance. The first habit is proactively thinking through feelings before responding. Next, begin with the end in mind and identify the most important tasks. Consider everyone’s needs and desires with a focus on listening to understand; all should share knowledge and work together. While continuing to learn and grow, it is also important to take time for self-care.

Follett management theory explained

Mary Parker Follett’s theory focuses on leadership powering with their employees, not over them. Follett advocated for incorporating regular meetings to ensure direct and clear communication between management and employees. Team relationships should be reciprocal on all levels, with every employee contributing and understanding their importance.

Fayol management theory explained

Henri Fayol’s theory tasks leaders with setting the tone for their organizations and controlling production. Leaders should plan every part of the industrial process and ensure all necessary resources, materials and personnel come together at the appropriate times. Leadership should also encourage employees, facilitate collaboration, evaluate worker performance and ensure management directives are followed.

Kanter management theory explained

Rosabeth Moss Kanter believes that leadership plays a major role in employee morale and subsequent business success. Under Kanter’s framework, leaders should be present and engaged, share information with their team and lead discussions around change. Leaders should also align morale improvement with company goals, encourage open dialogue and facilitate cross-team collaboration.

Mayo management theory explained

Elton Mayo’s management theory proposes that relational factors are a better motivator than financial incentivization. He developed a matrix for measuring workplace norms and cohesiveness and how each combination affects productivity. Leaders who want to apply Mayo’s theory should empower their employees to express their concerns and take steps to rectify any issues they bring up, thereby promoting ongoing team satisfaction.

Schein management theory explained

Edgar Schein’s theory suggests three levels of company culture and proposes how they affect change: artifacts, espoused values and basic assumptions. Artifacts are the physical aspects of company culture, such as dress policy, while espoused values refer to how individual actions reflect on culture. Finally, basic assumptions are the foundational beliefs held in the minds of employees and dictate how they move around in the world.

Weber management theory explained

Max Weber’s theory holds that bureaucracy is the most efficient business model. According to Weber, a bureaucracy must have a clear hierarchy, task specialization, formal rules, efficient requirements, an impersonal environment and achievement-based advancement. Employee handbooks, standard operating procedures, and a clear division of labor are examples of current practices and documents aligned with this theory.

Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.