A duty, an elementary component of a job or an operation to be performed. Every job normally consists of a number of tasks or basic work requirements.

A temporary unit consisting of resources drawn from different parts of the organization and assigned to execute a specific mission. Syn: project team.

A set of activities (interventions) designed to improve a group's effectiveness as a team by enabling the members to examine their working relationships while working on group tasks.

A set of assumptions about the nature of people in organizations that was first formulated by Douglas McGregor. Those holding Theory X views believe that man is basically lazy, lacks ambition, and is indifferent to the needs of the organization. Therefore, the task of management is to employ pressure, coercion, and tight control in order to achieve organizational objectives.

A set of assumptions about the nature of people in organizations that was first formulated by Douglas McGregor. Those holding Theory Y views believe that people, under proper conditions, seek responsibility and like to work. They have the capacity to exercise imagination and initiative in solving organizational problems. Therefore, management should emphasize self-direction and self-control and the integration of individual and organizational goals.

A statement concerning the use of Japanese style consensus management initially identified by William Ouchi.

The application of quality principles for the integration of all functions and processes of the organization. The ultimate goal is customer satisfaction.

A learning experience that seeks a relatively permanent change in an individual that will improve his or her ability to perform on the job.

The concept that quality is one of the subsystems of the overall management system and therefore, looking only at Total Quality Management assumes all other systems are part of TQM.

Aggressive involvement in a chronic, incessant struggle to achieve more and more in less and less time and if necessary, against the opposing efforts of other things or other people.

Rarely harried by the desire to obtain a wildly increasing number of things or participate in an endlessly growing series of events in an ever-decreasing amount of time.