1. Oakland, J. S. (2014). Total Quality Management and Operational Excellence: Text with Cases (4th ed.). Routledge. In Chapter 1, Oakland defines TQM as a "holistic approach" that requires the involvement of "all people within an organisation" and must be integrated into the company's culture and strategy, making a divisional-only approach unviable. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315815663)
2. Dale, B. G., van der Wiele, T., & van Iwaarden, J. (2016). Managing Quality: An Essential Guide and Resource Gateway (6th ed.). Wiley. Chapter 3, "The building blocks of TQM," emphasizes that TQM is a total system requiring commitment and teamwork across all organizational functions. A piecemeal approach contradicts this fundamental principle of totality.
3. Powell, T. C. (1995). Total Quality Management as Competitive Advantage: A Review and Empirical Study. Strategic Management Journal, 16(1), 15–37. This foundational paper discusses TQM's success factors, including total employee involvement, top management support, and a unified culture (p. 19), all of which imply a company-wide scope rather than a departmental one. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250160105)