Why hasn't Total Quality Management (TQM) worked as well in the United States as it has in other countries? In the US employees seem to prefer recognition of individual achievement over recognition of the work team. Could the North American cultural emphasis on the individual be a crucial factor?

This book demonstrates that the recent participatory management failures are the result of a lack of appreciation for the cultural role of rugged individualism, and offers an alternative, person-centred leadership which puts the individual at the very centre of the management approach. The author presents effective, psychology-based, person-centred management techniques through the use of examples and cases, many of them drawn from her own work with successful US businesses. Topics include: an historical overview of the relationship of the individual to the corporation; the response of new leaders to the problem of rapid technological and social change; examples of a variety of person-centred leadership approaches that fit different companies and different managerial styles; and specific strategies that leaders and managers can use.