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The first three installments of this series discussed how the principles and practices associated with quality are affected by the beliefs and thinking of individuals, organizations, and society. These articles are summarized below, and the original articles can be accessed through the link provided in the "More Online" section of this edition.
* "What Does Quality Actually Mean?"-The metaphysical or abstract definition of quality was explored, based on individuals' perceptions of goodness. In other words, quality is equated with the degree of goodness or the absence of badness-a definition that has been in existence for thousands of years. Beliefs regarding the presence or absence of quality initially are founded on opinion, rather than objective justifications. Personal life journeys, tribal cultures, religious experiences, educations, and personal development shape these beliefs, which are stimulated by complex mental and emotional experiences that establish a framework each person uses to make judgments about the truthfulness of his/her accepted beliefs. Through time, however, that belief system is substantiated by the development of logical arguments and later to verified true belief through physical confirmation of observations taken under a full range of uncontrolled situations.
* "How Do Beliefs Become Profound Knowledge? "-The connection between this belief-based approach and probability theory demonstrated how statistical approaches can be used to interpret those three levels of belief in making judgments. Shewhart's six progressive stages for process control also were addressed. The final stage, "knowledge of all laws of nature (exact science)"1 supports the pursuit of profound knowledge, which Deming advocated as using statistical knowledge about process performance as the basis for critical thinking and decision making.2
* "What Is the Impact of Profound Knowledge on Leadership and Strategy?"-From those historical foundations, the four dimensions identified by Deming as being the essential components in a system of profound knowledge were introduced-appreciation for a system, knowledge about variation, theory of knowledge, and psychology. In order to understand the linkages among the dimensions of profound knowledge, leadership, and strategy development, the third column differentiated between continual and breakthrough improvement. It also contrasted profane knowledge, which accepts common cause variation as being uncontrollable or unworthy of improvement efforts, with profound knowledge, which establishes an understanding of the system based on its factually proven characteristics that have been determined...