Juran: A Lifetime of Influence

In 1947 America, what did "Made in Japan" mean? Today, Americans feel exactly the opposite about this phrase, due in no small part to the lifetime of influence of the work of Joseph Moses Juran, one of the world's seminal leaders in the quality movement. Born in 1904, Juran's extraordinary intensity (he's still at it) and his brilliant prescience about quality have established world renown respect for his quality consulting, teaching, and especially his writing. Author Butman depends heavily on Juran's extensive personal involvement in this first and only authorized biography that understandably shies away from a more critical analysis of Juran's impact in business. Butman describes numerous details of Juran's life, including his early life of dire poverty in Romania, the family's trek across the world to live in a tar-paper shack in Minneapolis, Minnesota, his early odd jobs from age nine to sixteen, his academic proficiency and expertise in chess, his college degree in electrical engineering (the first in his family history), and his career years with Western Electric in the famed Hawthorne plant. Juran was employed there during the time of the now famous Hawthorne studies, as was W.E.Deming, although the two never actually met while with the company. Juran's surprisingly frank acknowledgment of his lack of managerial skills and his comments on the fascinating experience working with immediate post World War II Japan (he first travelled there in 1954) establish a personal connection with this self confessed abrasive quality leader who means so much to countless quality professionals throughout the world. Juran's works abound (to quality professionals, his massive 2,000 page "Quality Control Handbook" is sacrosanct) and are considered fundamental references for anyone interested in better understanding the meaning of quality and how best to integrate these principles in any organization. At age 92, Juran now devotes his time to writing a three volume autobiography that should further fill in the details of this extraordinary life. This is a fascinating story essential for all quality professionals. For more information on Juran, check out this site: http://www.juran.com/juran/bio/bio _jmj.html.