Mehdi Jamshidian - Ph.D. in Organization and Management, Associate Professor, Head of the Department, Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Iran
Arash Shahin - Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering – Quality Engineering, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Iran

Although quality systems such as ISO 9000 and Total quality Management (TQM) have been used widely worldwide, still there are mixed views in the literature concerning whether ISO 9000 and TQM complement or contradict each other and which one must be used first. Major objective of this paper is to address the competing views on both concepts in an attempt to show that both approaches complement each other and ISO 9000 should be used as the first step and in association with TQM to secure organisational success.

ISO 9000, TQM, Evolution, Quality systems, Management, Organization