Deming's chain reaction revisited

Deming's chain reaction is a well‐known proposal from Dr. W.E. Deming, in which he explains the positive effect of improving quality in different aspects of an organisation's activities and performance. Recognising and enhancing the value of Deming ideas, in this paper chain reaction is reevaluated and adapted to environments different to those considered by Deming, specifically to those where competition is not the motto for quality improvement. Three economic situations are considered: open competitive markets (as Deming considered); markets with no or very limited competition; and public services or organisations not oriented to profits but to cover social demands. Two additional versions of the chain reaction are proposed based in Deming's original, and finally a comprehensive chain reaction is presented, adequate to any type of economic environment. The paper enhances the strength and power of Deming's ideas, showing its ability to adapt to scenarios different to those originally considered.