Management of the future; Dutch glasshouse horticulture towards TQM

One of the aims of the project "Glasshouse Holding of the Future" was to develop a vision on the management. Focus over a long period has been on optimisation of production. After market saturation and increase in demands of supermarkets, anno 2000 holdings use quality management systems in new types of co-operation in production chains. Towards 2010, trends like globalisation, market concentration, individualisation and intensification, will drive not only development of the market, but also of the competition. Horticultural holdings are being challenged to professionalise entrepreneurship, look upon personnel as human capital and adopt a more market driven production in a socially accepted way. Total Quality Management is a concept in which management aspects interact in such a way that a holding can develop itself towards excellence in 5 stages. This research found that TQM is a useful tool for developing the management of horticultural holdings towards 2010.