Which concept involves establishing and maintaining high standards in work processes?

The concept that involves establishing and maintaining high standards in work processes is Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM is a comprehensive management approach that focuses on improving quality and performance in all aspects of an organization. It emphasizes not just the end products or services but also the processes that produce them, ensuring that every worker in the organization is involved in maintaining and improving quality standards.

This method promotes a culture where continuous improvement is prioritized, and quality becomes everyone's responsibility. TQM integrates various quality disciplines and is aimed at long-term success through customer satisfaction. It relies on a fact-based decision-making process and seeks to enhance operational efficiency by fostering an environment where employees can contribute to improvements.

The other concepts, while related to quality and performance in different ways, do not encompass the same comprehensive approach as TQM. Quality Assurance typically focuses on specific processes to ensure quality standards are met, Performance Management deals with assessing and improving employee productivity, and Operational Excellence emphasizes overall efficiency and effectiveness in operations. While all these concepts are important, TQM stands out as the one that specifically aims to instill a culture of quality across all work processes.