George Beam, Associate Professor of Public Administration, University of Illinois at Chicago

George Beam joined ASQ in 2003 to gain further understanding of quality management and to participate in its improvement and advancement.

A former director of the Department of Public Administration, Beam emphasizes the quality approach in his public administration, leadership, and government ethics courses. His work as an educator and advocate of quality management does not end in the classroom. Beam has developed continuing education programs and conducted workshops and seminars that have reached public managers and executives from Chicago to Beijing, China, and Riga, Latvia.

Beam has authored, co-authored, and co-edited five books on topics in public administration, government, and politics. His most recent publication, QUALITY Public Management: What It Is and How It Can Be Improved and Advanced (Rowman & Lifflefield/Burnham), was published in 2001. He has written and presented conference papers in the United States and abroad.

In the coming months, Beam expects to participate in academic social science and ASQ conferences to present his ideas about the unreliability of data acquired by survey research and other forms of asking, the central point in his recently completed book-length manuscript, Don't Ask--If You Want to Find Out What's Really Going On. At the 22nd Quality Management Conference in March 2010, he will present "Develop Performance Metrics That Don't Rely on Surveys."   

Beam is especially interested in the application of quality management to government organizations. He plans to complete a second edition of QUALITY Public Management in the near future.

Visit George Beam's Web site to view his resume and a current list of his books.