A management, or "quality revolution" among United States companies in the 1980s has brought rapid change, and has been promoted more by businesses than by business schools which are responding more gradually to the quality revolution. The developments in Japan in the 1950s triggered similar developments in many other countries, including the United States. Companies have adopted management practices that depart sharply from traditional management. The quality revolution has used statistical tools to improve quality and has demanded long-term commitment for real change. Many in business schools regard the quality revolution as a passing fad based on anecdotal evidence from descriptive case histories which may be self-serving. However, business school faculty could play a vital role in systematic academic research on the quality revolution. The University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business has allowed the quality revolution to affect its program gradually through the "market forces" of electives allowing faculty to offer and students to enroll in courses that reflect their interests (including the quality revolution). Faculty interest, special talks and seminars, encouragement of faculty research, student initiatives, and other efforts concerned with the quality revolution have all affected the business school. (Contains 19 references.) (JB)