Quality circle: - A group of employees that meets regularly to consider ways of resolving problems

and improving production in their organization.

Quality Circles (QCs): Definition,

Objectives and Other Details
Perhaps the most widely discussed and undertaken intervention of
employee involvement is the quality circle (QC). The concept of QC
originally began in the United States and was exported to Japan in the
1950s. It is mentioned that it is the concept of QC that enabled
Japanese firms to make high quality products at low costs.

What is quality circle? It is a work group of employees who meet

regularly to discuss their quality problems, investigate causes,
recommend solutions, and take corrective actions. Generally, QC is a
small group of employees belonging to the same similar work area.

This is so because the employees doing the similar type of work are
well familiar to problems faced by them. The size of the QC should not
be too big so as to prevent some members from participating
meaningfully in its meetings. Generally, six to eight members are
considered the ideal size of the QC.

QC is formed to achieve the following objectives:

1. Improvement in quality of product manufactured by the

organisation.

2. Improvement in methods of production.

3. Development of employees participating in QC.

4. Promoting morale of employees.

5. Respect humanity and create a happy work place worthwhile to

work.

The main features of QC can be listed as follows:

1. Voluntary Groups:

QC is a voluntary group of employees generally coming from the same

work area. There is no pressure from anywhere on employees to join
QC.

2. Small Size:

The size of the QC is generally small consisting of six to eight

members.

3. Regular Meeting:

QC meetings are held once a week for about an hour on regular basis.
The members meet during working hours usually at the end of the
working day in consultation with the manager. The time of the
meetings is usually fixed in advance in consultation with the manager
and members.

4. Independent Agenda:
Each QC has its own agenda with its own terms of reference.
Accordingly, each QC discusses its own problems and takes corrective
actions.

5. Quality Focused:

As per the very nature and intent of QC, it focuses exclusively on

quality issues. This is because the ultimate purpose of QC is
improvement in quality of product and working life.

Developing Quality Circles in Organisations:

Like any other organizational change, QC being a new concept may be

opposed by the employees.

Therefore, QC should be developed and introduced with

great concern and precaution as discussed below:

1. Publicising the Idea:

Introduction of QC is just like an organisational change programme

Hence, like an organisational change programme, the workers need to
be convinced about the need for and significance of QC from the
points of view of the workers and the organisation. Moreover,
participation in QC being voluntary, its publicity among the workers is
necessary. To begin with, management can also arrange for initial
training to those workers who want to form a quality circle.

2. Constitution of QC:
Workers doing the same or similar type of work are drawn voluntarily
to form quality circle. The membership of a QC is generally restricted
to eight to ten. Once a QC is formed, they remain as permanent
members of the circle unless they leave that work area.

3. Initial Problem Solving:

The members of QC should discuss the problem at threadbare and,

then, prepare a list of alternative solutions. Thereafter, each
alternative solution should be evaluated and the final solution should
be arrived at on the basis of consensus.

4. Presentation and Approval of Suggestions:

The final solution arrived at should be presented to the management

either in oral or in written form. The management may evaluate the
solution by constituting a committee for this purpose. The committee
may also meet the members of the quality circle for clarifications, if
required. Presentation of solutions to the management helps improve
the communication between management and workers and reflects
managements interest to the members of QC.

5. Implementation: Once the suggestion or solution is approved by

the management, the same is being put into practice in a particular
workplace. Quality circles may be organized gradually for other
workplaces or departments also. In this way, following above outlined
process, the entire organization can have quality circles.