Quality Circles

A quality circle is a participatory management technique that enlists the help of employees in solving problems related to their own jobs. Circles are formed of employees working together in an operation who meet at intervals to discuss problems of quality and to devise solutions for improvements.

Definition:

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:

•   Improvement in quality of product manufactured by the organization.
•   Improvement in methods of production.
•  Development of employees participating in QC.
•   Promoting morale of employees.
•   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 Organizations:
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. Publicizing the Idea:
Introduction of QC is just like an organizational change programme Hence, like an organizational 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 organization. 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 management’s 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 circle.

More about QMS you may Click The Following Links:
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_circle
 http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/employee-management/quality-circles-qcs-definition-objectives-and-other-details/35388/
 http://beta.tutor2u.net/business/reference/kaizen
  https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=BrGGDL2o9vUC&pg=PA591&lpg=PA591&dq=quality+circles+explanation&source=bl&ots=ygpeRh84rP&sig=fu4c1nh5oPPQE8NQmkFS-HinAJE&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=quality%20circles%20explanation&f=false
 http://ispatguru.com/quality-circles-an-effective-tool-for-management/
 http://www.slideshare.net/ganeshmrgn/quality-control-circle-presentation
 https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=Vc6YC7mM18UC&pg=PA72&lpg=PA72&dq=quality+circles+explanation&source=bl&ots=tpRZ7ktn-6&sig=gZl22H1guOSnHNh5HcF-EHYmde4&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=quality%20circles%20explanation&f=false
 http://www.michailolidis.gr/pdf/KAIZEN08.pdf
 https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=qagrBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=quality+circles+explanation&source=bl&ots=TCL7Pi0j5M&sig=KxKbOVwU1b81RTAx_Z7IO58Hp5w&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=quality%20circles%20explanation&f=false
 http://eiilmuniversity.ac.in/coursepack/Management/Total_Quality_Management.pdf