What is a Quality Circle?
✔ A Quality Circle (QC), also known as Quality Control Circle (QCC), is a small, voluntary group of employees and their supervisor(s), comprising a team of about 6 to 10 members from within same work area or doing similar works, that meet regularly to solve problems relating to their job scope or workplace.
✔ In other words, a quality circle is a small group of people who meet together on a regular basis to identify, analyze and solve quality, cost reduction or any other problem in their work area, leading to improvement in their total performance and enrichment of their work life.
✔ Quality circle is a participative management system in which workers make suggestions and improvements for the betterment of the company.
✔ Other names of quality circles are small groups, action circles, excellence circles, human resources circles, and productivity circles.
In this chapter, concept, objectives, characteristics, structure, implementation, benefits, and pitfalls of quality circles are discussed in detail.
Concept of Quality Circle (Philosophy of Quality Circle)
The concept of quality circle is primarily based upon recognition of the value of the worker as a human being, as someone who willingly activises on his job, his wisdom, intelligence, experience, attitude and feelings. The quality circle respects human dignity and motivates employees at gross root levels to use their brain power along with their physical effort.
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Quality circle is a form of participation management.
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Quality circle is a human resource development technique.
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Quality circle is a problem solving technique.
Objectives of Quality Circles
| 1.To promote job involvement. |
| 2.To create problem solving capability. |
| 3.To improve communication. |
| 4.To promote leadership qualities. |
| 5.To promote personal development. |
| 6.To develop a greater awareness for cleanliness |
| 7.To develop greater awareness for safety. |
| 8.To improve morale through closer identity of employee objectives with organization’s objectives. |
| 9.To reduce errors. |
| 10.To enhance quality. |
| 11.To inspire more effective team work. |
| 12.To build an attitude of problem prevention. |
| 13.To promote cost reduction. |
| 14.To develop harmonious manager, supervisor and worker relationship. |
| 15.To improve productivity. |
| 16.To reduce downtime of machines and equipment. |
| 17.To increase employee motivation. |
