Quality CirclesQuality Circles

By : Terri SpahrBy : Terri Spahr

OverviewOverview

What are Quality Circles?What are Quality Circles?How Do Quality Circles Work?How Do Quality Circles Work?How Can They be Used in an How Can They be Used in an

Organization?Organization?Example and ActivityExample and ActivityProblems with Quality CirclesProblems with Quality CirclesSummary of History and PracticesSummary of History and PracticesBibliographyBibliography

What is a Quality Circle?What is a Quality Circle?

• Voluntary groups of employees who Voluntary groups of employees who work on similar tasks or share an area of work on similar tasks or share an area of responsibilityresponsibility

• They agree to meet on a regular basis to They agree to meet on a regular basis to discuss & solve problems related to discuss & solve problems related to work.work.

• They operate on the principle that They operate on the principle that employee participation in decision-employee participation in decision-making and problem-solving improves making and problem-solving improves the quality of workthe quality of work

How Do Quality Circles How Do Quality Circles Work?Work?

• CharacteristicsCharacteristics– VolunteersVolunteers– Set Rules and PrioritiesSet Rules and Priorities– Decisions made by ConsensusDecisions made by Consensus– Use of organized approaches to Use of organized approaches to

Problem-SolvingProblem-Solving

How Do Quality Circles How Do Quality Circles Work?Work?

• All members of a Circle need to All members of a Circle need to receive trainingreceive training

• Members need to be empoweredMembers need to be empowered• Members need to have the support Members need to have the support

of Senior Managementof Senior Management

How Can They be Used in How Can They be Used in an Organization?an Organization?

• Increase ProductivityIncrease Productivity• Improve QualityImprove Quality• Boost Employee MoraleBoost Employee Morale

Real World ExampleReal World Example

• At Penn State University in 1983, a At Penn State University in 1983, a Quality Circle was formed by Quality Circle was formed by Professor Hirshfield, a Professor of Professor Hirshfield, a Professor of East Asia History.East Asia History.– Selected 8 Students from a large Selected 8 Students from a large

lecture classlecture class– Resulted in increased involvement Resulted in increased involvement

from the classfrom the class

Team ExerciseTeam Exercise

• Break down into teams of 6-8 Break down into teams of 6-8 peoplepeople

• Establish a leader and rules for Establish a leader and rules for your Circleyour Circle

• Have a brainstorming and problem-Have a brainstorming and problem-solving session to resolve the issue solving session to resolve the issue on the next slideon the next slide

Team ExerciseTeam Exercise

• A Collegiate class on Statistical Analysis A Collegiate class on Statistical Analysis has a total enrollment of 45 people. has a total enrollment of 45 people.

• Average attendance is 18 studentsAverage attendance is 18 students• The class consists mainly of lectures The class consists mainly of lectures • How can the professor of this class How can the professor of this class

improve the quality of this course and improve the quality of this course and increase student involvement?increase student involvement?

Problems with Quality Problems with Quality CirclesCircles

• Inadequate TrainingInadequate Training• Unsure of PurposeUnsure of Purpose• Not truly VoluntaryNot truly Voluntary• Lack of Management InterestLack of Management Interest• Quality Circles are not really Quality Circles are not really

empowered to make decisions.empowered to make decisions.

Summary of History and Summary of History and PracticesPractices

• Quality Circles were first seen in Quality Circles were first seen in the United States in the 1950’sthe United States in the 1950’s

• Circles were developed by Dr, Circles were developed by Dr, Kaoru Ishikawa in Japan in the Kaoru Ishikawa in Japan in the 1960’s1960’s

• Circles were re-exported to the US Circles were re-exported to the US in the early 1970’sin the early 1970’s

Summary of History and Summary of History and PracticesPractices

• 1980’s brought Total Quality 1980’s brought Total Quality Management and a reduction in the Management and a reduction in the use of Quality Circlesuse of Quality Circles

• Quality Circles can be a useful tool Quality Circles can be a useful tool if used properlyif used properly

BibliographyBibliography

• Cole, Robert E. 1999. Cole, Robert E. 1999. Managing Quality Fads: Managing Quality Fads: How American Business Learned to Play the How American Business Learned to Play the Quality Game. Quality Game. New York, NY: Oxford PressNew York, NY: Oxford Press..

• Aubrey, Charles A. 1988. Aubrey, Charles A. 1988. Teamwork: Teamwork: Involving People in Quality and Productivity Involving People in Quality and Productivity Improvement.Improvement. Milwaukee, WI: Quality Press. Milwaukee, WI: Quality Press.

• Foster, S. Thomas. 2001. Foster, S. Thomas. 2001. Managing Quality: An Managing Quality: An Integrative Approach.Integrative Approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.Prentice Hall.

BibliographyBibliography

• Author Unknown. 1984. Author Unknown. 1984. Quality Circles in the Quality Circles in the Community College Community College [online]. Available online [online]. Available online via via http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed3http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed353008.html53008.html

• Author Unknown. 1994. Author Unknown. 1994. Kaizen and Quality Kaizen and Quality CirclesCircles [online]. Available online via [online]. Available online via http://sol.brunel.ac.uk/~jarvis/bola/quality/circlhttp://sol.brunel.ac.uk/~jarvis/bola/quality/circles.htmles.html