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Quality Circles
Henry Royce, the engineer who partnered Sir Charles
Rolls to found
Rolls-Royce, makers of ‘the best cars in the world', the car in which the
only sound audible inside, at a hundred miles an hour, was the ‘ticking of the
dashboard clock', was once on a walkabout in the engine-assembly plant when he
noticed a worker struggling to fit a part. When Royce asked whether the part
itself was all right, the worker answered that it would do. Royce immediately
asked him to collect his pay and leave. “
A part which is fitted in a Rolls-Royce has to be the best one that Man can make.
A part which will simply ‘do'… just won't do!”. It was this philosophy
that made Rolls Royce the ultimate standard in car engineering.
The Japanese introduced quality
circles in 1962, when Honda and SONY emerged. The new concept, born of worker-participative
patterns of management was simple to grasp. Volunteer groups under their
functional supervisor (who, too, had to be a volunteer) identified, analyzed and
solved problems related to their own work-area. The voluntary aspect was stressed,
ultimate quality being based on personal
commitment. Quality circles have
enormous potential as a method of developing employees:
·
Develop positive attitudes towards even routine work
·
Solve quality/ production problems Management may not even be aware of
·
Propagation of the idea that quality is for everyone, all the time
·
Responsibility born of freedom to work out THEIR OWN solutions
·
It's FUN, and highly infectious; healthy competition ensues.
Quality circles have undoubted benefits, but it may
need controls, modifications or written agreements with unions to avert a
backlash… all
transplants do not succeed, everywhere.
QUESTIONS:
1.
What is meant by quality control?
Why is it necessary ? Do you know how the introduction of a ‘quality circle' helps?
2. Is a ‘quality circle' a panacea?
Is it universally successful? Explain with examples.
