Quality Circles (Q.

C): Meaning, Objectives and Benefits

After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Meaning of Quality Circles 2. Characteristics of Effective
Quality Circles 3. Objectives 4. Implementation 5. Organisation and Working 6. Rules 7. Duties of Circle
Leader 8. Steps for Setting up Quality Circles 9. Benefits 10. Launching of Programme.

Meaning of Quality Circles:

Conceptually Quality Circles can be described as a small group of employees of the same work area, doing
similar work that meets voluntarily and regularly to identify, analyse and resolve work related problems.

This small group with every member of the circle participating to the full carries on the activities, utilising
problem solving techniques to achieve control or improvement in the work area and also help self and
mutual development in the process.

The concept of the Quality Circle is based on “respect for the human individual” as against the traditional
assumption based on suspicion and mistrust between management and its employees.

Quality circles built mutual trust and create greater understanding between the management and the
workers. Cooperation and not confrontation is the key element in its operation. Quality Circles aims at
building people, developing them, arousing genuine interest and dedication to their work to improve
quality, productivity, cost reduction etc.

Thus we can say that a quality circle is a group of 5 to 8 employees performing similar work, who volunteer
themselves to meet regularly, to identify the cause of their on-the-job problems, employ advanced
problem-solving techniques to reach solutions and implement them.

The concept is based on the premise that the people who do a job everyday know more about it than
anyone else and hence their voluntary involvement is the best way to solve their work related problems.

The Quality Circle concept provides an opportunity to the circle members to use their wisdom, creativity
and experience in bringing about improvements in the work they are engaged in by converting the
challenging problems into opportunities and it contributes to the development of the employees and in
turn benefits the organisation as well. The concept encourages the sense of belongingness in circle
members and they feel that they have an important role to play in the organisation.