Quality Circles Concept

Quality Circles are small groups of organizations’ employees (4 to 10) that meet regularly during the labor period to identify, analyze and discuss ways to improve quality and work productivity. Work, therefore, as a support structure to the management members and as a stimulation form of the formal structures existent in the company.

Its creation in the 60th decade of the twentieth century due in a big dimension to the Japanese Kaoru Ishikawa that had learnt with the teachings taken to Japan by the Northern America Joseph Juran and Edward Deming. Its application in the west only occurred after the 80th decade, time in which were introduced by numerous multinationals in USA, France, Germany, England, etc.

Traditionally the quality circles have its application in the implementation of cost reduction programs, defective products reduction, work injuries reduction, manufacturing mistakes reduction and productivity improvement.

The main advantages of Quality Circles as a way to raise the quality levels are the following:

. Awareness of the employees for the quality;

. No obligation to change the organizational structure;

. Involvement and participation of the employees in the decision taking;

. Professional realization.

 

Translated from Portuguese by Susana Saraiva, Portuguese-English and English-Portuguese translation specialist. Contact: spams@sapo.pt.