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- Consider 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.
