EXPLORING EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF THE PROCESS AND OUTCOMES OF A QUALITY CIRCLE INTERVENTION (INNOVATION)
Abstract
A quality circle (QC) is a small group of individuals that meets voluntarily to solve quality and productivity problems in their area of responsibility. Large United States investment in QCs coupled with an alarming number of intervention failures highlights the need to better understand QC outcomes and dynamics. Reviewing empirical studies along with theoretical literature related to QCs led to the development and testing of a causal model of QC dynamics. The study also focused on QC impacts on productivity and a broad range of attitudinal variables. The research sites selected were two divisions of a major midwestern university. The outcomes of the study show that QCs have impact on productivity through solving operational level, work-related problems but effect very little change in broader attitudinal measures. The QC model showed significant change in the postulated underlying dynamics, but was not sufficient to produce attitude change among QC workers. Additional findings indicate that QC volunteers are younger, better educated and less satisfied on a number of dimensions than controls. QC volunteers saw quality circles as a vehicle for organizational change and had high expectations for QCs. Supervisor resistance to the intervention and narrow limits on QC projects acted to compartmentalize QC effectiveness. Suggestions are made to modify and enhance the QC process.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Management
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