Supervisory management and quality circle performance : an empirical study

Much of the research into quality circles has been directed towards the organizational context in which they operate. This has tended to emphasize the need for commitment from senior management rather than the operation of quality circles themselves; an emphasis further enhanced by the location of quality improvement in the management of change literature, with its focus on management‐led, top‐down change. Describes an investigation into two quality circles in the same company, operating the same plant and working under the same line management. In the company the two quality circles had acquired reputations for greatly varying levels of performance. The investigation identified a close relation between the social cohesiveness of the groups from which the circles were drawn and their performance. Concludes that: in a single, favourable, organizational context with a supportive senior management, the impact of quality improvement initiatives can be greatly affected by workplace subcultures; and that effective quality circles require the support and commitment of supervisory management.