BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH CIRCLE APPROACHES IN OTHER INDUSTRIAL CONTEXTS

Quality Circles (QCs), initially introduced to industrial contexts in the United States and Japan after World War II, engaged small groups of workers within the same workplace in (1) performing quality control activities, and (2) engaging in self and mutual development through regular, small group meetings. Whereas traditional management practices exclude lower-level employees from workplace decision-making, QCs are designed to involve employees at all levels as agents of leadership and change (Lee, Yang, and Chen 2000). This approach sought to cultivating a spirit of personal growth, continuous improvement, coordinated teamwork, and proactive employee participation (Park 1991; Harris 1995; Saheldin and Zain 2007).