Total quality management refers to a set of comprehensive and organized feedback-based activities and practices for continuous product and service quality improvement (Oakland 3). One of such practices is quality circles, an approach largely popular in the 1980s and 1990s, whose effectiveness frequently depends on both corporate and country culture.
Quality circles refer to the practice of employee gathering to identify and analyze problems related to their sphere of competence to improve the overall quality of products and services. Many critics have questioned the effectiveness of this approach; however, it can be beneficial to the company if certain criteria are met. As far as the composition of the group is concerned, quality circles should be staffed by volunteers representing different functional activity. Before the discussion, all members are to receive problem-solving training such as brainstorming and other techniques. The circle members should have a certain degree of autonomy in being able to choose a specific problem they would like to address and elect a leader from and for their team. This is not to say that management cannot monitor the sessions, but the supervisor should not be a mentor and not a manager. Finally, it is essential that management is fully supportive of the group and allocates appropriate funding for its requests (Basu 27-28). Such quality circles are much more likely to produce beneficial results for the organization.
However, quality circles may also not be the ideal practice in different parts of the world. Such sessions are founded on autonomy, initiative, and teamwork which are not necessarily encouraged in different cultures. Analysis of the United Arab Emirates’ cultural dimensions according to the Hofstede’s model reveals several important insights. On the individualism scale, the UAE are largely a collectivistic society meaning that employees are likely to prioritize organizational goals (Hofstede par. 5). However, the country also scores extremely high on the power distance scale which implies that people tend to accept unequal power distribution and strict hierarchical order (Hofstede par. 3). Consequently, management may be unwilling to delegate its power to employee-staffed groups. However, empirical research suggests that corporate cultures in the UAE are favorable to the implementation of total quality management techniques, including quality circles (Jabnoun and Sedrani 18).
At the same time, quality circles are not the only approach that can be used to improve employee involvement in the quality control and management of the company. First of all, individual-level empowerment is frequently cited as an effective employee engagement technique. Empowerment refers to the process of management delegating decisions and employees gaining independence in work-related matters (Kivuva 167). While quality circles also include empowerment, they address the issue of independence and autonomy at the team rather than individual level. Secondly, a technique especially relevant for organizations in the UAE is the creation of a sense of affinity and affiliation. Given the collectivistic nature of the culture, workers are likely to significantly commit to the organizational goals and values. The company should foster their sense of belonging through appropriate employee-oriented PR and branding (Mathis par. 9).
Thus, quality circles, given that they are implemented correctly, have the potential to bring positive results to the organization’s total quality management process. At the same time, since quality circles do not always fit the specific country’s culture, a variety of other employee involvement techniques can be adopted to promote organizational goals.
Works Cited
Basu, Ron. Implementing Six Sigma and Lean: A Practical Guide to Tools and Techniques, Oxford, UK: Elsevier, 2008. Print.
Jabnoun, Naceur, and Khalefa Sedrani. “TQM, Culture, and Performance in UAE Manufacturing Firms.” Quality Management Journal 12.4 (2005): 8-20.
Hofstede, Geert. n.d. What about the United Arab Emirates? n.d. Web.
Kivuva, Winnie. “Effects of Employee Involvement in Strategic Management Implementation.” International Journal of Advanced Research 3.8 (2015): 164-171.
Mathis, Terry L. Three Strategies for Employee Engagement.2013. Web.
Oakland, John. S. TQM: Text with Cases. 3rd ed. 2003. London, UK: Routledge. Print.