QUALITY CIRCLES in CONTEXT

Since my original article published in this Journal in January 1980, entitled AN INTRODUCTION TO QUALITY CIRCLES, the name of the concept has become a buzz word, a fact and the latest craze amongst consultants throughout the world. That is not to suggest that the article in question was responsible for such developments. It would have happened some time or other anyway. The fact that Circles have taken off is both exciting and yet worrying. Properly implemented and in the right industrial culture, Quality Circles can help create in an organisation, a competitive drive totally outside the experience of any one outside Japan where Circles originated. Badly implemented or misunderstood, Quality Circles are almost inevitably destined for the file entitled “we tried it once and it didn't work”. Perhaps the most imposing feature is the staggering number of differing interpretations emanating from a number of self‐appointed specialists.