Employee Participation in a Quality Circle Program. Impact on Quality of Work Life, Productivity, and Absenteeism

The impact of participation in a Quality Circle (QC) program on employee quality of work life (QWL) attitudes and on productivity and absenteeism behaviors was studied among direct labor employees in a manufacturing firm. Participants (n = 46) and nonparticipants (n = 46) were surveyed before and after implementation of the QC program. Multiple regression analysis revealed a positive relation between QC participation and changes in QWL perceptions in areas directly involved in QC activities but not in more general work life areas. Given that participants' QWL scores tended not to change and nonparticipants tended to report decreases in QWL from before to after the QC program implementation, the results suggest QC involvement acted more to provide social support to buffer participants from negative contextual factors than to enhance equality of work life. Organizational records also were assessed from 6 months before to 24 months after adoption of the QC program and showed that QC participation led to improvements in employee productivity and absenteeism rates.