What is a quality circle?

A quality circle refers to a collective of employees who regularly meet to discuss and address organizational issues, with a focus on improving quality and productivity. These groups typically consist of workers from the same area or department who collaborate to identify problems, suggest solutions, and work towards continuous improvement within the organization. This approach fosters teamwork and enhances communication while empowering employees to take an active role in the decision-making processes that affect their work environment.

The other options present different types of groups that serve distinct purposes. Evaluating employee performance is the focus of performance appraisal systems rather than quality circles. Temporary committees are usually formed for specific projects and disbanded once their goal is achieved, lacking the ongoing continuity and focus on quality improvement characteristic of quality circles. Training purposes describe groups that are formed specifically to enhance skills or knowledge rather than to engage in problem-solving discussions inherent to the structure of quality circles.