ities and work life, and at first this was centered on the manufacturing work-force. A quality circle is defined as a small work team developed around the voluntary participation of members of a natural work group in a structured program of training, communication, and problem solving. Inherent in the use of quality circles is the belief by management that there is value in employee contributions, and this in turn fosters a sense of self-worth in the employee which is good for the company as a whole. The work team concept is therefore a concept of empowerment as well as innovation. Patchin (1983) states that a quality circle is a group of five to ten people who work together all the time. A quality circle is not the same as a task force, and members of the circle meet on a voluntary basis to identify and solve problems in their department and to keep those departments more productive.
Competitive benchmarking and employee involvement became the two closely-related phases of Xerox's unique approach to quality. Be
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