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Are Modern Approaches to Quality Management 
Concerned with Empowerment Or Control of the Work force?

Author: Mr D Wilson

Source of document: Open University

Date: 16/08/95

Feigenbaum summarises the history of quality by breaking it into five stages. The first, operator quality control, covers the time up to the end of the nineteenth century. During this period the work force was completely empowered, as production tended to be one man one product, from start to finish. The second stage, foreman quality control, was in place up to the first world war. This stage saw the work force being controlled by foremen. The third stage, inspection quality control, was active between the two world wars. This added a further control. Foremen and workers were being controlled by inspectors checking their work. The fourth stage introduced statistical control of inspections. This came after the second world war. This can be seen as the inspectors being controlled in when to inspect, through statistics. Finally, the fifth stage was the introduction of Total Quality Control which includes modern Quality Management. The question is, has this stage turned the wheel full circle, returning to operator control?

• As companies introduce Quality Management there is a tendency to use the top down approach, by installing quality using the current hierarchical organisation as discussed by Flood. This hierarchy has inherent controls that are imposed on the Quality Management system. Dane said that to manage you must control.
• The simple process model is used to describe a process in diagrammatic form. It has five key elements one of which is control. From this, evidently all processes need some form of control, which must include control of the work force that performs the process. One method of control is Statistical Process Control (SPC). SPC as a tool is often referred to when discussing Quality Management and again the emphasis here is another method of control.
• When looking for problems within systems or attempting to improve systems, part of the problem solving process is to measure what is happening currently. To ensure that measurements taken will directly reflect any inherent problems, processes should be stable. Stability can only be ensured through control. Control is equally important in repeatability. This can be achieved through documented systems and processes that must be followed by the work force. This control of the work force is required for Quality Assurance which is part of Quality Management. Another requirement of Quality Assurance is conformance to standard. A key aspect of conformance is control.
• Part of Quality Management is ensuring that the Quality Assurance within a company is being maintained. One frequently used method of achieving this is by conducting audits. The static audit relies heavily on, and is used to help with, the control of the work force.
• However, the manager may choose to use dynamic audits instead. This is a more flexible approach to the work force and in fact, aims to assist with improvement through cooperation with and by the work force. This type of audit empowers the work force. Control is giving to them, over documented systems, where they are aware of problems and have solutions for those problems, which contradict the documented process. This may also lead to quality improvement teams as suggested by Crosby, allowing the work force to have input into processes that they are involved with. Action teams allow a similar empowerment of the work force.
• Demming has said that training and education for all is an essential part of Quality Management. He goes on to say that individuals should be encouraged to achieve self improvement. Education is known to empower people, be they a work force or a third world nation. Supervisor/employee training is suggested by Crosby. Teaching the supervisor to help the employee rather than control the employee, by using modern methods of supervision is stressed by Demming.
• Quality circles that involve both the work force and management, is seen by Ishikawa as an empowering factor. He also encourages open internal discussions, both within the work force and between the work force and management. The ability to have direct communication rather than using the organisational chain of command, empowers the work force.
• Kaizen aims to eliminate waste through the use of the work force's mental powers. The combined mental ability of the work force is a useful asset. When used the work force become aware that they are not only employed for their manual skills but their mental power is also being utilised. This is clear empowerment of the work force.
• Total Quality Control has moved from control to Quality Management. Juran sees this as a move from quality departments policing companies to company wide quality control, with all employees being responsible for their own quality control. Empowerment of the work force enables the workers to achieve self esteem and even self actualisation at work. Motivation, as described by Maslow, is something that managers have been aiming to achieve for some time and this is still evident within modern Quality Management.
• The wheel appears to have turned full circle, with a return to operator control through the empowerment of the work force. This empowerment is encouraged by the various gurus of quality through their different tools of implementation and improvement of quality systems and processes. Although the wheel has turned, control of the work force is still in place. It is an essential requirement of Quality Assurance and will probably keep its place within Quality Management. However, the balance between control and empowerment has shifted towards empowerment. This balance will shift further towards empowerment as companies progress along the path to Total Quality.
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