Improving The Use Of Quality Circles In Police Departments

The study concludes that the use of quality circles in police departments has the potential to achieve a number of small-scale service improvements in work units that use them. The effective use of quality circles, however, requires modest expenditures for training, overtime pay, and other activities of quality circles. There is no evidence to date that quality circles produce any major improvements in service delivery or productivity. The circles have typically focused on improving working conditions and the resolution of relatively minor, narrowly focused operating problems. Absent continuing maintenance of the circles and the identification of issues that impact employees' work, quality circles tend to deteriorate after a year or two. The long-term survival of quality circles depends on voluntary participation, a motivated facilitator who is given time to devote to the circle's operation, and explicit support and recognition from upper management.