Level of formal and informal communication in TQM Circles to total quality management

Abstract

Practices related to total quality management as a management approach that businesses will adopt can be defined as the leading factors in achieving positive outputs at the level of individuals, groups and institutions. One of the mentioned quality management practices is quality circles. Group dynamics gain importance in achieving the desired positive results in these group works carried out on a voluntary basis, and the communication activity between the circle members, which is one of them, is reshaped with formal or informal qualities in this context. In quality circles created with different hierarchical titles from different departments, the level of formal and informal communication in businesses may directly affect the effectiveness of the circle. The informal climate in which the circles are created will make the hierarchical level difference in the communication process important/unimportant depending on functional competence in this context. In this study, elements related to communication effectiveness and how they can change the effectiveness of quality circles are discussed.