• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.1-26
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• 2007

The purpose of this research is to suggest the promotive directions of Quality Circle activity. Since 1975, variety of organizations in Korea have widely the implemented Quality Circle activities for their management systems. Today, Companies are facing the harsh realities of a competitive environment. This is no time for revolutionary change. Instead, Companies are instituting revolutionary change meant to have impact within a very short time frame. The Worker's Quality Circle activity is, essentially, a trouble shooting oriented voluntary small group within their working place to improve the surroundings creatively. The industries have enthusiastically used Quality Circle activities and were influenced from them. The Quality Circle activities can be regarded as a kind of Knowledge Management where new knowledge is created and knowledge is shared in the economy. However, the academics were less interested in this subject, as a result, there were no systematic guidances for Quality Circle activities. Also, the government was less interested in these activities, as a result, there were no systematic policy making for Quality Circle activities. Thus, in this research, the promotive directions for Quality Circle activities were suggested which were based on the results of survey Questionnaires presented to promoters of the domestic companies. As a results of this research, to maximize the effect of TQM(Total Quality Management) in the nationwide, Quality Circle activity as a bottom-up management should be more expanded and revitalized.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.903-916
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• 2017

Purpose: The paper analyzes empirically the causal relationship between customer-oriented Quality circle activities and Business Performance for Korean service firms. We compare the operational characteristic behavior of the service firms and business performance. Methods: In this study, we used 3 variables, QC activities, Employee commitment and business performance. Especially, Service SME's QC Circle activities were analyzed in related with growth of company on the basis activities such as Leadership(team), improvement activity, Organizational learning, customer-focus activity and employee suggestion. Results: The result of analysis showed that employee commitment affected significantly on financial performance and non-financial performance and in turn, improvement activities, Organizational learning and customer-focus activity affected significantly on business performance (financial and non-financial). Conclusion: In the summary of the characteristics of this study based on the research results, first, segmenting the QCC activities in the service business into 5 elements can be considered to be differentiated from the existing researches in the aspect of utilizing the organization's objective-oriented variables differently from the researches utilized the variables related personal characteristics. Second, this study suggested the recent research results that suggested the problems of the QCC clearly, through which what new QC story approach was suggested has working level value in the aspect of activating the service QCC.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.227-239
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to introduce the improving attorney system. It was confirmed by document writing that the staff in the field in Korea had the most difficulty in the Quality circle activities. The reform improving attorney is a quality expert at the Quality Secretariat and assists them in their documentation. Methods: Just as a patent attorney helps to get a patent, an improving attorney system helps document the improvement results of the field Quality circle and even standardizes the company. The process of introducing an improving attorney includes the declaration of an improving attorney are 11 levels of work. Results: An improving attorney was conducted in 600 organizations for 18 months. As a result of the comparison of the number of cases before and after the introduction of the improving attorney, the number of solution problem was lowered to 9 before 2016 and 8 in 2017, but after the introduction, it increased exponentially to 181 in 2018 and 162 in August 2019. In 2016 and 2017, only one standard was registered, but 64 standards were registered in 2018 and 71 in 2019. Conclusion: In this case, the improving attorney system was found to be helpful in activating the Quality circle. It is expected to revitalize Korea's Quality circle by spreading the improving attorney system to many companies.

• Journal of the Korean Professional Engineers Association
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.52-58
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• 1992

In korea, since November 1982 these two small group activity (QC circle convension and Factory Saemaul activity small group convension) has been united, many problems have been disclosed that are aganist the basic principle more or less. Worker's small group within their working place to improve the surroundings creatively. In practice, however, many group are so typical and impetuous of the material effect that it is worried to be inclined to outform rather than contents. Effective small group activities are presumed to be successful only with labour management cooperation on the basis of human-orient management philosophy. The small group activities are also prevalent in service sector. More derivative methods have been developed and more members are willingly participation in training programs. The small group which is basically a horizontal organization unit, promptes communication within the whole organization, In consideration of social circumstances and traditions, the flexible model of the small group activities suitable to the corporate environment, will contribute to industrial development.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.115-128
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• 1991

In korea, since November 1982 these two small group actvity convension (QC circle convension and Factory Saemaul activity small group convension) has been united, many problem have been disclosed that are against the basic principle more or less. Worker's small group activity is essentially, a trouble shooting oriented voluntary small group within their working place to improve the surroundings creatively. In practice. however, many group are so typical and so impetuous of the material effect that it is worried to be inclined to outform rather than contents. Effective small group activities are presumed to be successful only with labor management cooperation on the basis of human-orient management philosophy. The small group activities are also prevalent in service sector. More derivative methods have been developed and more members are willingly participating in training programs. The small group which is basically a horizontal organization unit, promptes communication within the whole organization. In consideration of the social circumstances and traditions, the flexible model of the small group activities suitable to the corporate environment, will contribute industrial development.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.61-81
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• 1998

This research studies the role of IT (Information Technology) in improving productivity of a company through samll group activities. For this purpose, this research analyzed the samll group activities of the company as to how IT was employed bo improve business processes. Cases of small group activities that were conducted from January, 1996 to December, 1996 in a Korean company (name withdrawn) were analyzed. Eight out of eleven small group activities have been studied. They were examined as to the effect of IT in time and cost savings, reduction in manpower and so on. TQM is the activity of process improvement based on the existing processes in pursuit of satisfaction of customers' needs. This study analyzed how IT was used to solve the current problem in business processes. As a result of the case study, it is found that TQM activities with IT could reduce expenses significantly. More specifically, expenses have been cut down by 56% a year on average. By improving the business processes through the activities of TQM which used IT, companies could remove the unnecessary business processes and the duplicated business processes. In other words, with the use of IT in TQM activities, they could move closer to goals of the satisfaction of the customers' needs by reducing expenses and time. This study examined the role of IT from the point of view of business process improvement. Internally, IT has a positive impact on reducing expenses, processing time, manpower and so forth. Externally, it plays an important role of company's gaining competitive advantage through the satisfaction of customers and stakeholders. In conclusion, the proper use of IT will significantly increase the performance of a company.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.58-64
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• 2006

In this age of infinite competition, quality control plays a huge part in deciding whether companies survive or not. In order to successfully solve the fundamental questions of quality in corporate management under the given circumstances, I suggest that the followings are vital: 1) continuous training of employees and competence development; 2) advocating employees' voluntary involvements and their will to work; 3) revitalizing quality circle activities. Activities of quality circles, which are organized to work out fundamental problems within the corporation, are important in renovating the existing administration. Thus, the purpose of this study is to understand the degree of influence quality circle activities have on the management outcome of the corporation by analyses of actual proofs, and to raise the importance of these activities. Moreover, it purports to provide the foundation for domestic companies to move toward becoming competitive advantage organizations by endowing them with the motivation to activate quality circles.