Increased Zero Defects Participation through Group Discussion and Public Commitment

According to Herzberg ( 1 9 6 8 ) , psychology of motivation is tremendously complex, and what has been unraveled with any degree of assurance is small indeed. This lack of achievement in the state of the art has not come about, however, without some progressive advancement. Coch and French ( 1 9 4 8 ) , Lewin ( 1 9 5 2 ) , Bennett ( 19551, Lawrence and Smith ( 1 9 5 5 ) , and Galbraith (1967) have demonstrated the importance of group discussion and public commitment in employee motivation. Since personnel motivation is important to military supervisors, the current smdy was designed to assess the effects of the above variables on participation in the Air Force Zero Defects Program (ZD). Zero Defects, as explained by Air Force Regulation 25-8 is program of planned motivation aimed at inspiring employees to do their jobs right the first time, every time. Although mandatory for Commanders to establish such a program, participation by personnel is voluntary. Accordingly, the Air Force has directed supervisors to impress upon their personnel the importance of volt~ntary participation in such an undertaking. W h e n the Z D Program was implemented in 1966 in an Air Force Plant Representative's Office, in Southern California, the AFPRO supervisors were instructed as to its objectives and merits. They in turn instructed their subordinates. Methods used by supervisors ranged from group briefings to individual conferences; however, group discussion and public commitment techniques were not utilized. Survey data indicated that only 66%, or 92 people, in the organization ( N = 1 4 0 ) signed the Zero Defeca Voluntary Pledge Cards. In 1967, the author briefed the supervisors on the merits of group discussions for employees. When this technique was used 87%, or 122 people, voluntarily signed the pledge cards. It is possible that part of the increase occurred because this was the second organized drive for participation. This possibility would be minimized, however, as the new 1967 Z D Program was considerably more complex and demanding. The data also indicated that the majoriry of people who joined, in I967 only, had done so because of public commitment at the end of the discussion sessions. Thus, the present outcome seems to represent a conservative estimate of the value of group discussion and public commitment

Management · Political science · Public relations · Turnover · Military and Defense Studies · Military Strategy and Technology · Psychology · Social Psychology

• Readings in Social Psychology

  Eleanor E Maccoby, Eugene L Hartley et al.•readings in social psychology•1958

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• Overcoming Resistance to Change

  Open Access•Lester Coch, John R P French•Human Relations•1948

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• "Discussion, Decision, Commitment, and Consensus in "Group Decision

  Open Access•Edith Becker Bennett•Human Relations•1955

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