Self-control, keeping track, responsibility

Nowadays, self-control has become an instrument in total quality strategies. But this case study of assembly workshops in a French automobile factory shows how hard it is to apply such a principle. Self-control combines two potentially contradictory activities: the tracking (i.e. recording) of all faults reported by operatives and each operative's responsibility for quality control. As a means for bringing pressure to bear on services and persons, tracking helps to make up for human and technical short-comings. But it raises problems when persons are held responsible. During incidents for example operators - in order to avoid accusations they feel to be unfounded or stigmatic - know how to get around formal channels so as to maintain the quality of production either by solving problems themselves or by obtaining unreported outside help.