Abstract
It was pointed out in the previous paper that problem-solving methodology in Total Quality Control (TQC), especally Small Group Activity (SGA), theoretically has high applicability to participatory planning in the field of rural and agricultural planning. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the SGA's applicability with a case study of eggplant producers' association in Okayama prefecture.
Small group, whose purpose is to establish quality control system of eggplantproduction, was organized by seven producer members and four external agent members including the authors in july, 1990. Meetings of this group have been managed by the external members and continued until now (March, 1991) . As a result of this activity, we can confim the following points which indicate the practical applicability of the SGA.
1) Problem-solving methodology in TQC is available for solving very complicated and mixed technical problems which the producers face in the process of plant-growing.
2) Meeting materials based on objective data have high persuasive power to the producer members.
3) Some of the QC tools are applicable as an effective presentation tools to the producer members.
4) Subjecthood of producer members has been established in the problem-solving process of the activity.
In order to bring more successful results through the SGA, the following regards should be carefully considered.
1) SGA should be carefully managed according to awareness-level of producer members.
2) Every subject of the meeting should be corresponded to the satage of the plant-growing.
3) Introduction of field data collecting & processing system is desireble for scientific control of the plant-growing process.
