Manufacturing Essay, Research Paper

Luke Lindsey Mana 156- behavior and Org.

02055325 Case analysis 1

10-23-0 Mega Manufacturing

Mega Manufacturing is a manufacturer of sports shoes for men and women. They are investigating each department in order to cut back on spending in order to eliminate wastes of resources. One potential waste is coming from the cutting department. The waste of material is costing the company monitory resources that could further benefit the company if allocated elsewhere. Several solutions have been discovered with the cutting process but if the problem were to be solve d there is both a salary saving and the elimination of waste, in this particular department. However the solution lies with the employees of this department and the solution will cost some of them their jobs. The variables effecting the disclosure of this information vary from one’s need for monitory income, to the esteem of the position. Management is facing several possible decisions that include employee employment assurance to cost savings and company bottom line figures. Their decisions are founded on management decisions, employee motivations and resistance to innovations and the notion of getting these resistant employees to adopt the innovations.

First, the management decisions regarding the cutting process and the problems that are associated with them. The notion that the skilled workers of the cutting department are aware of a solution to the problem with the breaking dies indicates that there is a solution to the problem. On the standpoint of the company, investigation into the proper use and successful completion of the cut using the die needs to be resolved. The die eliminates wastage and will speed up productivity of the cutting process. It will also make the individual machine operator more efficient which will conclude with the elimination of several positions may allocated more resources previously spent on employee salaries. This cost savings will free up allocations previously spent on overhead and allocated to other departments that may increase spending in order to increase sales, or add more to the stockholders bottom line. As a machine operator aware of this notion that relinquishing this information could cost him/her their job, there needs to be some cause for hesitation. The workers are paid on an hourly base so the increase of efficiency will also allow management the ability to cut hours, which will also hurt the workers. If faced with this dilemma I would have to first find out if the solution the breaking dies were legit. Because of the two-month time delay in the manufacturing of the dies I also have to worry about the productivity of the department on the half of the workers if future layoffs were in sight. I would also have to know if the cost savings would be passed on the consumer and how these variables will effect sales. If demand for the product were to increase there may be no need for lay offs. However if there was a need to make cuts in the workforce there would be need to evaluate each individual on the grounds of seniority and skill level to insure proper staffing of the department and explore options of moving personal to other departments. So my conclusion to the dilemma facing this question has to many variables but I have explored decisions with regards to time and company proposals of use of the freed resources.

There are two motivating factors that our cutters face in the dilemma with regards to the die cutting information they include the following: Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, and Herzberg’s Two- factor Theory. First, Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. The worker is at a job that provides substance for himself and possibly a family. The information and innovation that the die implantation brings may disrupt his/her ability to provide so without so assurance of the continued employment and income potential; the worker will not relinquish the information needed for successful inauguration of the die cutting process. However, if that assurance were provide their would be increased productivity in the department and successful integration of the project will fill Maslows notion that people thrive for accomplishment, and the efficiency of the department will bring this idea to reality. There may also be negative connotations that may be brought about As well. If there were that worker who was fearful for their job might relinquish this vital information to management for assured employment, this also demonstrates Maslows basic survival needs theory. Second is Herzbergs two-factor theory, called dissatisfies or hygiene factors. They include such notions of working condition, benefits recognition and possible promotional opportunities. The employee is unwilling to do anything that may jeopardize their livelihood. Implication of this process will result in lay offs that may damage this security. This will also pose a threat to the workers acceptance among peers. If layoffs are inevitable there may develop groups within the department of loyal skilled labors who pose a greater chance of employment after the downsizing. This is a possible threat even if the project is just in consideration, which may impose productivity problems while implication is in the process, and future problems if the project is discarded due to the already imposed loyalty among the divided department.

There is also the factor if employees resistance to change with the implication of the new cutting process. There are several factors of habit, security, economic factors, fear of the unknown and lastly selective information processing that influence these factors of resistance. Employees develop habits in the work place that become routine and habitual and allow the worker to become part of the department and allow the worker develop routines that increase productivity. Security issues factor in the employee’s unwillingness to change, in fear of loosing their jobs. Economic factors develop when the worker fears that change will lower their income, tying into the security concerns. Fear of the unknown indicates that humans are unwilling to change when the ends of the means is unknown. Selective information processing is the individual perception of the relevance of the change. If the individual feels that the change is unnecessary they are reluctant to change.