Case Problem 2: Making Hotplates A group of 10 workers were responsible for assembling hotplates (instruments for heating solutions to a given temperature) for hospital and medical laboratory use. A number of different models of hotplates were being manufactured. Some had a vibrating device so that the solution could be mixed while being heated, Others heated only test tubes. Still others could heat solutions in a variety of different containers. With the appropriate small tools, each worker assembled part of a hotplate. The partially completed hotplate was placed on a moving belt, to be carried from one assembly station to the next. When the hotplate was completed, an inspector would check it over to ensure that it was working properly. Then the last worker would place it in a specially prepared cardboard box for shipping. The assembly line had been carefully balanced by industrial engineers, who had used a time and motion study to break the job down into subassembly tasks, each requiring about three minutes to accomplish. The amount of time calculated for each subassembly had also been balanced so that the task performed by each worker was supposed to take almost exactly the same amount of time. The workers were paid a straight hourly rate. However, there were some problems. Morale seemed to be low, and the inspector was finding a relatively high percentage of badly assembled hotplates. Controllable rejects those caused by the operator rather than by faulty materials were running about 23 percent. After discussing the situation, management decided to try something new. The workers were called together and asked if they would like to build the hotplates individually. The workers decided they would like to try this approach, provided they could go back to the old program if the new one did not work well, After several days of training, each worker began to assemble the entire hotplate.The change was made at about the middle of the year. Productivity climbed quickly. By the end of the year, it had leveled off at about 84 percent higher than during the first half of the year, although no other changes had been made in the department or its personnel. Controllable rejects had dropped from 23 percent to 1 percent during the same period. Absenteeism had dropped from 8 percent to less than 1 percent. The workers had responded positively to the change, and their morale was higher. As ‘one person put it, Now, it is my hotplate. Eventually, the reject rate dropped so low that all routine final inspection was done by the assembly workers themselves. The full-time inspector was transferred to another job in the organization. Questions: (Use appropriate concepts, theory, technique to address the following issues) 1. What is the case all about and what is its main purpose? 2. What changes in the work situation might account for the increase in productivity and the decrease in controllable rejects? 3. What might account for the drop in absenteeism and the increase in morale? 4, What were the major changes in the situation? Which changes were under the control of the manager? Which were controlled by workers? 5. What might happen if the workers went back to the old assembly line method? 6. What actions/strategies that can be recommended to management to achieve increased productivity?1 The case is all about the worker's change management with proper work balance structure in the controllable rejects in the business with retaining the morale of the workers. The main purpose is to make the workers believe the change is for the good and outcome of the reduction of absenteeism. 2: The reduction or elimination of monotonous labor and the resulting improvement in employee morale and job satisfaction was most likely conditioned by the changes in the work that led to an increase in productivity and a drop in controlled rejects. Employees were also driven to improve their productivity as a result of personal responsibility for work results, as they felt empowered and accountable to their duties and assignments. The new job design eliminated the stoppages of the entire assembly process caused by individual faults, resulting in increased production. The rejects decreased because the workers concentrated on completing the jobs, and now that the hotplate is their piece, they are more responsible. The workers were also more exact in their work, resulting in fewer rejects. 3. The most essential factor that can explain absenteeism and an improvement in morale is that the task got more difficult, allowing the workers to complete the output and take responsibility for the plates. The organization looked at the employees’ talents and generated work assignments for them that were tailored to their preferences and abilities. 4, The key alterations in the scenario were the production assembly system, which is totally under the control of the manager, and the number of times or hours spent on the assembly line, which is entirely under the control of the workers.5. If the workers returned to the old assembly method line, the rate of rejection productivity would increase, as the levels of changes in the assembly line were absenteeism and morale. Because the workers had previously experienced the system in comparison to the old approach, they were obliged to return to the assembly, which would produce stress or a decrease in the company. Stress can cause you to miss work due to illness. 6 A superb plan and bright, diligent personnel are required for any successful business or endeavor. However, workplace productivity, or the ultimate effectiveness of your efforts, has a significant impact on how far and how quickly you may go. The management will need a clear plan for what needs to happen and when to reach a certain objective if the management wants to enhance productivity. It takes time, patience, and flexibility to prioritize a productivity approach * Organizations that wish to recruit top talent, reduce attrition, and have happy, engaged employees must have positive employee morale. Organizations must focus on strengthening management, developing an employee growth plan, and offering meaningful work to enhance encourage productivity and staff morale. * For example, Strategic alliances, the appropriate partnership could help you optimize your production processes by expanding your distribution market and increasing your economies of scale. An alliance could assist your organization in negotiating better supply deals, sharing expenditures such as advertising, or utilizing expensive technologies. Increasing your productivity may also imply entering new international markets, expanding your market reach, or speeding up research and development by pooling resources and costs.