Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Organizational Behavior - Essay Example ple within the company as well as the company itself so that the end result is one on which everyone solemnly agree, that is to make the company thrive from a revenue-generating angle and image building aspect in the long run. The company that we are talking about in this paper does not have decentralization embedded deep into its roots and hence the employees are not able to make decisions on their own which is a setback in its due right. However, when we compare the same with the software giant Microsoft we come to know decentralization has been applied as a principle in this organization so that it could easily mold itself with the team management concepts that are so very prevalent there. This has thus provided a sense of autonomy to the company and more so its employees who now know how to manage their own selves in the best and the worst of times as well as the ways in which they can effectively contribute in their own capacity towards the betterment of the company and their own personalities too. Similarly, the organizational structure in place for Hewlett Packard (HP) is a decentralized one, much like that of Microsoft as it has involved stakeholders at all levels to come up with their own decisio ns, however some might be challenged every now and then, so that the company functions as a single unit and not a disjointed one. The informal structure of an organization lays the foundation for the formal hierarchy, as people are more easily able to relate to each other as well as to the company for which they are working day in day out. This informal structure builds a sense of trust and belonging within the people and they can easily contribute to the single basic benefit on which the company has housed its attention upon, either to earn benefits at an exorbitant rate or to satisfy the customers/consumers with no holds barred. The grapevine can really build the basis for the formal structure and becomes quite a factor in the final analysis. Similarly, when

Operations and Quality Improvement Strategies Coursework

Operations and Quality Improvement Strategies - Coursework Example Organizations can apply a set of skills and tools to reduce operational cost, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve the quality of their processes, products and services. 1. Lean Manufacturing. Critically discuss the differences, using examples, between the Lean and Mass (Traditional) Production strategies. A. Rationale: Lean Manufacturing, a Japanese philosophy, gained attention at the beginning of the 1980’s when the western leaders could not stop wondering the inimitable industrial advances and permanent employment of the Japanese businesses (A to Z Management Concepts and Models 2007). It has been described as â€Å"the most fundamental change to occur since mass production was brought to full development by Henry Ford early in the 20th century† (Hindle 2008). Lean manufacturing has been established as one of the crucial factors for Japanese success. There are two basic concepts that are involved here: making the management work to give lower cost per un it produced which directly enhances productivity, secondly, striving for continuous improvement (kaizen). Workers are expected and encouraged to adopt a new approach to their work and reap the benefit of it (A to Z Management Concepts and Models 2007). Generally, in lean production systems employees are organized in teams and each worker must be able to do all the tasks required of the team. â€Å"These tasks are less narrowly specialised than those demanded of the worker in a mass-production system, and this variety enables the worker to escape from the soul-destroying repetition of the pure assembly line† (Hindle 2008) B. Evolution: In 1776, Adam Smith in the Wealth of Nations described that mass production is based on the principles of specialization and division of labour. To design products and to set up production systems highly skilled labours are used whereas to produce standardized components and assemble them the labours used are highly unskilled. The latter are dis posable and can be laid off depending on the situation. In mass production, parts used are often manufactured elsewhere and then put together on a moving production facility called assembly line. â€Å"The result is a standardized product made in a fairly small number of varieties, produced at low cost and of mediocre quality.† If a problem needs to be corrected at any point in an assembly line the entire process stops (Hindle 2008). Lean production system requires the components to be delivered just-in-time and each worker is allowed to stop production when a fault is discovered. This is the basic difference from classic assembly line process where stoppages are expensive and should be avoided at all costs. With a mass production system the worker learn nothing because all the faulty products are put aside to be dealt with later. They are replaced immediately, from the large stock of spares, without causing any hold-ups. In case of lean production, problems are immediately r esolved when a stoppage occurs and gradually this diminishes the number of stoppages. Eventually, a mature lean-production line stops a much lesser number of times than a mature mass-production assembly line (A to Z Management Concepts and Models 2007). Yet another advantage of lean production is that designers, workers and suppliers work hand-in-hand with production which never happens in a mass-production system. A separate team of insiders or specialists participate in designing which