Case Case A

Study
The production manager and the quality control department were at
loggerheads. The quality control department had rejected the batch
produced by saying that the quality of the output was not up to the mark.
This would mean a huge amount of rework and also labour problems
since they had productivity-linked incentives.

The production manager decided to take the issue up with the

management. In the meeting the Quality control manager emphasised
that they must realise that both of them were working for the same
company and he had the company’s interest in mind as much as the
production manager and if defective units reached the market it would
spoil the image of the company which would be detrimental to
everybody. The production manager withdrew his stance and agreed to
take back the defective units for rework keeping in mind the overall
corporate image.

Case
Study Case B
But the union was not happy. They objected to doing the rework and
insisted on being paid overtime for the rework jobs. The production
manager explained to them that while he did not mind paying overtime
the key issue was that the incentive for the production of defective units
had already been accounted and they could not get overtime for the same
work again. While the union accepted the argument they insisted on
additional payments since additional work was to be done. Finally an
agreement on paying 50% of the overtime was reached and the
production manager got the rework done.

Case
Study Case C
On studying the actual data the production manger realised that the
correct procedure had not been followed by a section of the workers and
therefore the output was defective. Hearing this some workers felt that
they were being penalised for no fault of theirs. They had done their part
of the work and should not be asked to do the rework. They were of the
opinion that only those workers who did not follow the process should
be asked to do rework. When the union met to discuss the issue the
workers who were objecting found themselves isolated and so instead of
challenging the production manager they quietly withdrew their
objections.
Case
Study Case D
Having got over the issue of getting the workers to do the rework the
production manager decided to call the floor supervisor under whose
supervision the workers were working when the problem happened
initially. The supervisor at first refused to accept the blame but on being
confronted with data accepted it to be his fault.

Case
Study Case E
Finally the production manager decided to transfer the supervisor to
another plant of the same company at Jumritalaya. The supervisor
protested but he was not given an option and forced to go to Jumritalaya.