Making Hotplates, management homework help

For this caseanalysis, a group of ten workers are responsible for assemblinghotplates for hospital and medical laboratory use. There are manydifferent models of hotplates being manufactured. After managementdiscussed some problems in the factory, they decided to try somethingnew.Making HotplatesA group of tenworkers were responsible for assembling hotplates (instruments forheating solutions to a given temperature) for hospital and medicallaboratory use. A number of different models of hotplates were beingmanufactured. Some hotplates had a vibrating device, so that thesolution could be mixed while being heated. Other hotplates heated onlytest tubes, while some hotplates could heat solutions in a variety ofdifferent containers.With the appropriate small tools, eachworker assembled part of a hotplate. The partially completed hotplatewas placed on a moving belt and carried from one assembly station to thenext. When the hotplate was completed, an inspector would check it overto ensure that it was working properly. Then, the last worker wouldplace it in a specially prepared cardboard box for shipping.Theassembly line had been carefully balanced by industrial engineers, whohad used a time and motion study to break the job down into subassemblytasks, each task requiring about three minutes to accomplish. The amountof time calculated for each subassembly had also been “balanced,” sothat the task performed by each worker was supposed to take almostexactly the same amount of time. The workers were paid a straight hourlyrate.However, there were some problems. Morale seemed to be low,and the inspector was finding a relatively high percentage of badlyassembled hotplates. Controllable rejects, those “caused” by theoperator rather than by faulty materials, were running about 23%.Afterdiscussing the situation, management decided to try something new. Theworkers were brought together and asked if they would like to build thehotplates individually. The workers decided they would like to try thisapproach, provided they could go back to the old program, if the new onedid not work well. After several days of training, each worker began toassemble the entire hotplate.The change was made at about themiddle of the year and productivity climbed quickly. By the end of theyear, it had leveled off at about 84% higher than during the first halfof the year, although no other changes had been made in the departmentor its personnel. Controllable rejects had dropped from about 23% toonly 1% during the same period. Absenteeism dropped from 8% to less than1%. The workers had responded positively to the change, and theirmorale was noticeably higher. One person declared, “Now, this is myhotplate.” Eventually, the reject rate dropped so low that all routinefinal inspections were done by the assembly workers, and the full-timeinspector was transferred to another job in the organization.Througha case analysis, evaluate the organization’s approach to this problemand develop recommendation(s) for increasing productivity. In youranalysis, include the following:At least two possible reasons for the reduction in absenteeism.At least two possible reasons for the increase in productivity.Support your reasons or conclusions with real-world examples from the business workplace.Acase study is a short description of a real business situation.Analyzing case studies gives you the opportunity to apply those conceptsto real business problems. Cases are generally written for severaltypes of analysis. Usually, there is not a "right or wrong" answer.Rather, cases provide a vehicle for you to demonstrate yourunderstanding and ability to apply course concepts. You must useappropriate sources (properly cited) to support your position. Checkyour analysis by assessing how well it demonstrates your subjectknowledge. If your answer relies on your impressions of the topic priorto taking this course, it is likely that the analysis is not your besteffort. Simply answering the questions which are part of the case is notenough; consider the questions to be clues to the important conceptsand facts. You are strongly encouraged to use the following outline, sothat your analysis is organized appropriately:Identify boththe key issues and the underlying issues. In identifying the issues, youshould be able to connect them to the business principles which applyto this situation.Discuss the facts which affect these issues.The case may have too much information. In your discussion, you shouldfilter the information and discuss those facts which are pertinent tothe issues identified above.Discuss your tentative solution tothe problem and how you would implement your solution. What actionswould you propose to correct the situation, based on the knowledge youhave gained in this course? Be sure to support your recommendation byciting references in the text and in the supplementary readings. Youshould also draw on other references such as business periodicals andrelevant journals. Remember that an ANALYSIS is more than simply aSUMMARY of the Case Study.Discuss follow-up and contingencyplans. How will the organization know that your proposed solution isworking? What should they do if it does not work?It may behelpful for you to "role-play" this assignment. Your presentation shouldcover the points listed above. By "role-playing" the situation, usingthe questions at the end of the case as hints, and by using this guide,you should be able to develop an action-oriented analysis with arecommended course of action.Your case analysis should be 2-3pages in length, not including the title and reference pages. APA format