CHALLENGE

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT
XYZ Manufacturing Ltd is a busy PVC Windows and Ceiling Manufacturing
Plant. Being a self-contained plant, it has its own workshop in order to take
care of regular maintenance work for its freight and manufacturing
equipments. The plant functions in two shifts a day. The workers have been
grouped into two groups, i.e., Relay 'A’ and 'B'. The shift routine changes once
a week, Sunday being the weekly holiday.

The Relay 'A', consisting of 50 workers is placed under the charge of Mr.
Muthu, who is a graduate in mechanical engineering. After undergoing
training for a period of six months in various divisions in PVC windows
manufacturing, he acquired a thorough knowledge of works to be undertaken
by the Plant. After being a Relay Supervisor for 3 years, he was promoted to
the post of Team Leader, who is the shift-in-charge. When he joined the plant,
he found that the tasks were done with the application of thumb rules and
higher officers had to be satisfied with such a quality of worK
Mr. Muthu, on witnessing this, started to instruct his workers in various
theoretical aspects of manufacturing and maintenance, which he had
studied in his college. They all highly appreciated the skill and techniques he
had taught. The workers now learnt to do things in a better way, thus,
gaining the confidence of workers. As he was able to finish his work in time
and in a better way than Relay 'B', more work orders were allotted to his
group. A few workers in Relay B started to grumble and one of the Muthu’s
Foremen came and told him that the "other relay workers do not have much
work load and our workers too do not want to strain much and they are
murmuring over getting more work." Muthu, however, convinced the
Foreman that extra work should be taken as a credit and recognition, and
they should do their best. After this had happened some workers even tried
to get transferred to Relay A.
One morning, Muthu was making arrangements for the work to be taken
and was giving instructions to his foreman. One worker called Kamau from
Relay A came and told him that one of their colleague’s father had passed
away and that they all wanted to attend the funeral. He added that it was
customary for the men in the workshop to attend such funerals and the
shift-in-charge had to arrange for a means of transport. Since Muthu
joined the company, it was the first such instance occurring and as he had
to finish some urgent work orders, he told Kamau that he shall allow a
small section of Relay A group to leave for the funeral. However he
regretted that he will not arrange for their transport. Mr. Muthu’s decision
created turbulence among the workers and a group of workers stopped
work and started demanding that they be allowed to attend the funeral or
else they stop work in the coming shifts.
On learning of the new development, Muthu told his Foreman,
"I have given you an alternative and I have already told you the
urgency of work and I am going to allocate the work as per
planning schedule. If the work is not done, I may have to take
action against you."
Then the group of workers started discussing among themselves as to
what to do next. One worker came forth and said, “You are not
considerate enough on human matters and if you are still adamant we
may prefer half-a-day wages cut as we must go and attend the funeral.
Anyhow you have to make arrangements for our transport." Muthu at
this instance noted that a small group, who were usually complaining
about the workload, was keenly interested in the affair. He decided to
face the situation as a matter of prestige.
He issued the gate pass to whoever wished to go, still emphasizing that
he would not arrange any means of transport. Nearly 25 per cent of the
workers remained and the others left for the funeral. On that day, Muthu
could finish only a part of the work as planned and he had to explain
what had happened in his Relay, to his boss.
When he came the next morning, it was rumored that only a few of the
workers attended the funeral and the others had gone to the cinema
theatre near the village. Muthu got irritated by the workers' behavior
and started writing memos to those who had received the gate pass the
previous day. Some workers got annoyed by this action of Muthu and
approached the union to intervene. The news had spread to other
divisions and there was an air of protest at all places in the Plant.
What is your view of the action taken by Mr. Muthu ?

What are the weakness and strong points, as you consider, of Mr.
Muthu as a Manager?

How would you have tackled the situation, if you were Mr. Muthu
?
CHALLENGE TWO
• TWO
PK Mills manufactures woolen clothes. Over the years, it has earned an
envious reputation in the market. People associate PK Mills with high quality
woolen garments. Most of the existing employees have joined the company
long back and are nearing retirement stage. The process of replacing these
old employees with younger ones, drawn from the nearby areas, has already
begun. Recently, the quality of the garments has deteriorated considerably.
Though the company employs the best material that is available, the
workmanship has gone down. Consequently, the company has lost its
customers in the surrounding areas to a great extent. The company stands,
in the eyes of general public, depreciated and devalued. The production
manager, in a frantic bid to recover lost ground, held several meetings with
his staff but all in vain. The problem, of course, has its roots in the
production department itself. The young workers have started resisting the
bureaucratic rules and regulations vehemently. The hatred against
regimentation and tight control is total.
The old workers, on the verge of retirement, say that conditions have
changed considerably in recent years. In the days gone by, they say, they
were guided by a process of self-control in place of bureaucratic control.
Each worker did his work diligently and honestly under the old set-up. In
an attempt to restructure the organizational set-up, the managers who
have been appointed afterwards brought about radical changes. Workers
under the new contract had very little freedom in the workplace. They
are expected to bend their will to rules and regulations. Witnessing the
difference between the two 'cultures' the young workers, naturally,
began to oppose the regulatory mechanism devised by top management.
The pent-up feelings of frustration and resentment against management,
like a gathering storm, have resulted in volcanic eruptions leading to
violent arguments between young workers and foremen on the shop-
floor.
In the process production has suffered, both quantitatively and
qualitatively. The production manager in an attempt to weather out the
storm is seriously thinking of bringing about a radical change in the control
process that is prevailing now in the organization.
Questions:
(a) What are the core issues in the case?
(b) Do you agree with the statement "The problem, of course, has its roots
in the
production department itself"? Reason out your stand.
(c) Critically evaluate the finding that old workers complain and new
workers too
resist any type of control.
(d) What type of control system would you suggest to the company to
improve
production?
CHALLENGE
A City Council Engineer demanded a 25% kickback in secret
payments for highway work contracts he issued. He made such an
offer to a 32 year old civil engineer who was Project Director of a
young and struggling consulting firm greatly in need of the work. The
Project Director discussed the offer with others in the firm, who told
him it was his decision to make. Finally, he agreed to the deal, citing
as a main reason his concern for getting sufficient work to retain his
current employees. Discuss.
 CHALLENGE
Older engineers, in particular, find job security in competition
with ethical instinct. An older Project Engineer, in the shadow of
a comfortable retirement, was confronted by a new general
manager of the plant in which he was employed as a facilities
engineer. In consideration of plans for a plant expansion, the
general manager insisted that the Project Engineer reduce
foundations and structural steel specifications below standards
of good practice. The Project Engineer was told to choose
between his job and his seal on the plans. Did he really have a
choice? Discuss.