FMC Green River and FMC Aberdeen

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Please see response attached, including supporting documents on leadership and management styles that you might find helpful.

RESPONSE:

Background:

Dailey knew that his operation was different from the Aberdeen plant in a number of significant ways and that these differences would make his deliberations difficult. First, Aberdeen had only a single customer, while Green River had over 100 and distributed its products worldwide. Second, the Aberdeen facility employed only 100 people, while Green River had 1,150. Third, Aberdeen produced basically a single product, while Green River had several product lines. Fourth, Aberdeen had been a new start-up five years ago. While the first of the several Green River plants was begun in 1948. Dailey was supervising the start-up of three new plants in his complex this year, though, and recognized that similarity. Fifth, the two units functioned in very different industries-Aberdeen in defense and Green River in chemicals. Finally, Aberdeen had no union, while the Green River site worked with the United Steel Workers of America.

Despite these differences, there were several features of the Aberdeen management approach that were either appealing to Dailey or suggested that the Aberdeen approach might fit his operation. Operating under FMC corporate guidelines, both management teams enjoyed, along with the other 87 FMC North American sites, considerable flexibility in how they ran their businesses. Both units also had a common link to the FMC corporate image and objectives and thus had some similar operating values and systems. Dailey also knew that productivity in the Aberdeen plant had grown dramatically since its opening and that costs had continued to drop. Finally, Dailey felt that the principles and values upon which the Aberdeen system were built aligned well with his own. As Dailey listened to his team describe the Aberdeen system, he continued making mental notes and questions about the system and its applicability to the situation in Green River.

1. Will Work Groups & Teams work at Green River, why or why not?

Yes, I think groups and team work would work at Green River if everyone was committed to the change process. However, in management theory there is NO agreement about what is the ultimate BEST style. Everything depends on circumstances.
Herefore, before making a final decision, Dailey would need to consider the following:

- What are the attitudes of the general culture of the people in which the organization operates?
- And is this changing?
- What is the prime task of the organization - to carry out strict technical procedures or to be creative?
- Is the organization competing with similar organizations in a changing market?

I think team works could work, although the teams would probably need to be more specialized for Green River because of the job and work structure. Job design and work organization and teamwork would probably be specialized in terms of contents, method and relationships of jobs to satisfy technological and organizational requirements as well as the personal needs of jobholders. However, teamwork would also be at the organization level in order for the team as a whole to embrace the organization goals and vision for the company.

However, this demands the using Leadership style to bridge the gap, Daily (or other managers) would need to create an organization culture in FMC Wyoming that is emotionally charged so that there is a creation of collective identity and commitment toward the company (i.e., through group work, and also by demonstrating leadership skills that suggest a collection identity (see below). The culture should be collective and historically based so that there is creation of organizational order and continuity. Finally, Green River should aim at creation of shared expectations throughout the company. The company is geographically located at two different locations and should have a strong culture so that the employees feel united.

Another important variable is to consider the commitment of upper management to the principles and values of the participatory style of management (i.e., sharing the decision-making power with all team players, team work, etc.). However, Dailey has said that he thinks Aberdeen's model fits with his own ...