Comparing FMC Aberdeen and FMC Green River

Solution Preview

Please see response attached, which is also presented below, as well other relevant information. I hope this helps and take care.

RESPONSE:

1. What are the differences that exist between FMC Green River and FMC Aberdeen, in regards to work groups, leadership and leadership skills. Continue to think in terms of what would work at the Wyoming facility and why.

a. Work Groups - Aberdeen use participatory/relational teamwork/groups that are relational based with the groups sharing in the decision making process. This type of leadership/management style seems to fit well with Vroom, Yetton, Jago Leader-Participation Model (p. 8 of attachment "Leadership") and McGregor's theory Y model (p. 3-4 of the same attachment).

The Vroom, Yetton, Jago leader-participation model relates leadership behavior and participation to decision making (i.e., team work, etc.). The model provides a set of sequential rules to determine the form and amount of participative decision-making in different situations. It is a decision tree, requiring yes and no answers incorporating contingencies about task structure and alternative styles. It often involves work groups like Aberdeen employ throughout the organizational decision making process.

It is important, though, to keep in mind that no organization adheres strictly to one particular model - so please go through the leadership styles in the handout attached to see what you think, and if there are other models that might apply equally or in part.

FMC Green River probably would not use work groups for organizational decision-making processes, per se. The autocratic traditional top-down decision making model does not afford this type of group work decision-making process. In contrast to teamwork as demonstrated at Aberdeen, FMC Green River would employ autocratic techniques, such as meetings, presentations, reports, phone calls, email, and other top-down procedures to inform the workers of the decisions made at the top. (1)

b. Leadership Styles -

It is important to remember that although both companies have different leadership styles, FMC the more traditional autocratic/transactional style and Aberdeen an authoritative/relational style, both are operating under FMC corporate guidelines, and both units also had a common link to the FMC corporate image and objectives and thus had some similar operating values and systems. In fact, Dailey reports this out as the two firms point of similarity.

Green River: AUTOCRATIC/TRANSACTIONAL LEADERSHIP STYLE

Theory: Douglas McGregor described Theory X and Theory Y in his book, The Human Side of Enterprise. Theory X and Theory Y each represent different ways in which leaders view employees. Theory X managers believe that employees are motivated mainly by money, are lazy, uncooperative, and have poor work habits. Theory Y managers believe that subordinates work hard, are cooperative, and have positive attitudes.

Theory X is the traditional view of direction and control by managers.
1. The average human being has an inherent dislike of work and will avoid if he or she can.
2. Because of this human characteristic of dislike of work, most people must be controlled, directed, and threatened with punishment to get them to put forth adequate effort toward the achievement of organizational objectives.
3. The average human being prefers to be directed, wish to avoid responsibility, has relatively little ambition, and wants security above all.

Theory ...