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                                                                          OM09

                                                             Operations Strategy

(For CNM Cases)

                                                                    Assignment - II

Assignment Code: 2016OM09A2                                               Last Date of Submission: 30^th April 2016

                                                                                                Maximum Marks: 100

Attempt all the questions. All the questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.

                                                                          Section-A

1          Link up environmental management and operations management in a strategic            framework. Explain         your response.

2          How and why has human resource management moved from a simple concern with recruitment and reward to a more strategic role in the business?  In what ways is people management becoming a central concern for strategic operations managers – and in what ways can they enable human resources to make a strategically important contribution to the business?

3          Distinguish between internally (process) and externally focused performance   measures. Give examples.   Discuss the pros and cons of relying solely on either      internally focused or externally focussed measures.

4          What are the drawbacks of relying solely on financial measures to assess organizational performance?

Section-B

Case Study

George Foreman

As a result of the Health and Safety at Work Act (HASAWA) the Caustic Chemicals Company took a policy decision at Board level to increase the safety performance greatly throughout the whole company.  This policy was expressed formally in a statement which came out under the Managing Director’s own signature.

Great emphasis was placed in this statement on individual responsibility to eliminate unsafe acts and conditions at the workplace.  The processes were inherently dangerous and, in the past, high standards of safety had been insisted upon in the processing departments: whereas previously there had been occasional lapses of good practice to which the chargehands had turned a blind eye, activities had since tightened up and very little change was necessary to ensure that all operatives adjusted to the letter, as well as the spirit, of company policy as now published.

In the Dispatch Department, however, the product appeared to be non-hazardous to most employees.  It was all drummed off, or bagged in polythene, and they could not easily identify the material with being hazardous.  They were always up against the clock when loading and unloading vehicles and although the department rules specified that protective clothing (issued free and consisting of a suit of overalls, over-wellingtons, plastic apron and goggles for use when handling particular chemicals), most workers `did their own thing’.  There was an array of different modes of dress and few complied with the proper scale of clothing deemed necessary.  It was noticeable that the older hands generally conformed but the newer employees objected because they said that they couldn’t see the need and anyway the company issue was too hot to work at the speed required.

Some years ago there had been a very unfortunate accident in the loading bay.  While a 40-gallon drum was being loaded on the bed of a lorry, the forks of a forklift truck perforated the drum and the caustic contents sprayed over a loading hand with the result that he was permanently almost blinded (totally in one eye and with 50 per cent vision in the other).

The position in the shop is that the chargehands (of which there are two in a shop strength of 20) have allowed safety standards to find a differential level between individuals in the department.  The older hands are resentful of the risks which they believe the younger members take – and which could involve the innocent equally.

George Foreman, a tough battler of a supervisor, has just transferred to overall responsibility for the Dispatch Area, as well as the General Factory Services (a compliant group of cleaners and service operators, etc.).

He has a remit from his manager to implement the company policy and rules `to the letter’.  He has had one meeting with the chargehands, telling them what he expected with regard to standards.  They accepted what he said but no noticeable improvement has taken place over the last month.

Case Questions

(i)            Faced with the problem described in the case, what would you as George Foreman do in the next week:

               

a)                  with the charge hands;

b)                  with the members of the department?

(ii)           What new systems would you introduce to ensure compliance with good practice?

                                                                                                                                                                               

(iii)          How would you gain the commitment to safe working from all employees without loss of morale, or resentment?                                                                                                                                (8+6+6)