Organizational change management at Cosmo Plastics

Business Management -- Cosmos Plastics

Do you think Alice Thornton's proposal to decentralize the rules and procedures of Cosmo Plastics will work?

I cannot say with certainty that Thornton's proposal to decentralize rules and procedures at Cosmo Plastics (because there could also be other serious problems in other areas); but I would agree that it is the most appropriate and logical approach to rectify the specific problems described. The existing rules and procedures may very well be perfect for some department within the organization. However, those rules are inappropriate and ineffective in other departments.

Specifically, manufacturing and other operational functions, especially those necessarily performed by teams or business units through the collaborative efforts of multiple individuals require narrower business hours to ensure that a complete team is fielded throughout every work shift. The problem with excessively flexible hours in operational business functions is that teams and business units may be staffed inconsistently. In fact, Cosmo supervisors are experiencing that problem. Conversely, conceptual operations often do not rely as heavily on teamwork, but on the regular sharing of work produced largely through the isolated efforts of individuals working independently. There is no need for uniform scheduling except to the extent necessary to maintain appropriate business hours and availability to collaborate on a schedule determined by the organization.

Likewise, short-term performance evaluation is more appropriate for operations whose output is easily quantified. It is not appropriate for business functions that are not easily quantified and whose output is more accurately measured by long-term contributions. Finally, restrictive policies (such as restrictions on leaving company property) should not be applied unnecessarily arbitrarily, such as where that privilege is not being abused or where it may serve some productive business purpose. "Rainmaking" by partners for example, is not measurable over regular short-term intervals and it takes place substantially off-premises and during non-traditional business hours.

What kinds of rules and procedures do you think the department managers will come up with? Which departments will be more formalized? Why?