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The production methods may have been new, but Six Sigma has worked well at many organizations, including GE, where its concepts were first formulated (Calloway & Gleich, 2006).
Another reason that Donnelley was so successful was its effective coordination of changes in job classifications and actual work standards: many workers were performing new tasks. New labeling of skill levels, compensation, and benefits was done relatively seamlessly, to avoid confusion. Some changes are invariably uncomfortable, like trying to work well with new people when there is a forced lateral movement. At Donnelley, many workers were moved from obsolete areas of production to positions which emphasized new, digitized technologies. Incorporating human resources into the change resulted in better coordinated training efforts, and also less confusing administrative and bureaucratic problems, which made workers less resistant to change.
Donnelley's changes were successful: as hoped, production time for printing four-color books was reduced by 50% due to the new production methods and quality standards. Without instituting layoffs of older workers and making new hires, productivity went up 20% in three years, indicating a greater comfort level on the part of workers with their jobs. Increases in productivity were sizable enough so that Donnelley did not have to set up an additional production lines, saving millions of dollars for the firm. Because the firm's standards had improved, Donnelley employees' fears that the Roanoke plant might close were allayed.
When a new type...
Because the introduction of the new program was not wholesale, departments were trained on a case-by-case basis, and individual departments were only gradually eased into using the program. This meant that quite often there was a disconnect between employees who had been oriented into the new system and those who had not. Also, training was not holistic: employees were asked to take self-directed computer tutorials. On one hand, this was advantageous because employees could learn the new technology by themselves at their own time, without being diverted from their scheduled tasks. However, many employees were not technologically literate enough to really learn on their own, and even those who did understand the program often rushed through it, to get back to their regular tasks. This shows how social reinforcement and team-based learning is often more useful in implementing a systemic organizational change, particularly if the change is accompanied by a shift in company philosophy, as in the case at Donnelley.
References
Calloway, David & Greg Gleich. (2006). What is Six Sigma? Search CIO.
Retrieved July 2, 2010 at http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid182_gci763122,00.html
Schuler, a.J. (2003). Overcoming resistance to change. Schuler Solutions.
Retrieved July 2, 2010 at http://www.schulersolutions.com/resistance_to_change.html
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