Reference no: EM132170830

1. If "the purpose of goal setting is to guide behavior" how would you go about setting goals to achieve "Lean" at your workplace? First define the workplace and the culture that presently exists of a municipal (local) government, and the steps you would take to achieve different behaviors that are in line with a "Lean" systems approach. Note you may want to look at the work of John Kotter - from Harvard - on the Internet and in particular his notes on "Change Management" or book on "Leading Change." Kotter is considered by many to be the leading authority on organizational change and change management in the field of academic business writing. These days he is widely quoted and widely published.

2. Organizational Behaviors and Organizational Cultures can make or break any change management program - let alone the implementation of new programs such as "Lean." How would you go about ensuring that there is a "buy-in" not just from employees but also from mid-level and senior level managers? Recall that Deming said that 80% of all quality problems begin with lack of appropriate action from management - it really is not in the worker's span of control to bring about lasting and meaningful change. In other words, management has to not only provide leadership, but also provide mechanisms for input and engagement for employees. How should "buy-in" be planned and executed? (Suggest some approaches...)

3. Summarize some of the ways one may sustain and bring about the full adoption of best practices in the workplace described above. For example, are suggestion programs beneficial to "sustaining the gains?"

4. Do Unions embrace or resist the adoption of "lean" practices? Support your response with evidence. You may want to comment on the policies of Unions like the CAW, IAM & AW, CUPE, OPSEU, etc. I encourage you to do research on this - perhaps on the Internet or published academic articles - to ground your response in factual information - not opinions...