Reference no: EM132257076

Two construction companies were vying for market share dominance. Company A embraced total quality, whereas company B did not. After an initial transition created by various change initiatives, during which company A lost some of their employees because of the quality initiative, a period of equilibrium and growth ensued. Customer were surveyed, employees were trained, and team began working on customer value and satisfaction improvements. At first company B was not concerned with company A Actually Company B hired the former employees from company A and watched as company A’s employees talked to customers and spent their off-season conducting employee training and forming problem and project teams However things changed. Company B began losing customers, to its rival, and they were replaced with other customers who had strained credit and multiple grievances. In addition, some of Company B’s finest employees left Company A despite promises of higher salaries and future bonuses. Company B decided to mimic Company A’s quality program by hiring an outside consultant. Time was spent advertising for and screening an appropriate consultant. The consultant was empowered to lead the program, with the blessing and support of the owner and president. The consultant met with the executive team and later with the employees and laid out the vision for the new quality program. This included training all employees in the concept and principle of total quality. Shortly with after the training sessions ended, teams were assembled with specific issues to solve. Meanwhile, valuable of- seasons time was expended, and the new construction seasons was drawing near. The new season meant employee workloads increased, which in turn required more employee work hours. Profit opportunities quickly replaced quality meetings and employees were left angry and confused. The initial hope of more involvement with work activities, netter contact with customers, and increased communications was replaced with frustration and cynicism. Before much could be done, the new construction season was in full swing. Later, as Company B’s construction season came to end, the consultant had difficulty finding volunteers to staff the quality teams. Conscripts were found, and teams resumed their work. Team meetings were plagued with personal attacks, finger pointing and conflict. Employees were threatened and some times fired before the whole quality program was solved. What went wrong? Why couldn’t company B mimic company A’s apparent success with quality? What might you have done differently?