Reference no: EM132196705

A lack of Management Commitment The employees of a midsized printed circuit-board manufacturer had been excited about their empowerment program during its first several months of operation. A number of solid suggestions for im- provement had been made, accepted, and implemented, saving the company substantial amounts of money by reducing throughput time by 19%. During this period, the management was very sup- portive. Because of its new employee-driven competitiveness, the company became a hot item and was sold at a sizable profit. The new management team voiced agreement with the empowerment program, but it soon became apparent that management support was hollow and halfhearted at best. Within three months of the sale, employee interest in the program had died, and the program had been dissolved.

Read Discussion Assignment 8-1 at the end of chapter 8 in your textbook. Answer the following discussion questions: If you were the quality manager for this company and the employee empowerment effort had been your idea, how would you have gained commitment to it from the management team? What are some possible challenges that you might encounter when presenting your proposals, and how would you overcome these challenges? Please answer fully.