Fmc Green River

Leadership and Groups

1

Third Review: A CLOSER LOOK

Leadership and Groups

FMC Green River

Background

FMC is and has been a successful company for the last fifty-six years. First originated in 1948 and produced 1.3 million tons of various grades of soda ash a year.

The success of the first business brought about a second refining plant in 1953, which was completed in 1970.

FMC Aberdeen, located in South Dakota with a population of 30,000 is also a successful subsidy of FMC. FMC Aberdeen employs one hundred people, produces one product, which is a missile canister for the U.S. Navy.

FMC Green River managed by Mr. Dailey, produces various chemicals, has over 100 domestic and international customers, 1,150 employees, creates several products and works closely at times with the United Steel Workers of America.

Situational Awareness

Aberdeen has a great structure for the ability to create quickly various small work teams such as informal groups or self managed work teams that allow the group to focus on improving a specific process. At Aberdeen the small groups gather, choose their own leader, poll together ideas and come up with a solution to specific problem. Once a solution is found the team disbands. Since Aberdeen's company is smaller and its employees create a family atmosphere, the role relationships between the people in the groups have a strong personal bond. This basic idea will also work at FMC Green River but will require some modifications. At Green River, if they follow the same concept, then the small groups that gather to solve a specific problem must also remember that what effects one decision in the process they are improving may have a devastating impact on another division of the same company since the company produces different products. Quickly creating teams on the spot for resolutions to specific problems as done at Aberdeen is much easier when only dealing with one product for one customer. At FMC Green River, where there are several products being produced and over 1,150 employees, trying to incorporate small teams when the need arises will work but some restrictions may have to be applied. I would suspect more division of labor and command groups would be better suited due to the possible impact of a decision by one team, which may significantly influence another part of the organization.

The culture created at Aberdeen in terms of the small groups gathering to solve a problem, appears to have obtained from its employee's a very high level of performance from each team member. At Aberdeen while forming these small groups, the groups themselves have the ability to choose their leader and also, decide on how long they want a specific person to lead that group. The groups also have a unique ability to work within their groups on work schedules. If a person needs some time off, the flexibility of the group will allow it. One important aspect of the groups at Aberdeen is the ability for the groups to counsel others in either a positive or negative situation. Social loafing is practically non existent due to the rotating of team leaders and responsibility placed on each individual of a group. The family like atmosphere at Aberdeen naturally creates a strong group cohesiveness, which is very effective and creates a positive working environment. At Aberdeen, with only 100 employees the need for virtual teams via internal communication networks such as email or net meetings is impractical and could create slow downs in their processes. The overall work group and team structure at Aberdeen minimizes the process losses due to poor coordination and motivational problems. The end result is a great atmosphere to work and solve processes to produce a quality product.

Clear leadership at Aberdeen with the exception of the CEO could be a little difficult to grasp on whom is in charge. Within the groups, the positive input from each member and close working relationships have almost made it possible to do away with leaders. It appears at Aberdeen the leaders naturally create an initiating structure in that the leader of the group is simply to keep the group focused in one direction and be responsible for creating the reports and also have to authority to reward positive behavior or reprimand via counseling substandard performance.

Alternatives and Recommendations:

FMC Green River will have many different processes in place throughout the company to produce several different products. If the processes can be broken down and placed into a division of labor, then I think within that specific task of workers, informal groups may be created but it would not be something FMC Green River should count on. I like the idea of employee's being able to freely point out an area of concern or a possible solution to a situation. If this type of atmosphere is created at Green River, then self managed work teams would be ideal to solve some of the problems in the processes. Overall, due to the numerous plant responsibilities at Green River, command groups will be required to be in place. From time to time, it may be required for Green River to create task