GM employees and management are blamed for causing the 13 fatal accidents caused by an ignition switch at GM because they had no sense of urgency when it came to correcting problems. The problem can be traced to the employees and the management. Autocratic leadership in GM can be a contributing factor to the low performance of employees. Employees also apply a custodial behavioral model that is contingent upon benefits (Mamum 2012). The model discourages teamwork since individuals only work ahead of their peers whenever there is a reward. The most discouraging culture in GM is that the management is autocratic, and therefore, their lack of cooperation with employees discourages the employees from participating in preventing accidents.
My view about the problem is that management should loosen up its leadership style. Incorporating individuals from the working staff will make them more responsible and more willing to participate in preventing future accidents. The GM management should encourage a culture in the organization which implies that the organization cares. Employees who feel valued and motivated increase their performance. The administration should also be involved in promoting teamwork; this is possible through the collegial system. A collegial environment will encourage partnership, meaning employees can contribute and speak up when things are not right.
I work with Dell. At Dell, we are working with a lean program. It involves minimizing waste without sacrificing productivity. The program recognizes the waste created through overburdening and unevenness in workloads. In the lean program, a culture of teamwork is vital to creating a lean workplace. The success of the company is mostly contributed to by the participation of the higher management and the cooperation of all in the company. The organization emphasizes collaboration and teamwork, which is also rewarded by the company (Myerson, 2013). The management involves employees in discussing what is best for the company; their decisions are always communicated to everyone involved.
References
Mamun, K. (2012, October 12). A study on five models of organizational behavior. Retrieved July 10, 2016, from http://www.slideshare.net/khairuzzaman/a-study-on-five-model-of-organisational-behavior
Myerson, P. (2013). We’re All in This Together: Teamwork in a Lean Workplace – Inbound Logistics. Inboundlogistics.com. Retrieved 18 April 2018, from http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/article/were-all-in-this-together-teamwork-in-a-lean-workplace/
