Mueller Chemical

Mueller Chemical has just lost its largest customer, and is having to lay off a number of workers. The company implemented a TQM program five years previous, but the program had marked success in only one division. Since the now-defunct customer was the driving force behind the TQM program, some managers want to abandon the program in favor of top-down management.

The problem at Mueller Chemical is not the presence or absence of a TQM program, but a lack of commitment by the management team to the company's long-term success. The team has been unable to clearly communicate its group norms, with the result that managers have not had to implement programs with the vigor that might be required. In the long-term, the company must change the way it makes decisions at the top-most levels of the organization, and it can only do that by implementing a new decision making strategy.

While several strategies might be employed, the company is best off going with the creative decision making strategy. It is using a hybrid of the negotiated strategy at this point, and that has failed the company to this point in time. The company should also remain committed to its TQM program in order to offer the greatest level of quality to its customers.

Mueller Chemical is a German-based company that has recently lost its single most important customer, Ameritron. As a result of this loss, the company is facing severe cutbacks in staff, and is considering removing its Total Quali

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because the customer base as a whole demands quality in terms of product, delivery, and service, and TQM is a technique that allows that quality to be delivered efficiently. In a company that is facing downsizing, TQM can provide a way to maintain quality with a smaller workforce. This is because TQM forces all processes in an organization to be carefully considered and justified before they are accepted. Employees are encouraged to find better ways to do their jobs, which is important when there are layoffs and employees are feeling embattled rather than empowered. If the company returns to a top-down management technique, employees are likely to feel that they no longer have control over their work environment, that additional layoffs are likely, and that they are not able to make changes in the way they do their jobs which might help the company, and thus themselves. Morale is going to drop off significantly as a result of the layoffs; to abandon the TQM process at this point may cause an even steeper drop in morale. However, it is not just the various chemical divisions that need TQM. The company as a whole needs to adopt the program if it is to be successful and overcome the departure of Ameritron. While CHEM1 success

Category: Business - M