Leadership and Groups: FMC Green River Essay -- Business Leading Essay

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 resolut ions 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 ... ...llow up on the new process on the results and make a final report or provide information on additional improvements. I’m not sure if this is done at Aberdeen. Since the number of managers should be limited, it would be advisable to allow the leaders of groups (if the leaders rotate) to counsel in a positive or negative way the group members performance. This will better and more accurately document performance to be used for yearly reviews for pay increases or promotions. Also by allowing the leaders to counsel it will build on their management skill and confidence. But, all members of the teams should have this opportunity by rotating the leaders as done at Aberdeen. Green River could use the advances of technology to create virtual teams to support the overall mission of Green River. I think the managers of the different areas and not for the small work teams should use it. Works Cited: J. M. George and G. R. Jones, â€Å"Organizational Behavior,† 3rd ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001) J. G. Clawson, â€Å"FMC Aberdeen from Practical Problems in Organizations: Cases in Leadership, Organizational Behavior and Human Resources,† Custom ed (Prentice Hall, 2003)