Organizational Culture and Communication in Manufacturing

Siena Heights University Graduate College

December 9, 2016

Team #1

Melissa
Sheldon

Tim
Lothamer

Lori
Civello

Michael
Badali

Presented by: Melissa Sheldon

Company
Overview

Founded in 1986 by Ken Callison

Located in Tecumseh, MI
Aftermarket Steering Columns
Departments:
Administrative/HR
Sales
Inventory
Shipping
Manufacturing
Skilled Machinists and Welders
Builders/Buffers
Ownership Change in 2014

(Ididit, Inc., 2016)

Presented by: Melissa Sheldon

Leadership and Management Techniques

Effective Techniques:
Teamwork/Collaboration
Management Driven Productivity
Delegation
Utilization of Resources
Employee Empowerment/Autonomy
Hands-off Ownership Entity
Interdepartmental Communication Meetings
(Schoemaker, Krupp, & Howland, 2013)
Presented by: Melissa Sheldon

Leadership and Management Techniques

Essential Leadership Skills
Decide

Align

Learn

Interpret

Challenge
Anticipate

(Schoemaker, Krupp, & Howland, 2013)

Presented by: Melissa Sheldon

Leadership and Management Techniques

Areas for Improvement:
Overall Communication
Communication of
Priorities and Goals
Timely Follow-up

Presented by: Melissa Sheldon

Motivational Tools and Techniques

Motivation increases
manufacturing performance
(Kathuria, Partovi, & Greenhaus, 2010)

Presented by: Tim Lothamer

Motivational Tools and Techniques

Primary Motivational Tools:

Work/Life Balance
Flexible Hours
Tuition Reimbursement
Community Involvement

Presented by: Tim Lothamer

Motivational Tools and Techniques

Primary Motivational Tools:

Benefits
Competitive Base Wages
Insurance (100% paid by the
company)
Paid Vacation/Holiday Time
Presented by: Tim Lothamer

Motivational Tools and Techniques

Primary Motivational Tools:

Employee Engagement
Hands-on Management
Employee of the Month
Giveaways
Annual Christmas Party
Presented by: Tim Lothamer

Communication Methods
Modes of Communication:
Internal
External
Communication Methods
Communication Assessment
Learning Organization
Presented by: Lori Civello

Communication
Methods

Communication Style
(Groysberg & Sling, 2012)

Presented by: Lori Civello

Communication Methods
Core Communication Competencies:

Influence
Feedback Responsiveness
Permissiveness
Responsiveness
Interdependence
Reward for Communicating
Trust

(Minter, 2010)

Presented by: Lori Civello

Communication Methods
Communication and Learning
Organizations
(Barker, 1998)
Communication Focus on
Relationship Building

Presented by: Lori Civello

Change Implementation Practices

Empowerment and Ownership of
Work Area and Department
Participative Leadership

Conferring with group members

before making a decision
(Dubrin, 2014)

Ideas for Continuous Improvement

Results:

Team ownership and accountability

Less top-down management
advocacy
Increased autonomy and decision
making
Increased employee input regarding
cost reduction, and the improvement
of quality, service, and morale

Presented by: Michael Badali

Change Implementation Practices

Management Changes

Original Founders of Ididit:

Sale of the business

Founding family member
remains in a management position

Results:
Change in management has been
generally accepted
Culture change
There is no I in team

Presented by: Michael Badali

Change Implementation Practices

Process Changes
Reorganization of work
centers/work-flow
Cellular design

Results

Decreased walking/travel
Decreased fatigue
Improved productivity
Improved morale

Presented by: Michael Badali

Key Takeaways
Change in ownership has not tarnished family-oriented culture
Internal communication can be improved, but employees are happy
and PROUD of their employer and their work
Employees are empowered with decision-making abilities and
afforded an autonomous work environment
Ididit, Inc. is a wonderful example of successful change
Presented by: Melissa Sheldon

References
Barker, R.T. & Camarata, M. R. (1998). The role of communication in creating and maintaining a learning organization:
Preconditions, indicators, and disciplines. Journal of Business Communication, 35(4), 443-467.
doi:10.1177/002194369803500402
Dubrin, A. J. (2014). Leadership: Research findings, practice, and skills. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Groysberg, B. & Slind, M. (2012). Leadership is a conversation. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from
https://hbr.org/2012/06/leadership-is-a-conversation
Ididit, Inc. (2016, November 18). Ididit Inc. Home Page. Retrieved from http://www.ididitinc.com/
Kathuria, R., Partovi, F.Y., & Greenhaus, J. H. (2010). Leadership practices, competitive priorities, and manufacturing group
performance. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 30(10), 1080-1105. doi:
2048/10.1108/01443571011082535
Minter, R. L. (2010). Organizational communication audits: Assessing core communication competencies within the
organization. International Journal of Management & Information Systems (IJMIS), 14(5). doi: 10.19030/ijmis.v14i5.18
Schoemaker, P., Krupp, S., & Howland, S. (2013). Strategic leadership: The essential skills. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved
from https://hbr.org/2013/01/strategic-leadership-the-esssential-skills