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Essay on Banana Time Case

Decent Essays

BANANA TIME CASE

This case deals specifically with the members of the "clicking" workgroup. The problem appears to be a total lack of supervision and management oversight as the work location is completely isolated from other areas of the shop floor. This lack of supervision has led to a number of concerns. Specifically, the issues of horseplay, extended breaks and operator disruptions, which all lead to a loss of production, are clearly visible during daily operations. These problems, while on the surface may seem trivial, the loss of production and absence of concern for operator safety need to be addressed. If the working group throughput quota is being met, some leniency could be afforded for the extended breaks and operator …show more content…

Third, because the work is not mentally stimulating or challenging, it is recommended that workspace modification be made. These could include additional or improved natural lighting, as well as the introduction of music. A radio could provide enough mental stimulation that would help keep the operators focused on the "clicking" operation, while also reducing the amount of verbal conversations and discourses on various subjects. Of course, this brings new issues which include; musical preferences of each operator may be significantly different.

Because George is the team lead, he should be responsible for maintaining proper behavior of the operators of the equipment, as well as, adhering to the guidelines for the appropriate length of work breaks. If this means the enforcement of existing, or the development of new policies, George's roles and responsibilities should be explicitly defined to include this task. If he is not fulfilling these duties, he should be coached in private so that he understands the importance of maintaining professional mannerisms around the dangerous "clicking" equipment.

Finally, the issue of the operators being overqualified is a serious problem to consider. Solutions to this problem could include rotational assignments outside the "clicking" group to provide some variety in work being performed. Some benefits of rotating employees through the

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