Reading Assignment:

Download and read Chapter 4 in Essentials of Quality With Cases and Experiential Exercises.  Review the Discussion Questions at the end of the chapter to be sure that you understand what you have read.

Employees can be a source of competitive advantage or disadvantage. An organization must recognize the importance of its human resources to its success.  This must extend far beyond mere lip service.  Many companies say that their employees are their greatest asset--fewer companies act that way.  Employees can be an extraordinary source of creative ideas for improving the performance of the organization--but only if the organization works to unleash the creativity that exists within each employee.

Thought provoking question:  How do the ideas of Robinson and Stern, discussed in the presentation accompanying this lesson, compare with Deming's philosophy?  Do some of Deming's points relate to some of Robinson and Stern's six essential elements?

Robinson and Stern's first element, alignment, is essential in any participative management program.  All employees must understand what the goals and objectives of the organization are and how their work can help to accomplish those goals and objectives.  Consider the example of the Disney organization.  Ask one of the employees emptying the trash at a Disney theme park to describe their job and they will say something like "My job is to ensure that our patrons have an enjoyable time here by making sure that the area is clean."  Ask an employee performing the same function in many other organizations and they might reply "My job is to empty the trash between 6:00 and 9:00 PM every day."  Which employee is aligned with their organization's goals?  How would an employee at your company respond?

Planning is a central management role in any organization. Many organizations involve all their employees in the planning process. It is essential that plans, once formulated, be communicated effectively throughout the organization and employees motivated to help the organization achieve its goals.  Otherwise, how can you expect employees to be aligned?

Increasingly, organizations are including their suppliers and customers in their planning process.  The supply chain concept includes suppliers, their suppliers, etc.; direct customers, ultimate customers as part of our organization's system.  Even if we sell to distributors, the wholesalers, retailers, and ultimate customers who receive our products and services are part of our supply chain.  The suppliers who supply our suppliers are part of our supply chain.  Thus, suppliers and customers are part of our quality system.  Mismanagement of the selection and management of suppliers and inattention to customers can seriously inhibit an organization's ability to achieve its quality goals.

Answer Discussion Questions 1-14 at the end of Chapter 4 of the text.  Do not submit these for  grading.  Address any confusion you have about a question via e-mail to the instructor.

Do Case Study 4.1, Smallburg Community Bank, at the end of Chapter 4 of the text.

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