Faculty of Business, Economics & Accounting
Department of Business Studies
HELP Bachelor of Business (Hons) Year 1
HELP Bachelor of Management (Hons) Year 1
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT
Semester 1, 2014
Subject:
MGT 101
Principles of Management
Lecturer/Tutor: Puan Norzan Abdullah
Telephone: 03-2095 8791
Fax: 03-2095 7063
Email: norzana@help.edu.my
MGT101: PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
SEMESTER 1 – 2014
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT (10% of total assessment)
ASSESSMENT DETAILS
CASE STUDY: ACME MINERALS EXTRACTION COMPANY
Several years ago, Acme Minerals Extraction Company introduced teams in an effort to solve
morale and productivity problems as its Wichita plant. Acme used highly sophisticated
technology, employing geologists, geophysicists, and engineers on what was referred to as the
“brains” side of the business, as well as skilled and semi-skilled labour on the “brawn” side to
run the company’s underground extracting operations. The two sides regularly clashed, and
when some engineers locked several operation workers out of the office in 100-degree heat, the
local press had a field day. The company hired Suzanne Howard to develop a programme that
would improve productivity and morale at the Wichita plant. The idea was that it would then be
implemented at other Acme sites.
Howard had a stroke of luck in the form of Donald Peterson, a long-time Acme employee who
was highly respected at the Wichita plant and was looking for one final challenging project
before he retired. Peterson had served in just about every possible line and staff position at Acme
over his 39-year career, and he understood the problems workers faced on both the brains and the
brawn sides of the business. Howard was pleased when Peterson agreed to serve as a leader
for the Wichita pilot project. Three functional groups at the Wichita plant included operations,
made up primarily of hourly workers who operated and maintained the extracting equipment;
the “below ground”...