Aluminum Elements Corporation

SUMMARY

The case starts with the narrator talking about his experience with the company Aluminum Elements Corporation (AEC). He had encountered different issues concerning the management and the floor employees and was also faced with the problem that a good employee, who works on a crucial operation, is planning to quit the company.

Characters

George is the Vice President of the AEC and relays messages to the floor employees with memos.

Main Character (Narrator) talks about his experience with AEC and describes the company’s culture and the people in it. He tried to approach the floor employees and after 5 months, became the messenger for the office to the shop floor communication.

John works at the Aluminum Slitter, a crucial operation required before any other operations could commence. In the latter part of the case, he came into the office and was ready to quit due to miscommunication.

Tony is a floor employee that works beside John and is complaining about the management and is also described as someone who offends Office Staff with his language

Lesley is recently hired engineer from Russia

Main Issues or Problems

Management held daily meetings, in which various production issues were discussed. No one from the shop floor was invited to the meeting unless there was a specific problem.

Management had separate washrooms, separate lunchrooms, and other perks that floor employees did not have.

Most of the floor employees felt that management did not really had anything to learn from the floor employees.

George, the vice president of the company, sends memos, which are over 2 pages in length, to John, who worked at the crucial operation required before any other operations can commence. Problems with memos this long are that it may result to ambiguous languages and are sometimes, not read.

Floor employees feel that the management only cared about the schedules and not at the people working with the company.

Employees are not accustomed to management...