Slade Plating Case Analysis
After reading the Slade Plating case our group sat down to discuss how we felt about the whole situation. We analyzed the case as a whole and then split it up into different sections. We were guided into finding two emerging systems that were present in the Plating Room. We found that the two emerging systems were the card punching system and the obvious subgroups. Furthermore we were asked to try and analyze the situation and give Ralph Porter some advice on how to handle the situation. We analyzed the situation as best we could and came to some progressive conclusions.
In the Slade Plating case, there are two obvious emergent systems within the company. The first one is the time card system that Tony Sarto’s group has created where a few of them are punching the time cards of their co-workers who were leaving early. Each member of the Sarto group would take a turn staying late, usually just once a week, and punch the time cards of the remaining group members allowing them to leave early but still receive the extra pay. In addition, if a group member was going to be late to work, the group would punch their time card so it appeared as if they had been there on time. With this emergent system, the Sarto group established several norms. Primarily, each member understood that they would all take a turn staying late to punch the time cards. Secondly, group members were aware that they must give prior notice if they expected to be late to work and that they must be in before 8:00 a.m. in order for someone to punch them in.
The second emergent system at Slade is the formation of subgroups. Subgroups are often inevitable as people are more likely to want to associate with a gro ...