Introduction
Black & Decker is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of power tools and accessories, hardware and home improvement products, and technology-based fastening systems; employed 27,200 worldwide in 2005. (Source from Black & Decker Homepage). In the 1980s, the company was struggling. Profit were down, and expenses were high. Management was unproductive and was characterized by some analysts as lazy. Production budgets were bloated. The company needed a new vision and find ways to get employees involved in the decision-making process.
Following the reduction in management levels, Black & Decker leaders introduced a program called Everyone Counts that uses teams to brainstorm and develop ideas about training, communication, administration and rewards. People from different departments were grouped into teams, and evaluation committees for managerial personnel were named to receive ideas and judge their merit. The approved ideas to be implemented dealt mostly with improved operations that resulted in cost savings. The program also improved upward lines of communication in the company.
In this paper, I will use the ¡§Group Behaviour Model¡¨ to explain the success of Everyone Counts in Black and Decker.
Group Behaviour Model
A group¡¦s performance and satisfaction is determined by five variables. First, a group is influenced by the larger organisation of which it is a part. Second, a group¡¦s potential level of performance depends to a large extent on the resources that its members individually bring to the group. Third, there is a group structure that shapes the behaviour of members. Fourth, there are internal processes within the group that aid and hinder interaction and the ability of the group to perform. Fina ...