FMC Corporation is a Chicago-based conglomerate that consists of over five major businesses. Aberdeen and Green River are both plants that work under FMC Corporation. These two businesses work in two separate industries – defense and chemicals, respectively. Unfortunately, the industries are not the only differences to consider. Both locations have operated with different management styles, leading to differences in organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and organizational ethics, as outlined below.
The management of ability can be looked at from many aspects including management style. Bob Lancaster founded the Aberdeen plant based on the beliefs of participative-management and empowerment to its employees. Managers who use the participatory style of management believe that the worker can make a contribution to the design of their own work. These managers engage the workers by establishing and communicating the purpose and direction of the organization, developing a shared vision of what the organization should be and the plan to get there. Essentially, the manager takes on the role of leader and is also a coach (Quality America, 2008). Lancaster based his system on the principle of trust, involving self-directing work teams that would eliminate fear from among all employees. He wanted to hire people who were dedicated to serving the customer, who were open to new ideas, who had a history of participative management interests, and those who were willing and eager to create something new (Clawson, 2005, p. 4). Once hired, each employee was placed on a team that managed virtually every aspect of the plant’s work and reporting. This resulted in highly motivated employees th ...