Search

Western companies operating in a fast-moving, competitive global environment have largely absorbed the need for less centralized decision-making and greater employee empowerment, recognizing that high-job satisfaction aids productivity and retention. [...]

The industrialization program of Telford in the West Midlands, is an interesting case study in the transplantation of management and technology. The investments of Japan in Telford found an early environment receptive to their technology and management practices, but was soon awakened to the social realities that confront UK workers, especially in their upbringing in terms of labor relations. The resulting high turnover and abseenteeism forced many of the Japanese firms to adopt some form of management leniency to rationalize the investments.

The involvement of employees enabled Superdrug, a UK drug store chain, to formulate a mission statement that everyone in the company could relate to and live by on a daily basis. The company started by cascading the core characteristics of its business mission and followed up through a competition seeking entries from employees. The winning statement was then disseminated companywide and employee commitment was reinforced through action contracts. Superdrug is further strengthening its mission statement program through a campaign that uses all internal communication channels., Health and beauty retailer Superdrug was so determined that its mission statement would be something everyone in the business could relate to and learn to live by day-to-day, that it [...]