...CRANEFIELD COLLEGE OF PROJECT AND PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT MODULE 2 CASE: “The NoGo Railroad” DECLARATION “I hereby declare that this assignment is entirely my own work, and that it has not previously been submitted to any other Higher Education Institution. I also declare that all published and unpublished sources have been fully acknowledged and properly referenced. This includes figures, tables and exhibits. Where modified by me, this has also been indicated.” CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2. FINDINGS 3.1. About Dave Keller 3.2. The Temporary Position Issue 3.3. The Company Mission/Vision or Core Value 3.4. Outcomes, KPI’s and Goals 3.5. The Project Budget and Time Constraint 3.6. The Authority, Accountability and Responsibility Issue 3.7. Bound by Contract 3.8. Old Practises 3.9. Upskilling 3.10. The Human Resource Dilemma 3.11. The Morale Issue 3.12. Featherbedding and Nepotism 3.13. Top Management Support 3.14. The Transformation 3. RECOMMENDATIONS 4.15. About Dave Keller 4.16. The Temporary Position Issue 4.17. The Company Mission/Vision or Core Value 4.18. Outcomes, KPI’s and Goals 4.19. The Project Budget and Time Constraint 4.20. The Authority, Accountability and Responsibility Issue 4.21. Bound by Contract 4.22. Old Practises 4.23. Upskilling 4.24...
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...Overview This case explains the problems NOGO RAILROAD faced when they tried to implement organizational change to increase their efficiency and stay afloat in their economy. Problems Macro: 1. One of the major issues NOGO faced was that workers did not accept the changes the organization was trying to implement on them. For example, assigning additional duties to workers so that they may not sit idle most of the time. 2. Another issue they faced was the financial cost of paying so many workers, even though most of them didn’t work at all. In other word there was an overabundance of clerks without enough work to keep them all busy. Micro: 1. The clerks were mostly women and their contract stated that they could not be sent for more than 30 miles away from home for assignments. In rural districts, this led to having a large of clerks who could not cover for vacations and emergencies. 2. The telegraph operators could be sent anywhere, but could only replace telegraph operators. Clerks could only replace other clerks. It was not uncommon during major derailments for telegraph operators to be hundreds of miles from their home, on overtime, living on expenses paid by the railroad, yet working next to clerks having nothing to do. Causes 1. The morale problem had been created by a recruitment process which traditionally favored the hiring of relatives, nepotism. Resistance to change this was high, especially when the cooperation could result in loss of employment for one or...
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...CASE NO. 1 NOGO RAILROAD NOGO RAILROAD CASE ANALYSIS FORM I. PROBLEM Dave Keller, the new Communications Manager, has seek for external perspective on how to address the challenges in Nogo Railroad. After hearing the facts from Dave, we have identified the problem is “How will Nogo Railroad effectively address its employees’ concerns that will bring about a reduction in labor expense?” There are Macro and Micro Level problems to be considered. When these are effectively addressed, Nogo Railroad may be able to resolve problem mentioned earlier. A. MACRO 1. Innovation and Modernization. The company lacks the desire to innovate and modernize operations which tolerated inefficient and ineffective processes or practices. It is not a surprise to see Nepotism and Featherbedding. 2. Union Contracts. Poor negotiation of union contracts has left the company with liabilities. Changing the job description to make it relevant to times, is a restricted/limited by these outdated contracts. 3. Culture towards change. Resistance to change is not only prevalent in its employees. This also transcends in management (see problem#1). The leaders should embrace change and support its employees affected by the change. B. MICRO 1. Personal Doubts. The apprehension felt by Dave Keller needs to be address. His concerns towards his promotion and purpose should be resolved by Allan Yates. The new Communications Manager will only be effective if his...
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...Case Analysis: The NoGo Railroad Teresa Arana Table of Contents Problems………………………………………………………………………………………..4 Macro……………………………………………………………………………………4 Micro ……………………………………………………………………………………4 Causes….. ………………………………………………………………………………………5 Systems Affected .………………………………………………………………………………5 Goals and Values Subsystem……………………………………………………………5 Technical Subsystem……………………………………………………………………6 Structural Subsystem…………………………………………………………………….6 Psychosocial Subsystem…………………………………………………………………6 Managerial Subsystem…………………………………………………………………...6 Alternatives………………………………………………………………………………………7 Recommendation…………………………………………………………………………………7 References …………………………………………………………………………………….....9 Dave Keller has requested outside consultation to aid him with his new position as communication manager of the division. Mr. Keller has limited managerial experience, but has researched his main challenges in his new position at NoGo Railroad. NoGo Railroad “serves remote and mountainous areas and hauls primarily timber, coal, potash, and phospohorous” (Brown, 2011, p. 56). Its issues are not new, and Mr. Keller has been placed in the new position so that he can address all the challenges. Problems Macro The case of the NoGo Railroad has issues that are affecting different levels of employment in the organization, from employees to management. NoGo railroad has two main issues that must be addressed in order to reduce expenses and improve the attitude of employees: create a better...
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...As I slowly opened my eyes it had felt like I had awoken from a dream, a pleasant dream where there were no wrongs, sins or problems. But something wasn’t right about this morning, something was different. When the fuzziness in my eyes gradually began to clear up I realized it wasn’t morning and I hadn’t woken up from a dream. Like in a silent movie there was utter chaos surrounding my heavy body lying on one of the sides of a tilted rail car. I couldn’t comprehend what was going on because the piercing sound of silence followed by a sharp ringing echo in my head. I tried to blink a small number of times to try to start my brain up again. “Where am I? What had just happened?” I checked my body for wounds or blood but thankfully all I found were a couple scrapes on my head. The railcar I was lying in had almost split in half. Within the wreckage there was blood and bodies intertwined between pieces of metal. It became almost too much to bear when I could finally comprehend the screams and moans of the badly injured As I analyzed my immediate surroundings I pieced together the smell of something burning, shredded metal, blood and body parts and crushed railway car in the conclusion that I had been in a train crash. It was a cold February night and I was on a train headed to Bay Shore with my daughter Rita. The car rattled and squeaked under the heavy pressure of the full train. The car was surprisingly crowded for ten in the evening. I gripped the back of the seat in front of me...
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...Managerial Accounting 20 May 2012 AC 505 Case Study II: A. Break-even point in passengers and revenues per month = 35,000; $5,600,000 1) Per Passenger Sales $160 Variable Expenses 70 Unit Contribution Margin $90 Fixed expenses ÷ Unit CM = $3,150,000 ÷ 90 = 35,000 passengers in break-even point 2) Contribution Margin Ratio (CM Ratio) = Contribution Margin ÷ Selling Price = $90 ÷ $160 = .5625 Break-even point in dollars = Fixed costs ÷ CM Ratio = $3,150,000 ÷ .5625 = $5,600,000 B. Break-even point in number of passenger train cars per month = 556 Number of seats per train car = Average load factor × Number of seats per train car = .70 × 90 = 63 passengers per train on average Passengers in break-even point ÷ Number of seats per passenger train = Number of passenger train cars per month to break-even 35,000 ÷ 63 = 555.5 or 556 train cars C. Monthly break-even point in number of passenger cars when fare is raised to $190 = 486 Number of seats per train car = Average load factor × Number of seats per train = .60 × 90 = 54 passengers per train on average Per Unit Sales $190 Variable Expenses 70 Unit Contribution Margin $120 Fixed Expenses ÷ Contribution Margin = $3,150,000 ÷ $120 = 26,250 passengers to break even Break-even point in passengers ÷ average passengers per train = Break-even point in train cars = 26,250 ÷ 54 = 486.11 or 486 train cars to break-even D. Break-even point in passengers...
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...I am Lucy, a fourteen year old slave girl who is going to escape slavery. Let's start on my journey to escaping as a slave. I lived on the King Plantation in Kentucky. The owners had to sell the us at a slave auction because plantation was in bankruptcy. I did not want to get sold at the auction. Before I ran away, I stole some food from the slave and plantation garden in the middle of the night and then I ran. When I ran away from the plantation one night, I had to be careful not to be spotted by a patroller on the backroad. I had to overcome some obstacles on my runaway journey. I had to steal a boat to sneak across the river. On my escape, I did not stop to help someone or ask for help with my journey, I did not want to risk being caught....
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... Everyone has character traits, whether it be nice,funny,confident,bold,shy or just plain stupid. Harriet Tubman has three main character traits and more.These played huge roles for her to escape the evilness of slavery.These traits are bravery, courageous, and confident.Less talk let’s write. Let’s begin with being confident.Harriet was confident about moving on.Yes she doubted herself ‘cause that’s a natural born trait everyone has but did it stop her from going up North,no it didn’t ‘cause she made it up North and helped other slaves get there too.She was confident in everything she did.She was confident in her work, escaping,and a very huge thing, she brung her confident self back to help others be free.Harriet Tubman was a confident hard working lady. Harriet Tubman had courage.That is known today as “guts”. Everyone has guts but Harriet Tubman had”guts”.Harriet was born a leader with a lot of courage,how? What normal person goes into a long and scary woods alone to get to the land of the free AND come back to free others from the harshness of slavery.That takes courage,good leadership,bravery and a very huge heart.Now for the real deal trait of Harriet Tubman. Last but the main trait bravery.BRAVERY.Harriet was beyond brave on her journey’s.You would have to be brave to sleep in the woods for nights,you would have to be brave to make such an escape,you would have to be brave to come back to that scary harsh plantation to risk your...
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...In the autobiography, Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton, events in Harriet Tubman’s life are highlighted throughout and the legacy she left. From when she was born in Maryland around 1820, up to when she was referred to as a powerful spirit on her deathbed. So many events are highlighted in Harriet’s life such as her escape from slavery, helping others escape, and helping her family out as well. Throughout Harriet Tubman’s life, she showed her heart to help others and showed great strength and bravery during the time she worked on the Underground Railroad. In the biography, Tubman’s life showed her heart for others in need throughout her life. One example of her heart for others is when she went back for her family...
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...Many people admire is Harriet Tubman for helping many people to freedom. The life of hero Harriet Tubman had struggles and hard times. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery around 1820 in Maryland, she was one of nine siblings. In 1849 Harriet's owner fell ill and later died, she saw this as her chance to escape. She traveled nearly 90 miles on the underground railroad rather than continuing to live her life in the north, Harriet made it her mission to help her family to freedom.Harriet not only rescued her family from slavery but also rescued hundreds of other slaves.In the few years Harriet was working on the underground railroad she earned the nickname "Moses" and became the most famous "Conductor".When Harriet decided she was done being a conductor of the underground railroad she had rescued her parents, several siblings, and about 60 other slaves. After Harriet rescued her family from slavery she served as a nurse, scout, and spy for union government during the...
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...Summer Wyatt American Lit. Period 7 Mrs. Keller Most nights I cried as a little girl, your home is supposed to be a safe place. However, my home was more like a prison; I came from an abusive home. Growing up I saw things that even most adults don’t see. When Child Services would come, my brothers and sisters and I were too scared to say anything so we just didn’t say anything. However, when my older brother and older sister moved out, along with my stepfather , the abuse stopped. I thought the terrible things I had seen as a child, I would never have to see again, but what happened next I would have never guessed. On February 19, 2012 my mom punched me in the face, she took everything good I had in my heart and destroyed it. I called the cops, child services, but they all believed my mom that I was just a bad kid. The next Sunday after I went to my dad’s, I came home and was forced to my room. That night my mom said she was going to put bars on my window, so the next time she hits me I can’t run and call the cops. So that night when everyone was sleeping I ran away. I was gone for 52 days , I was so scared that my mom would find me. Nobody will ever understand what I went through. Some hardships African Americans faced on a daily basis was malnourishment, disrespect and having to do, the responsibilities of the owners of the house. My mother would tell us she owned us, this was so similar to the slaves. They were human beings being treated like animals. Their rights...
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...The Resilience of the Railroad Industry Lindsay Millar, Jessica Settlecowski & Mike Gawel MGT 674 March 23, 2013 The history and resilience of the railway industry is rather remarkable as it has helped shape the landscape and the formation of the United States. Railways allowed colonies to settle in the West and the country suddenly became connected from coast to coast. This encouraged the exchange of goods and stimulated the development of towns and communities along track lines. Soldiers were shipped directly to the forefront of battleground lines and supplied with a constant flow of ammunition. Most importantly, trains were the steam engine that fueled the industrial revolution. The railway industry’s history is rich with experience and wise with age, as it has survived many seemingly insurmountable obstacles, including: the Great Depression, civil war, the advent of automobiles and airplanes and federal regulation. Federal regulation took the largest toll on the industry as it restricted the ability of the industry to adapt to future demands and market requirements. The growth of rail was stunted by 100 years of federal regulation and since the Staggers Act of 1980 which led to deregulation, the industry has been struggling to recover. After the implementation of the Staggers Act the industry has undergone serious reconstruction which has increased the overall performance and reliability of rail. As service levels improve the demand for low rates and large capacity...
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...Trinity Industries Trinity Industries Inc., today is a diversified industrial company providing various products and services to a multitude of different business sectors. The company as we know it today, began in 1933 when C.J. Bender founded Trinity Steel. Trinity Steel was a manufacturer of butane tanks. In 1958 Trinity Steel merged with Dallas Tank Company to form Trinity Industries. The first President and CEO of Trinity Industries was Ray Wallace, who worked for Trinity Steel at the time of the merge. From inception Trinity Industries has been driven to be at the top of the markets it operates in, and today this remains the goal. Trinity Industries Inc. Trinity Industries Inc. Trinity Industries is “divided” into five different business segments, the Rail Group, Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group, Construction Products Group, Energy Equipment Group and the Inland Barge Group. Each segment specializes in providing different products and services. Within each business segment Trinity owns and operates numerous businesses. Inland Barge Manufactures inland barges and fiberglass barge covers Inland Barge Manufactures inland barges and fiberglass barge covers Energy Equipment Manufactures multiple products including wind towers and utility steel structures Energy Equipment Manufactures multiple products including wind towers and utility steel structures Construction Products Manufactures highway products and other steel products Construction Products ...
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...stockbrokers around 1886. Jay Gould was born in Roxbury, New York in 1836. Gould started buying stock in 1859. His first investments were in small railways. James (Jim) Fisk was born in 1835. Jim was also known as “Big Jim”, “Jubilee Jim”, and “Diamond Jim”. When Jim was younger he ran away from school and joined a circus. Jim had many occupations before becoming a stockbroker. Gould and Fisk worked together in a great scheme. Gould and Fisk were important factors in the “Erie Railroad War”. If it wasn’t for what they did, the railroad might have ended up belonging to Cornelius Vanderbilt, a successful railroad owner and the richest man alive at the time. Gould and Fisk issued illegal shares and put them into the market. Vanderbilt was buying all of the stocks to put himself into control of the Erie Railroad. What Vanderbilt did not know was that Gould and Fisk would just keep producing the stock certificates, taking Vanderbilt’s money. Vanderbilt was not actually gaining any control of the Erie Railroad because the stick was “Watered down” by Gould and Fisk. Eventually it was brought to the public what was happening. When citations were issued to the men, they ran and hid. Even though he was scammed and did not acquire the Erie, Vanderbilt was still the richest man in America at the time. Another Scandal that both Gould and Fisk were involved in was Black Friday. Black Friday occurred on September 24, 1869. On this date the U.S. gold market collapsed. Fisk and Gould figured...
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...are working for you this summer, doing whatever you need done (sweeping up, sandblasting the inside of boilers that are down for maintenance, running errands, and so forth). You walk them across the plant to a field where the company stores scrap metal. The area, about the size of a football field, is stacked with organized piles of metal. You explain that everything they see has just been sold. Metal prices, which have been depressed, have finally risen enough that the company can earn a small profit by selling its scrap. You point out that railroad tracks divide the field into parallel sectors, like the lines on a football field, so that each stack of metal is no more than 15 feet from a track. Each stack contains 390 pieces of metal. Each piece weighs 92 pounds and is about a yard long and just over 4 inches high and 4 inches wide. You tell the students that, working as a team, they are to pick up each piece, walk up a ramp to a railroad car that will be positioned next to each stack, and then neatly position and stack the metal for shipment. That’s right, you repeat, 92 pounds, walk up the ramp, and carry the metal onto the rail car. Anticipating their questions, you explain that a forklift could be used only if the metal were stored on wooden pallets (it isn’t); if the pallets could withstand the weight of the metal (they would be crushed); and if you, as their supervisor, had forklifts and people trained to run them (you don’t). In other words, the only way to get the metal...
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