DGL INTERNATIONAL

I. Summary:

DGL International brought in John Terrill to manage its Technical Services Division. This division, with 20 engineers, was the highest paid, best-educated, and least-productive division. His job is to turn this division into a productive one. He called a meeting and asked the engineers what was the problem. He found out that the employees were not satisfied with the jobs assigned to them. They spent almost half of their time writing asinine reports in triplicate for top managers and no one would read them. He promised the engineers that he will take the top managers off their backs. He ordered that all reports be turned to his office daily rather than mailed to the headquarters. By month’s end, the stack was nearly three feet high. Finally, a secretary from finance asked for the monthly travel and expense report. The next morning Terrill entered the president’s office and placed the stack of reports on his desk. The president and other senior executives looked bewildered. He told the top management that those reports were the reason why his department lacks productivity. He suggested that engineers’ time must be used in a more productive manner and one brief monthly report will satisfy the needs of other departments.

II. Statement of the Problem

The Technical Services Division of DGL International was the highest paid, best-educated, but it was the least-productive division in the company.

Problems 1. Employees were not satisfied with the jobs assigned to them. 2. Engineers spent half of their time writing reports and no one would read them.
Alternatives / Remedies/ Solutions 1. Show great concern for their personal welfare. Ask them what their problem is and help them in the best way that you can. 2. Use the engineers’ time in a more productive