Riordan Manufacturing
Employee motivation is an issue that does not discriminate. Organizations of all sizes wrestle with it, and those who don't are at a disadvantage, faced with lower job satisfaction and increased turnover. In the past ten years, several factors have developed that further complicate the issue. Organizational strategy factors, such as desire to increase innovation, recognize the value of teamwork, and reach new customers with new products have come into play. But simple things like how to equally reward and motivate employees with different needs also deserve consideration.
The latter is particularly true in manufacturing companies -- especially high-tech ones -- with a broad range of employees with myriad motivational needs. A typical manufacturing firm employs manual laborers, skilled trades, administrators, professionals, technical employees, sales and managerial staff. Usually, these workers represent multiple educational backgrounds, generations, ethnicities and family situations. How well the organization addresses these differences can mean the difference between an energized, productive workforce and a lethargic, non-productive one.
Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics producer employing 550 people with projected annual earnings of $46 million. The company is wholly owned by Riordan Industries, a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion. Production is divided among three plants: plastic beverage containers in Albany, Georgia; custom plastic parts in Pontiac, Michigan; and plastic fan parts in Hangzhou, China. Research and Development is conducted at corporate headquarters in San Jose, California. Riordan's major customers are automotive parts manufacturers, aircraft manufacturers, the Department of Defense, beverage makers and bottlers, and appliance manufacturers.
Recently, Riordan made several strategic changes in the way it manufactures and markets its products. Declining sales and...
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