Two construction companies were vying for market sharedominance. Company A embraced total quality, whereas company B didnot. After an initial transition created by various changeinitiatives, during which company A lost some of their employeesbecause of the quality initiative, a period of equilibrium andgrowth ensued. Customer were surveyed, employees were trained, andteam began working on customer value and satisfaction improvements.At first company B was not concerned with company A ActuallyCompany B hired the former employees from company A and watched ascompany A’s employees talked to customers and spent theiroff-season conducting employee training and forming problem andproject teams However things changed. Company B began losingcustomers, to its rival, and they were replaced with othercustomers who had strained credit and multiple grievances. Inaddition, some of Company B’s finest employees left Company Adespite promises of higher salaries and future bonuses. Company Bdecided to mimic Company A’s quality program by hiring an outsideconsultant. Time was spent advertising for and screening anappropriate consultant. The consultant was empowered to lead theprogram, with the blessing and support of the owner and president.The consultant met with the executive team and later with theemployees and laid out the vision for the new quality program. Thisincluded training all employees in the concept and principle oftotal quality. Shortly with after the training sessions ended,teams were assembled with specific issues to solve. Meanwhile,valuable of- seasons time was expended, and the new constructionseasons was drawing near. The new season meant employee workloadsincreased, which in turn required more employee work hours. Profitopportunities quickly replaced quality meetings and employees wereleft angry and confused. The initial hope of more involvement withwork activities, netter contact with customers, and increasedcommunications was replaced with frustration and cynicism. Beforemuch could be done, the new construction season was in full swing.Later, as Company B’s construction season came to end, theconsultant had difficulty finding volunteers to staff the qualityteams. Conscripts were found, and teams resumed their work. Teammeetings were plagued with personal attacks, finger pointing andconflict. Employees were threatened and some times fired before thewhole quality program was solved. What went wrong? Why couldn’tcompany B mimic company A’s apparent success with quality? Whatmight you have done differently?
