Struggling with solutions; a case study of using organisation concepts

Abstract

Engineers contribute to the constant flow of new tools and organisation concepts. These tend to be presented as solutions to existing organisational problems. These solutions may become problems themselves, however. We present a longitudinal case of how a truck manufacturer struggled with various similar and dissimilar concepts in realising organisational changes. Whilst it may seem idiosyncratic, the company's struggles are probably typical for organisational change praxis. Reflecting on the case, we present a model to help practitioners reflect on their use of concepts and tools (thereby arguably contributing to the issue we signal).

Keywords:

• organisation concepts
• self-managing teams
• human factors
• work organisation
• lean manufacturing
• teamwork
• world class manufacturing
• management fashion

Acknowledgement

We are indebted to the reviewers and Jurriaan Nijholt for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper.