Attaining Organizational Alignment Between Top-Down Directives and Shop Floor Initiatives, A Case Study at a Manufacturing Plant

Abstract

To achieve company goals, the top strategies should align with shop floor activities. In a large global organization, it is hard to align thousands of people to get them to act in accordance with the same values and goals. This study investigated the main hinders and enablers by conducting a case study at a manufacturing plant of a global company. The methods included analyzing key performance indicators, behaviors, and point of view of employees at all levels of the plant organization. This study unveiled cultural clashes in an ongoing leadership shift that has led to a misalignment of expectations and inconsistencies of the way of working. There exist several best practices in the plant that are in accordance with existing research within cultural change and innovation, but to spread them and get the changes to stick, the organization must be aligned.