Self Assessment

Table of Contents

I. Introduction

II. Assessments

            a. Decision-Making Style

            b. Creativity Quotient

            c. Personality Type

            d. A/B Scale

            e. Emotional Intelligence

            f. Flexibility

            g. Leadership Style

            h. Corporate Cultural Preference Scale

            i. Perspective

            j. Communication

III. Self-Reflection

IV. Summation

       Participation in a self-assessment analysis can be a good way to gain insight to a person’s strengths and weaknesses.  This self-assessment test had a total of 18 areas that I could choose to explore further about myself and I explored a total of 10 areas. The areas that I chose were preferred decision-making, creativity quotient, personality type, type A/B scale, emotional intelligence, flexibility, leadership, corporate culture preference, and communication style.  The areas that I did not choose were listening skills, appreciating and valuing diversity, ethical decision making, leader-member exchange, career planning, organizational structure, team role preferences, and conflict-handling style.

       The first self-assessment I chose was preferred decision-making style. I was curious about myself and wondered what category would apply to me. The four major decision making styles are directive, conceptual, analytical, and behavioral.  The literature points out that people predominantly use one style, but do switch styles depending upon the situation.  My dominant style was analytical. The characteristics of an analytical decision-making style are: focusing on tasks and technical problems, taking a logical approach, considering every aspect of a given problem, acquiring information by careful analysis, using a large amount of data, evaluating information through abstract thinking, avoiding incomplete data, having a high tolerance for ambiguity, and is innovative in solving problems. Other skills are being intellectual, wanting control, impersonal social orientation, skilled in organizing and establishing facts, completes tasks by applying analysis and detailed plans, motivated by complex situations with variety and challenge, and wants predictable outcomes (Analytical Decision-Making Style).

        People’s impressions towards a person who has an analytical decision-making style vary. Some think that they are dogmatic, over controlling, too careful, abstract, mathematical, and too slow. I have to say that I do recognize myself in this style most of the time. I can be very focused on tasks and I try to take a logical approach, analyzing every aspect of the problem. I frequently use problem-solving techniques by devising a pros and cons list to help sort out decisions. This is where I use my skill to establish and organize the facts. Many times I will seek out assistance to help me connect the dots in my brain because it sometimes can be difficult for me to process. Once I grasp a concept it is firm in my mind, but it may take several practices to incorporate.  I have difficulty taking learned responses from past experiences and applying it to new situations. A large amount of data can overwhelm me and I dislike technical problems. Technical problems can be time consuming and frustrating but I may include seeking others to help me problem solve the technical glitch.

        I agree that I do not have a high tolerance for ambiguity. Ambiguity can be very confusing for me and I lose sight of my goal.  This can be difficult for me to deal with because I do want predictable outcomes. I do like detailed plans and I have found in the past the clearer the directions of what is to be accomplished, the better job I can do. I do not consider myself mathematical and I am slower because it takes me longer to process. I do consider myself intelligent, but at the same time I like control. I have historically disliked group projects, felt a loss of control, and preferred to work alone, but with practice I have found that a team approach can work for me. I become less stressed when I have someone to bounce ideas with, and someone else to share in the work load. I can appear to be impersonal in my social orientation because I am focused on the task at hand. However I do care about others and their feelings. I know that others could consider me dogmatic because I express my opinion and I am firm in my convictions.

        The second assessment I chose was assessing creativity quotient. I chose this area because I have always been told by others that I think creatively and I wanted to know if this actually was the case. Creative people can be viewed by others as critical of new ideas and judgmental, staying in their own comfort zone and not being satisfied with the way things have always been done and seek change because they do not like to conform. Research indicates that the majorities of people are right-brain thinkers and under-develop their left-brain which is known for developing creativity. I feel that I am an unusual case because I am ambidextrous and both sides of my brain have developed.  I did indeed score high on creativity.  Many times I have found that others have difficulty relating to me because of my creative slant on life.  They state that I think “non-traditionally,” daydream frequently and therefore “I beat my own drum” so to speak.  According to Psychology Today, this phenomenon is called “functional fixedness," meaning that people see only the obvious way of looking at a problem. According to Kaufman,                 

           ‘you go out for a walk and you are completely relaxed and at peace. All of a sudden the

            solution to a problem you’ve been thinking about for a while pops into your head? You

            wonder why this answer didn’t come to you earlier. In this moment you've made contact

            with your creative spirit. When this spirit stirs it animates a style of being: a desire to

            innovate, to explore new ways of doing things and to bring dreams into reality. The

            unconscious mind is far more suited to creative insight than the conscious mind. The

            unconscious mind is the storehouse of everything you know, including things you can't

            readily call into awareness. We can uncover things in the unconscious mind when we are

            not thinking of anything in particular. This is the same process of why we can daydream’

I tend to be critical of new ideas can be negative or feel threatened because I desire to stay in my own comfort zone. New ideas can stimulate my feelings of lack of confidence in myself. However, at the same time I feel dissatisfied with the way things have always been done, dislike having to conform and feel that it is ok to change. If I become pressured too much I can feel discouraged and give up too easily.

       The third assessment I chose was assessing how your personality type impacts your goal setting skills and I wondered how my personality may influence my goals. Everyone is motivated by a core motive that determines your behavior, needs, wants, and desires. My core motive color is blue with intimacy. I need to be morally good, to be understood, to be appreciated, and to receive acceptance. I want to reveal my insecurities, to please others, have autonomy, and feel security. As a goal-setter my strengths are: highly disciplined both personally and professionally, receptive to other’s suggestions, strong goals, plan well with details and excellent follow through, and highly intuitive (Morris). My weaknesses are: setting unrealistic expectations on myself and others, easily discouraged with failure, easily frustrated with lack of team cooperation, expect others to understand my goals and make them a priority, and have difficulty with flexibility. According to Evan Carmichael, blue people are deep thinkers, detail focused, very organized, aloof, like to have things in their place, good time managers skills, and able to come to their own conclusions. They take their time at a slower pace, and like to have all the facts. According to Morris, blues do not like disorganization, flippantness, pushy, and vagueness. These characteristics describe me well.

       The fourth assessment I chose was the type A/B scale. I have heard people refer to a type A or B personality, but I really did not understand what that meant. Although no personality is purely an A or B type, they have tendencies to be one type or the other. I scored as a moderate type B scale. According to Michaels, type B characteristics include: the handling of details patiently, less competitiveness, carefully contemplation of issues, low concern for time, approach life in a relaxed manner and does not feel guilty about relaxing, working at a steady pace, and not easily angered. A type B personality is introverted, less concerned with personal status, has fewer friends, but are closer to them as a result, have a more reserved manner, intuitive, value facts, but are open to different interpretations, value emotion, and value possible consequences of decisions.  They are more relaxed when it comes to getting the job done, more at ease of surroundings, less likely to be a victim of stress related diseases, know when to work and when to play and they see value in smelling the roses instead of being a workaholic. I have all of these characteristics except I am not patient, am anxious to interrupt, fail to listen attentively, and I become easily frustrated from waiting.

         The fifth assessment I chose was assessing emotional intelligence. I chose this because I wanted to know how I would score in the areas of self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and social skills. I scored 16/20 on self-awareness. I am usually aware of my emotions/feelings, I like to get out of bad moods as soon as possible and I recognize how my feelings affect my performance and am aware of my own strengths and weaknesses. I scored a 10/20 on self-management. I like to think before I act, I do not bounce back quickly from life setbacks, I deal somewhat well with stress, and I sometimes have trouble restraining from impulses. I scored 16/20 in self-motivation. I am very impatient when I want something, but am very persistent when I go after something I want. I can set measurable goals, but I have a hard time anticipating obstacles to reach my goals.  I scored 13/20 in empathy. I can pick up subtle social cues that may indicate people’s needs or wants. I am terrible at putting myself in other people’s shoes. I usually can accurately read other people’s moods and nonverbal cues, but I have trouble listening attentively to others.

        The sixth assessment I did was flexibility and it is a desired and strong attribute to possess. However I scored 126 points which indicates that I experience considerable stress when my expectations are not met and am inflexible. I lack full confidence and tend to not give myself full credit for accomplishments, I am prone to put off things, and I show inflexibility in relating to others. I can be effective in solving business problems but focus on small detailed factors. I have a low tolerance for ambiguity, rigidity, and prefer everything to be logical and have things fit my perception of how things should flow. I am incapable of quick responses that require rapid or drastic changes in intellectual orientation. I go back and forth searching for the right decision. I make strong demands on myself and I must be punctual and feel uncomfortable breaking appointments. I believe in making sure to plan and schedule activities carefully and I get upset when things do not go as planned. I find it hard to find time to relax, move, walk and I eat rapidly sometimes because I do not like wasting time. I formulate lists to be accomplished, but I frequently get annoyed when people do not keep the plans I have made. It is important to have everything in its place and it annoys me if people do not put things back. I strive for perfection in everything I do and worry a lot. I feel anxious or worried when I have no idea why I am anxious, and I am frequently tense. Strong leaders are flexible and can adapt to any situation. You must develop an ability to balance your vision with the needs and desires of your team. Flexibility is what makes this all a possibility (Bowerman).

        The seventh assessment measured personal stability, productivity, self-management, boundary setting, communication and work quality indicating leadership ability. A characteristic conveying a great leader is communication skills by keeping in touch with the person in the group, and convey their ideas carefully and have good interpersonal skills. Successful entrepreneurs are comfortable relating to other people; they easily create rapport and are more extroverted than they are introverted. These factors help leaders seem approachable, likeable, and comfortable in their position. “Nothing builds a picture of success more than achievement” (Javitch).

        My score was 71 which suggests that I have excellent leadership skills. For personal stability I am honest with myself, positive and upbeat. For productivity I regularly prioritize what I need to get done, and I do not procrastinate on work. For self-management I am always on time and take responsibility for my own actions. Regarding boundary setting I separate my personal life from school and have appropriate boundaries. For communication I communicate my ideas clearly, but I have trouble adjusting to different communication styles. Regarding work quality, I do not get distracted when doing work or projects, and seldom redo work because it is thorough and complete. For teamwork, I do not work well in a group, because I am not people-oriented but rather, results oriented. I care more about my personal success than other people within the group, and do not praise others for doing a good job.

        The eighth assessment was corporate culture preference scale. Employee success is affected by culture. Corporate culture is the total sum of the values, customs, traditions and meanings that make a company unique. Corporate culture is often called “the character of an organization” since it embodies the vision of the company’s founders. The values of a corporate culture influence the ethical standards within a corporation, as well as managerial behavior. Potential employees are attracted to organizations based on their cultural reputation; organizations select employees who seem to “fit” their culture; and employees who do not fit leave through either voluntary or involuntary (Bradley). 

        In the corporate culture control I scored a 4/6. I prefer to work for an organization that has a hierarchy, where top management has a sense of order in the workplace, where employees work by the rules, where most decisions are made by top executives, and where management keeps everything under control. For performance culture I scored a 5/6. I prefer to work for an organization which produces highly respected products/services. Employees are proud when their organization achieves its goals, perform at their best, get the job done, and expectations are that everyone puts 110% in their work.

        I scored low in relationship culture (2/6) and responsive culture (2/6). I prefer an organization where employees are treated fairly and kept informed about what is happening.  I would dislike an organization where employees cannot adapt quickly to new work requirements, and cannot respond quickly to competitive threats.             

        The ninth assessment measured perspective and empathy defined as the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes with a quality of feeling and understanding for the other person’s situation. Why is possessing empathy important? The ability to not understand what another is going through makes relationships superficial, without depth or richness that occurs when we share an emotional connection. Without empathy, people tend to go about life without considering how other people feel or what they may be thinking. Everyone has different perspectives and it can be easy to make assumptions or jump to conclusions about others. This often leads to misunderstandings, bad feelings, conflict, and poor morale. In surveys where employees commented on what makes a good manager they indicated that people want to feel like their manager listens to them. When people listen to another the person feels valued as a human being, safe and that they matter which helps them feel free to be themselves and to perform their work (Fuimano). My score was 18/35 which indicates below average perceptiveness. I have trouble trying to imagine how the other person would feel before criticizing them. I have trouble not listening to someone else’s arguments if I think I am right, especially if I am upset. I find it difficult to understand my friends by seeing a situation from their perspective, but I believe that there are two sides to every question and try to look at both sides. However I do not try to see everyone’s side of a disagreement before making a decision.               
         The final assessment examined communication style during stress. Passive-aggressive communicators believe that they are incapable of successfully expressing in an open and honest way, particularly if it is a negative thought. They try to communicate in a way that is subtle, indirect and manipulative (Watson). When I get stressed I tend to avoid, withdraw, and label. There were seven dialogue skills tested in the assessment. I scored high on all except one. The first one is start with the heart. I know that the only person I can control is myself and I try to stay focused no matter what and I try to resist the urge to fight.  The second one is learning to look. I tend to tune out how people are feeling and acting. The third is making it safe. I care about goals, interests, values, and I respect the other person. The fourth is master my stories by adding meaning to it through assessing what motivates them. I also assess if it is good or bad. When I respond with an emotion that has been triggered especially if it an inappropriate feeling I try to analyze why I had that emotion.  The fifth is state my path. When I have a tough path I stay convinced of my own rightness and I may push too hard. The sixth one is the one I am weakest in; exploring other’s paths. I have a hard time asking other people for help because I like to try to figure it out on my own. The last one is move to action. I determine how decisions will be made and go into action, recording my decisions and doing a follow-up while holding others accountable for their promises.

           I tend to use passive-aggressive communication style. I like to use sarcasm, give people the silent treatment, and try to make people feel guilty while trying to avoid open conflict with others.

           Based on my first assessment, my decision-making style is analytical. I can improve  my decision-making skills is by weighing the pros and cons, think about how much the decision will impact my life, and asking multiple sources for their perspective (Kehoe). I have a difficult time asking people for help and getting other people’s opinions.

            For my second assessment of creativity quotient, I can improve my creativity by setting goals to be more creative, asking others for help, putting time aside each day to develop my skills, and becoming an expert by having a rich understanding of the topic. This will stimulate my ability to think of novel or innovative solutions to problems. Instead of reprimanding, I need to encourage myself to be curious about something and give myself the opportunity to explore new topics (Cherry). When it comes to building creative skills, I need to be willing to take risks in order to advance my abilities. I can take note of the progress I have made, reward my efforts, and always be on the lookout for ways to reward my creativity. I will not be able to develop my creative talents if I do not make time so I must schedule time each week to concentrate on some type of creative project. Keeping a positive attitude is important because according to a 2006 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, positive moods can increase your ability to think creatively (Cherry).

               The third assessment was assessing how my personality type affects my goal-setting skills. One way I can improve my goal-setting skills is by using SMART. S is for specific, and significant, M is for measurable, and meaningful, A is for attainable, achievable, and action oriented, R is for relevant, realistic, rewarding and results oriented, and T is for timely and traceable (Haughey). This can put perspective on my personality type and give me more direction towards improvements.

                The fourth assessment was type A/B scale. I can improve by being more aware that I need to be more patient with people, try not to interrupt, listen more attentively, and try not to get so irritated when waiting.

                 The fifth assessment was assessing your emotional intelligence. I can improve by changing how I feel about negative emotions. In order to change the way I feel about a situation, I must first change the way we think about it. If I feel angry and upset with someone I can take a deep breath and count slowly to ten. In most circumstances, by the time I reach ten, I would have figured out a better way of communicating about the issue. If I feel nervous and anxious I can put cold water on my face and get some fresh air. Cool temperatures can help reduce my anxiety level. If I feel scared, depressed, or discouraged I can try intense aerobic exercises energizing myself. If I feel overwhelmed, confused go outdoors and clear my head (Ni). Being empathetic is an important skill especially in the human service field.  I can improve my empathy by meditating. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found that meditation has the potential to increase an individual’s empathy towards others, and can even change brain patterns associated with empathy and compassion. The results showed that the people who lack empathy had notably less activity in the insula portion of their brains and the insula region plays a significant role in the bodily representation of emotion. This area of the brain has been implicated by studies as being important for processing empathy, and especially in an individual’s perception of the emotional and mental states of others (Meditation Shown to Increase Empathy).

        The sixth assessment was assessing flexibility. I can improve my flexibility by changing up my routine, being ok with less than perfect standards for completing a task, focus on the future, and take more risks. 

         The seventh assessment measured leadership ability. I can improve by being more aware of others and their needs, setting goals, journaling, exercise or take a walk around the block just to clear my head (Kerpen).

         The eighth assessment was corporate culture preference scale. Corporate culture can be improved by having a clear vision of the core values of the organization, a target population, having consistently, clear communication, and celebrating achievement by being sure to work for an organization that has a clear vision (Campbell).

         The ninth assessment was assessing perspective. I can improve by praising people with honest appreciation, call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly, talk about my own mistakes before criticizing someone else, ask questions instead of giving orders, and let the other person save face. I can praise others by their slightest improvement, encourage people, and make them satisfied about doing things I suggest.

         The tenth assessment was communication style under stress. I can improve by getting other people’s opinion and asking for help more often.

          In conclusion I have enjoyed this assignment and I have learned a lot about myself and gained more insight myself. I enjoy and have more insight into areas that I can improve and strive towards successful accomplishments.   

Works Cited

"Analytical Decision-Making Style." Analytical Decision-Making Style. McGraw-Hill, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. http://mhhe.com/business/management/buildyourmanagementskills/updated_flash/topic10a/analytical.html

Bowerman, Todd. "Characteristics of Leadership Skills." EHow. Demand Media, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/info_8134371_characteristics-leadership-skills.html

Bradley, Mercer. "The Importance of Corporate Culture." BCJobsca HR Advice. BC Jobs, 23 Oct. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.http://www.bcjobs.ca/hr-advice/the-importance-of-corporate-culture-and-fit- to-employee-success

Campbell, Bruce. "How To Improve Your Corporate Culture." Vancouver & BC Business News, Articles & Commentary. N.p., 28 May 2010. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.bcbusiness.ca/your-business/how-to-improve-your-corporate-culture

Cherry, Kendra. "How to Boost Your Creativity." About.com Psychology. N.p., 13 May 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/tp/how-to-boost-creativity.htm

Fuimano, Julie. "The Importance of Empathy in the Workplace." Ezinearticles. N.p., 5 Mar. 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-of-Empathy-in-the-Workplace&id=3098342

Goleman, David. "Emotional Intelligence." Develop Your Emotional Intelligence. Mind Tools,12 June 2010. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCDV_59.htm

Haughey, Duncan. "SMART Goals." SMART Goals. Project Smart, 15 Aug. 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.html

Javitch, David G. "10 Qualities of Superior Leaders." Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur, 8 Dec. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/204248

Kaufman, P. Psychology Today. N.p., 20 June 2012. Web. 7 Oct. 2013. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199203/the-art-creativity

Kehoe, Kelly. “10 Ways to Improve Your Decision-Making Skills.” Wise Bread. N.p., 14 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2013. http://www.wisebread.com/10-ways-to-improve-your-decision-making-skills.

Kerpen, Carrie. "Want to Be a Better Leader? Put Yourself First." Inc. N.p., 6 Nov. 2010. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.inc.com/carrie-kerpen/become-a-better-leader.html

Meditation Shown to Increase Empathy.  The Alternative Daily. N.p., 6 Sept. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.thealternativedaily.com/meditation-shown-to-increase-empathy/

Morris, Colette. "Are You a Red, Blue, Yellow or Green personality Type."EvanCarmichael.com. Evan Carmichael, 23 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Home-Based- Business/5222/Are-you-a-Red-Blue-Yellow-or-Green-Personality-Type.html

Ni, Preston. "5 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Emotional Intelligence." Psychology Today.  N.p., 6 Jan. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.  http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/communication-success/201301/5-ways-quickly-improve-your-emotional-intelligence

Watson, Emily. "What Is Passive-Aggressive Communication?" EHow. Demand Media, 11 July 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2013. http://www.ehow.com/info_8722592_passiveaggressive-communication.html

Individual Project Proposal

 I plan on teaching a group of eight girl scouts healthy eating. I will teach them how to choose the right snacks, rethinking the drinks that they choose and then pre and post testing them on the material. I was a girl scout for thirteen years.   

JIT

        Just in Time is a philosophy of manufacturing that produces the right part in the right place at the right time. Just in time is also referred to as JIT a concept of ideal production focusing to eliminate waste throughout the manufacturing process. “JIT does not mean to produce on time, but to produce just in time” (“Just-In-Time Manufacturing”).

1.     In 1910, Ford Automobile Company was founded in the United States by Henry Ford, who fashioned the first comprehensive manufacturing strategy known as the assembly line. Ford was the first U.S. firm to successfully implement JIT (A Brief History of Lean). In the 1930’s, right after the stock market crash in the U. S.,  Japan began production of the Toyota automobile manufacturing operation. Sakichi Toyoda applied the concept of stopping equipment automatically to control quality. Toyoda’s son, Kiichiro Toyoda, traveled to the United States to study Henry Ford’s operation and returned to Japan to adopt Ford’s assembly line into the Toyota production. Kiichiro added conservation of materials by limiting quantities of only items needed in the exact time that the items were needed, therefore laying the groundwork for the just in time production (JIT) system of manufacturing (History of Toyota).

        During WWII (1942-1945), Ford converted the Ford car production line to produce war materials at a very fast rate. Japan took note of the fast and efficient production line. After the bombing of Japan, the country was working at recouping their economy. Taiichi Ohno, who worked for Toyota manufacturing, traveled to the U.S. in 1956 where he discovered the pull system supermarkets that were not popular in Japan at the time. He was fascinated by the way the customers chose exactly what they wanted and the quantity.  Shoppers would come to the supermarket knowing there was a small stock but they felt no obligation to buy a large quantity because they knew the goods would be there when they needed them. Every day a stocker would restock the inventory so that exactly what was bought would be replaced (History of Toyota).

         It was simple, but effective, and done in a timely manner. He incorporated this concept into Japanese manufacturing and became known as the father of JIT (History of Toyota).

         Another important person in the development of JIT was Shigeo Shingo. He revolutionized modern Japanese manufacturing by taking charge of the industrial and factory improvements. He created additional functions that would reduce the setup time, smaller batches for parts, allow higher machine utilization and higher productivity (Vardeman, 23).

         W. Edward Deming further improved production in the United States, but he is better known for his work in Japan. He made a significant contribution to Japan for innovative, high quality products and economic power. He taught hundreds of engineers, managers, and scholars the statistical process control concepts of quality testing, and sales. He helped them reduce expenses while increasing productivity consequently increasing the demand for Japanese products. A number of Japanese manufacturers have applied his techniques (Edwards).   

2.     There are numerous advantages to the JIT system of management by directly improving productivity.  Products can be produced more efficiently, quicker and with better quality control. It reduces and eliminates waste, therefore improving productivity without causing overproduction and focuses on better quality control which directly decreases production costs. JIT uses a product value-driven production system based on demand-pull.  This means that all goods made are sold and the product is produced based on product demand. JIT can eliminate waste by decreasing the inventory costs, space needed for storage, number of employees needed to manage the inventory and leaving minimal inventory left unused or outdates. Because JIT is a pull system where products are produced according to customer desires a higher customer satisfaction occurs rather than products pushed at the customer to buy what has already been made (Just-In-Time Manufacturing (JIT). Through close customer communication the products are made at the demand of customer’s request requiring less need for storage space which reduces costs in rent, insurance and the buildup of unsold products (Just in time production (JIT).  JIT can be a great money saver for a company. The company can develop a closer relationship with customers; have less capital tied up in finished good inventory and raw materials allowing them to optimize their transportation and logistics operation.  There is less likelihood of the stock perishing or becoming obsolete or outdated and reduces lead time and inventory cost.  The principles of JIT manufacturing can have significant competitive advantages. The reduction of overproduction, transportation, processing, product defects and inventory waste can drastically increase the attractiveness of JIT (What is JIT?).

3.     There are disadvantages to JIT as well. This style of management requires a significant coordination and good relationships between retailers and suppliers.  A successful company needs an expensive high tech infrastructure to coordinate services and this directly increases the cost of the production. The company is very reliant on suppliers so if the materials are not delivered on time, the process could be delayed (Just-In-Time Manufacturing (JIT). Other factors that delay the production of materials could be lack of communication, labor strikes, market demand fluctuations, and stock outs. A culture of cooperation with management by every worker within the company and a commitment to the company goals is vital for success (Broyles, Beims, Franko, and Bergman).

        Because of the lean inventory it can be difficult to meet high demand and quickly complete unexpected orders. This can be very expensive for a company because they must rely on other retailers to deliver the goods they need to produce the product.  JIT is great for companies for reducing costs but it does not account for not having enough stored inventory to keep the supply chain moving. The increase in deliveries can be another disadvantage by having an adverse effect on the environment due to increased trucking causing higher cost of the product (Broyles, Beims, Franko, and Bergman). Although JIT production has an expectation and goal of high quality control the expectation can be so high that there is no room for errors and if an error does occur, production costs are directly increased (Just-In-Time Manufacturing (JIT)).           

  4.   Organization, orderliness, cleanliness, standardization and discipline must exist before JIT can be successfully implemented. Organization or proper arrangement means sorting available stock, identifying customer needs, and throwing out unnecessary inventory. Orderliness means keeping items such as work equipment and inventory organized and returned to the proper areas. Cleanliness is maintaining clean and neat equipment and work area. Standardization is having standard methods or operational procedures within the company for every employee to follow to ensure consistency. Discipline is every employee following the rules and making them a habit (Just-in-Time Management System).

5.     Like all systems of production, JIT can fail. One reason is the differences between Eastern and Western cultures (Cokins). These lifestyle differences can directly impact a company’s JIT management by the worker’s attitudes and approaches to work. JIT management demands shorter cycle time, causing pressure and stress, less time to solve problems and carrying out mandated actions expected by the company. JIT can work in either culture; however Western Culture supports being an independent thinker, being career driven and being an individualistic. This attitude can cause resistance, maverick work production, restlessness towards management and difficulty seeing the common goal. Eastern Culture is more family unit ordinated working together as a family towards a common goal.  This attitude causes adhesiveness and easier conformity to a JIT style of management (Cokins).  

        Worker’s resistance to change and feelings of loss of autonomy can cause failure. Getting the employees to buy into the program is important because without the dedication of the employees, the endeavor will most likely fail. Western culture of encouraging autonomy can cause a feeling by the workers of a JIT managed company as losing their individual, team and methods of autonomy. The partnership relationship between management and employees is an essential element. A mutual trust within the company needs to be built to produce an affect team and these partnerships need to be nurtured (Broyles, Beims, Franko, and Bergman).

        The traditional approach of push versus a pull for production is a long standing attitude that can meet resistant to change. The idea of having large stores of inventory has historically been the practice and the idea of lean manufacturing can be stressful to companies to sufficiently coordinate meeting customer demands in a timely manner (Smart, 2011).

6.    A push system of management is forecasting the prediction that people will buy a product based on supply and demand. An advantage to this system is having enough products on hand for the customers. A disadvantage is that the quantity of product inventory can be inaccurate, vary from year to year, and at times be over abundant (Smart, 2011).

        A pull system is based not on predicting how many products might need to be produced, but based on an individual customer’s order. An advantage to this system is there is no access inventory and it reduces the cost of storage. A disadvantage is ordering dilemmas, mixing up orders or the supplier may not be able to get the shipment out on time (Smart, 2011).

7.     Harley-Davidson is a company in the U.S. that has successfully implemented JIT. Harley-Davidson was created in 1903 by W. Harley, W. William, and A. Davidson.  In 1909, the company introduced its first trademark motorcycle. During WWI the demand for the motorcycles overseas grew tremendously and Harley-Davidson made over 90,000 bikes for the military elevating their production to record levels. Consequently Harley-Davidson became a leader in innovative engineering in the 1920’s (Lean in Harley-Davidson: Launching the Harley-Davidson Operating System).

        Today, Harley-Davidson has nearly 600 dealerships across the U. S. and is driven by a vision that the company is not satisfied with the status quo, but is always looking for new ways to improve. JIT was the driving force of Harley-Davidson’s quality improvement program. Success of the company includes inventory storage decreased by 75%, use of space decreased by 25%, number of motorcycles being assembled increased from 76% to 99%, scrap and rework reduced by 68% and productivity up by 50% (Long).              

         There are numerous advantages in the JIT system of management that outweigh the disadvantages.  It has been proven to be successful by the U.S. company Harley-Davidson and the Japanese company Toyota. Experts have commented that utilizing JIT manufacturing process outweighs the risks. 

Works Cited

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