Problem Statement:
With intentions of better working conditions and higher productivity, Thomas North erected a new mill and achieved poor morale and lower productivity. The salary was also increased five cents an hour with no positive effects.

Analysis:
Some of the various causes of the problem are: Many of the duties that were once prided upon are no longer available to the workers. Blocks are now carried to the saw bed by an unskilled low-paid worker to the splitters, whose only job now is to split blocks. The trimmers were also relieved of removing waste chips by another low-paid person. This is a huge deal in the fact that the workers used to put all the chips outside in rows so they could see the days work well done. The workflow may be streamlined now with new machines but since there is no job enrichment, as there once was, the workers are now complacent and less caring about their jobs. It is now a matter of getting the quantity to make numbers rather than the pride and quality of the work. The problem is not the mill or the new equipment, it is the behavioral attitudes the employees now have towards their work. It is not money or KITA that used to drive the workers it was pride; now the workers are de-motivated.
The Welsh are no longer in shanties were they liked to work. Now they are forced to work in the mill, the place that they looked down upon, were the un-skilled Irishmen worked. Not only are the Welsh in a place that they are not content, they are now working side by side with the Irishmen. This was generally recognized that the Irish and Welsh did not get along. Why would this be a highly productive and happy place to work now? The Welsh have nothing to pride themselves on and they have a very bad place to work with the dust and noise. While the dust and noise is not as bad as most mills, the Welsh never had to deal with it in the first place being in shanties.

1st Recommendation
Split the shifts for the Welsh and Irish. The low paid workers that move material are now going to work after the Welsh get done with sawing and splitting.
Step 1. Get as many of the blocks that a typical day of splitting would go through and have the Irishmen or low-paid workers line them up on the tracks and in the space for block makers.
Step 2. The Welsh will spend the day splitting the blocks and moving them into nice neat piles that can be marveled at for the end of the day.
Step 3. When the Welsh shift ends the un-skilled workers go in and move the finished product out, turn on the waste conveyors to move it out, and then bring in all of the new blocks for the next days shift.

2nd Recommendation
Keep the new operation how it is and have a competition every Friday to try and improve the morale. Throughout the week each splitter gets to pick one block that was split Monday through Thursday, of highest quality, and set it aside for Friday’s competition. On Friday all employees will have a potluck or sit-down type of lunch and Mr. Williams (Jack), will look at all of the blocks in front of the employees and pick a winner. What to do with the winner can very depending on what would best fit the environment. It could be anything from: paid time off, gift certificate, employee recognition, certificate, so on so forth. But what ever is chosen for the winner has to be worthwhile and the competition should be taken seriously enough to drive camaraderie for the employees. It would also be beneficial to get the un-skilled workers in on the competition, possibly to help “Jack” judge the blocks so they can learn about the quality.

3rd Recommendation
Increase morale by getting the Welsh and Irish to become friendlier towards each other. One unskilled person gets drawn out of a hat by “Jack” each week. Let the unskilled worker have some of the experience of job enrichment that they did not have before. This would also enrich the job of the Welsh person doing the training because they can show the unskilled worker how important the quality of the work is and they can teach the unskilled worker about the grain and different types that there are within the blocks.