Climbing the mountain of change [in semiconductor organizations]

Semiconductor organizations that want to be successful in the 90's must develop organizational structures that utilize their human resources to the fullest potential. Employees must be empowered to make decisions that in the past were reserved for management. A focus on continuous improvement must be alive and well on the factory floor. The challenge lies in developing effective strategies for change that mesh the technology of the industry with new and creative organizational structures. Effective strategies for managing change must start with a fundamental understanding of the conflict that exists between an organization's need for change and an individual's need for personal security. This paper addresses these issues by describing a successful strategy that has been developed and implemented by Harris Semiconductor in their implementation of self-directed work teams. Issues such as rate of change and psychological and social impacts of change are fused into a four step process that has provided significant assistance to self-directed work teams faced with the challenge of climbing the mountain of change.