Optimizing Efficiency at SINTEF through Lean Principles

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PPMP20009 LEADING LEAN PROJECTS
Assessment 2
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Compare and distinguish various leadership styles that could potentially be adopted by the
selected project manager..................................................................................................................4
Select one (1) leadership style and explain in detail why you think it will be the best option given
SINTEF’s organisational structure and context...............................................................................7
Determine characteristics that will be required to become a valuable team member of “THE A
TEAM”............................................................................................................................................9
Propose tools / techniques that could be implemented in various departments of SINTEF that will
improve their efficiency. Provide specific examples on how the tools will be implemented.......11
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................15
References......................................................................................................................................16
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Introduction
This report will be based on a case study of an organization, i.e. SINTEF Ltd. This organization
is a functional organization which works on various departments. It works on the research and
development process, and its initiative towards lean principles. By implementing the agile
process of IT domain, the senior management believes that leadership style plays a significant
role in the effective result. For highlighting this factor, senior management decided that they will
initiate a project named as “THE A TEAM” .This team will consist of 3 to 4 team members. By
this case study, this report will be created in which the focused point is leadership style. There
will be a discussion on significant leadership style, which is followed by the favourable
organization. Due to the practical outcome, these leadership styles will give the effective result in
effective project result. Out of these leadership styles, a specific leadership style will be chosen
for SINTEF Ltd. There will be a description of the characteristic of a team member who will
become an inspiration for a whole team. In last, there is a discussion on tools and technique used
in the organization for proper allocation of work and the management system.
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Compare and distinguish various leadership styles that could potentially be adopted by the
selected project manager
Autocratic Leadership Style: The project manager of SINTEF applies this leadership style in
which the higher authorities will not consider the decision or suggestion from the employees.
The leader is playing an essential role in the organization. They believe that employee’s
involvement creates only confusion in the decision-making process. According to them,
employees don’t have sufficient knowledge or information, by which they are not capable of
deciding on the organization perspective (Nguyen et.al., 2017). This kind of leadership style is
useful when leaders need to take quick decision regularly. Leaders have gigantic knowledge e by
which they will decide the standpoint of its teamwork, collaboration in working environment,
resource allocation and the establishment of policies.
According to this style, leaders and high authorities of the organization have only responsible for
taking a significant decision regarding company or organization as the SINTEF is a research and
development organization. All departments have specific leaders who have the capability of
making the initial decision, which helps to enhance the growth of the company and expand the
research areas in various ways. The limitation of this leadership style is employees are not
having a good relationship with their, and they will feel de-motivated in such a place. Due to this
situation, the organization will face labour turnover (Peker., 2018).
Laissez-faire Leadership Style: In this leadership style, leaders are not much involved in the
project. They will only allocate the task and resource used in the Employees will decide as per
the requirement and demand of the project. It is their duties to accomplish according to the plan.
Most of the time, employees will be stuck in difficult situation. So, they will identify some
innovative ideas which can enhance the creative skills in the employees. This leadership style
promotes the employees for creating something unique in organ innovation. SINTEF employees
mostly go through from this leadership style because it helps innovative ideas. The drawback of
this leadership style is that they can’t be able to take advice from the mentor in a difficult
situation (Chukwusa.,2018).
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Democratic Leadership Style: In this kind of leadership style, leader’s theory is that employees
need some involvement in the decision-making process. According to this theory, employees
need to satisfy with the decisions. Due to this style, employees will be creative and innovative in
the workplace environment (Salvati., 2016). It will emphasize the employee's relationship with
the leaders. The performance will increase in a very rapid manner. The employee's performance
is directly linked with organizational performance. SINTEF leaders are involved with the
employees and collaborate with the team members. The major drawback of the particular
leadership style is employees will share the secret information with others. It may create a
tremendous amount of loss of organization because every deal is connected with a proper
decision (Peker et.al,2018).
Transformational Leadership Style: In this leadership, style leaders communicate with each
other, and all decision takes place for achieving the team goal. It makes success effectively. Due
to this style, project manager work according strategically. This kind of leadership style will
ensure about the progress that they guide the job allocated to the employees or team member.
There is less drawback of transformational leadership technique because it creates an informal
relationship between leaders and team members. Due to this, team members will become
irresponsible towards their duties.
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Comparison in Leadership Styles
Autocratic Laissez-Faire Democratic Transformational
Decision
making Power
The leaders and
top management
have power to
take decision
Decisions taken
by employees or
team members
Decision making
process required
involvement of
team members
and leaders
Decision take
place in guidance
of leaders
Inspiration and
motivation
There is no
inspiration facts
for the
employees and
team members
Inspire or
motivate
towards
innovation
High
motivational
level among
team members
Employees are
motivated and
inspire for
working hard
Drawbacks Labour turnover
will be the major
consequences of
this leadership
style
Not able to take
advice from the
leader
Team members
will share the
secret
information in
external
environment
Informational
communication
will creates among
leaders and team
members
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Select one (1) leadership style and explain in detail why you think it will be the best option
given SINTEF’s organisational structure and context.
“THE A TEAM” needs to be considered a democratic leadership style because of it according to
this leadership style. The decision-making process acquired the involvement of team members
and leaders. It helps to enhance productivity in the SINTEF as this organization will belong to
the research and development industry, which required the knowledge of finance, innovation,
technology etc. These skills are not acquired by a single or group of individuals who ate the
leaders. So, it is the responsibility of the organization to apply the democratic leadership style in
the organization and enhances the rate of productivity and improves the performance of the
organization.
According to the research, it would be identified the democratic is one of the best or an effective
leadership style which maximise the contribution of team member in the team “THE A TEAM”
required active participation from the team who enhance the area of research in the organisation,
who observed and measured more relevant thing which improve the productivity. It also
increases the morale of employees, because the collaboration with the employees or leaders
enhances the confidence in a group. Leadership management will work in lean management.
The primary factor in a democratic leadership style is the team members concerned towards the
individual goals. It is the most effective approach because when team members are working with
the experienced team leaders. It helps to identify their strength and talent in the team member.
SINTEF Ltd has various department which required experience leaders with the proper guidance
of them. Teams will manage and achieve the individual goals, which make the adequate
performance of the team members.
The other leadership style is the one in which only top management takes the decision and puts
on the team members. This style motivates in terms of innovation and creativity in the team
because every new deal brings something to change. It helps to enhance the productivity and
performance of each employee. It will help to carets a healthy environment in the workplace.
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Due to this, the employee will give their best towards their duties and responsibilities. It
increases the chances of success in the task and work.
The organisational structure of SINTEF Ltd is the topmost authority president of SINTEF and in
the next level are the institute council and executive vice president. After that, the next level is
segregated according to the respective departments, which required research and development.
Due to this, SINTEF needs to apply Democratic leadership styles, which enhances the approach
of involvement with the leader.
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Determine characteristics that will be required to become a valuable team member of
“THE A TEAM”.
Many characteristics need to establish the characteristics in the team member of “THE A
TEAM”. Proper focus need to be required by the team member towards the allocated task. The
most important characteristics that need to be established by the team member are proper
interaction and communication in the team. Interaction and communication are necessary for
understanding each aspect, which helps to enhance the understanding between the team members
and leaders. This characteristic increases the confidence among team members and helps in
resolving the issues and problems in the project. Due to this, it will easier to present their issues
in front of the leaders and asked them for the supportive advice.
Other skills that need to be required in the team member are that they need to be innovative and
creative in the team. It is the most useful thing for a team member that if they are solving the old
things in new innovative ideas, it increases the professional skills in the individual and enhances
the area of advancement. These characteristics in team members appreciate the team and its
leaders.
Time management characteristics are the essential skills for a team member because forces to an
individual to complete its task in a timeframe of a project. These kinds of individuals do not only
appreciate in the team, but they divide their work or job as they will not be supposed to fall in the
stress and the team leaders will build the trust that they will complete the given task in a given
timeline (Sohi, 2016).
Flexibility is a crucial skill for a team member that it needs to develop their skills according to
the allocated task. It forces to keen towards learning and its goal. For this purpose, the leader will
adapt the day wise schedule, and it also helps in involving in the environment where a team
member can discuss their personal needs and issues. It is the responsibility of team member that
they should modify themselves according to the respective changes. Employees must understand
the meaning of flexibility and adaptability in which they face the situation, which might be
occurred accidentally.
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Another characteristic required for the team member is the role of the individual in the team. The
role means what the job roles are, how the job or work will accomplish, establish the activities
and its description. Instead of concerning their duties, team members should also know that what
the role is played by their colleagues and peer members. If any team member will become
helping hand for another team member, it is the most beneficial characteristics in an individual.
It will turn into the kind behavior of the team members. Therefore, every team member must
need to include these characteristics and become a valuable team member.
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Propose tools / techniques that could be implemented in various departments of SINTEF
that will improve their efficiency. Provide specific examples on how the tools will be
implemented.
There are various tool and technique used in the organization. It can be held to showing their
efficiency in SINTEF Ltd. The organization segregates the task according to the different
departments. It is the functional organization whose functionality depends on the research and
development project. It entirely depends on the research and development project. For proper
purpose, management and functionality will require tools and techniques which acquire the result
of the project successfully.
There are some following will be discussed which applied in the departments of SINTEF Ltd.
The departments need to be aware of their responsibilities and handle it properly if they utilize
the tool according to as per the implementation process (Portoghese et.al., 2012).
HEIJUNKA
Heijunka is a tool used as a lean method of reducing unevenness in the process of production.
SINTEF Ltd majorly uses this tool. Due to this tool, it decreases the chances of overburden in the
employees. It is a Japanese tool whose lateral meaning is levelling. This tool helps the
organization able to allocate the work according to the orderly manner. The proper allocation of
the job role will reduce the cost of inventory and contributes to the utilization of goods or
resource properly. Due to this process team will be protected from overburden. This tool divided
into two parts, i.e. levelling by volume and levelling by type (Gerpott et,al., 2018).
Levelling by volume: This process uses when department in the continuous workflow. It
required proper batches in the work processing. This tool allows the working level at an average
level.
Levelling by type: This process is use for the allocation of work according to an average
demand of the customer. It remains the same for all the relevant principle of order which need to
meet with the customer demand.
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This technique needs to be implemented carefully because if it faced any misbalancing in the
work allocation. Some department will suffer from overburden situation. The overburden will
create teh stress in the team members and the leaders too. For this reason, the completion will not
be in an expert manner. So, the project needs to balance between the volume and type.
TAKT
Takt is the technique which is used in SINTEF Ltd. For the time management process, the team
will take maximum time for research and development because the time-consuming process will
help to work done effectively. Takt technique generated from the German work, which literal
meaning is a pulse. The takt is set according to customer demand. The need for Takt technique is
research will not undergo in the deadline because the team and its team members require a time
matrices.
Takt ensures about the business capacity, due to this manner project will complete in a limited
resource and in the proper timeframe. It also helps to deliver the project to the customer in a
limited time interval (Millstein,& Martinich., 2014).
For an organization, it is essential to understand the value of time so, SINTEF Ltd implements
the Takt techniques which taught the value of time management process in the team or group as
the research and development process in the company is based on department wise. Each
department will need to evaluate their task as per the time frame. Some research is required less
interval of time, and some require more. For this technique, the company will need to implement
the formula and complete the task accordingly.
There is less number of drawback, but there is some, i.e. formula is not implemented for every
research or development program. It will also depend on the human resource effort.
PMBOK
It is a useful tool which is used by SINTEF Ltd. It keeps the record and information about
project management. It developed when the project is being in an initial stage and processed until
the last step. Each department of SINTEF Ltd maintain the records in PMBOK where it kept all
the regarding every activity with description and timeframe. By the help of this process, the
department will able to deliver the project before the deadline and with the proper information.
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