solution

Volvo A.B., the Swedish auto firm, operated a car assembly plant at Uddevalla

in 1988. The idea was to have a small team of highly skilled workers build an

entire car. According to the proponents, this would reduce the tedium associated

with the conventional assembly line and cut absenteeism and turnover

among workers. In 1991 there were reports that it took 50 hours of labor to

assemble a car at Uddevalla, in contrast to 25 hours at Volvo’s conventional

assembly plant at Ghent, Belgium. If you were Volvo’s chief executive officer,

what questions would you ask Uddevalla’s managers, and what steps would

you take?