Babson Case Number: BAB092 | Length: 8 Pages

Abstract

KomTek (A) and (B) describe the transformation of a forging and casting company from one in which management style and labor relations reflected the traditional arrangements of the post-World War II steel industry to one in which labor and management partner in the service of a total quality strategy. The (A) case outlines the state of the company in the late 1980’s. KomTek, with revenues of approximately $30 million is a privately held forging and casting company that specializes in high technology custom products for the aerospace, nuclear, pipeline and medical industries.

The (B) case describes how the company’s leadership slowly developed a more trusting relationship with bargaining unit leadership, resulting in a shared effort to solve the problems the company faced.

KomTek (A) and (B) are currently used in an integrated operations management / managerial accounting / organizational behavior undergraduate class for second term sophomores in which students learn about the link between organizational systems and organizational strategy. These cases may also be used in an integrated organizational behavior / operations management at the first year MBA level.