In examining the inspection section of a manufacturing firm

Co-ordination between related functions

Even when clearer performance goals have been established, however, co-ordination between related functions may be necessary. British researchers Thurley and Hamblin illustrate a case in point. In examining the inspection section of a manufacturing firm they found that the aims of the supervisors on the three shifts involved were different:

Shift A

raised production rates by cutting down on rejecting units. concentrated on quality by rejecting even border. line cases. Shift C was emissive and allowed individual foreman to follow their own inclinations.

The authors conclude that the overall result was one of erratic quality which could be stabilized by the establishing of overall objectives common to each shift.

Furthermore the introduction of clear but slack targets, with little incentive to improve on them, can produce additional problems as one manager grumbled: 'Those bright boys upstairs with their targets and deadlines! They sent a circular to all the customers saying orders for delivery the next quay should be in by 1.30 p.m. Now hardly anyone sends them in before that and we're going round like trying to cope with the last minute rush.

Shift B

Feedback

As has been continually emphasized in this book, communication is a two-way process: after passing a message a transmitter looks for some reaction in the receiver-some feedback. It is from this feedback that the transmitter decides how to frame or pitch his next communication act. Only through feedback can an individual build up a picture of the receiver's attitudes and from this picture predict future responses.

The effect of feedback on task performance has been ably dem)Ostrated by Leavitt and Mueller. In their laboratory study four groups of stUdents were required to assemble a design of rectangles from a verbal description given by the researchers. The four groups were differentiated by the degree of feedback they were allowed with the instructor. Summarizing their results, the following essentials were discovered:

(1) Increased feedback increased accuracy.

(2) Increased feedback increased the time involved initially, but eventually similar times to zero feedback trials were obtained.

(3) Zero feedback gives rise to hostility in the receiver.

(4) Zero feedback creates doubt in the receiver.

Similar results were recorded by Zajonc in a laboratory study of twenty groups with seven subjects in each. The experiment involved the reaction time in depressing a key after receiving a set stimulus. A red light would flash if failure occurred. Perfonnance was found to be best when feedback was at a maximum-in this case infOlmation could be fed back to the subject on his own performance, his group's performance, and the prformance of the other group members. The subjects wIth slow reaction times improved their perfonnance most quickly under conditions of maximum feedback
Not only does factual feedback have measurable effects but also perceptual feedback has been shown to change attitudes.