ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the underlying cultural assumptions for Mr. Olivier Bernard, production manager of Socometal, and distinguishes these assumptions from the basic assumptions of N'Diaye, a model factory worker of Socometal, and Diop, an assistant production manager of Socometal. N'Diaye asked Diop if he would accept an agreement to pay each worker for 2 extra hours in exchange for a 30 percent increase in daily production levels. If so, N'Diaye would be the guarantor for this target production level that would enable the company to meet the order in the shortest time period. Diop gave his agreement on the condition that the 30 percent rise in daily production levels be reached. The workers found the agreement an excellent initiative. Over the next 2 months, the daily production level oscillated between 18,000 and 22,000 units per day — between 38 and 43 percent more than the previous daily production.
