ABSTRACT
Terry Newbury had just moved from a department in which she had successfully served for some years, first as an operator and then as a section leader. Now she had the chance to become a first line manager – but she was warned that it would be no ‘bed of roses’, as morale in her new department was low. The 12 people in it feared their jobs were on the line, as their work could be contracted out to a larger specialist plant a few miles away. Terry’s new boss assured her that this wasn’t intended to happen, but that unless their performance improved – and they stopped taking time off for no good reason – they might bring about the very result that they feared. A £250,000 investment programme had been put on ice but it could be reinstated swiftly if standards improved.
