Case Name :      Kami Corp.

Authors :           Donald J. Lecraw

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            97G008

Discipline :        General Management

Case Length :    09 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

Mr. Olano has been assigned by Kami Corp.’s owner, Mrs. Lee, to be its general manager with a mandate to “straighten out the mess at Kami.” Mr. Kee, the production manager, had expected to be promoted to this job. Kami is a contract producer of televisions for Aiwa and hence is a production-driven company. There are constant problems with meeting production schedules. Mr Kee is blaming other departments for the problems, but is resistant to Mr. Olano’s “interfering” in any production-related area, much less within the production department itself. Mr. Kee and the six key production engineers and manager had come from Mega Corp., Mrs. Lee’s holding company, where they had worked in its television assembly operations. They lived, worked, and socialized together. Mr. Olano is not an engineer and has no experience in production or in general management, he has less seniority at Mega than Mr. Kee and is also younger. Yet, despite this situation, Mr. Olano must improve the performance of Kami and fulfill his mandate.