There are plenty of books on the Fords and Microsofts of this world, but not so many on the company down the street that most of us continue to work for. Sole Survivors is the story of nine ordinary firms in a very ordinary sector - shoes.
Anto T. Kerins chose this sector for another reason - in the western world, footwear factories are a dying species. Backed by the European Commission and employers' and trade union bodies, he selected nine firms in the Republic, the UK, Finland and Sweden.
In the case of Dubarry, based in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, he looked at the introduction of the World Class Manufacturing system to strengthen company operations. This system aims to develop the organisation so that sales, quality and costs are improved. Dubarry is the only case in Sole Survivors in which the role of a state body in promoting organisational change is examined. Enterprise Ireland does not implement the process - it gives financial support for the consultants who advise the company.
World Class Manufacturing requires a high degree of employee involvement, and the process in Dubarry included trade union involvement from the outset. And hammering out an agreement with the workforce was far from painless.
In the light of current strains on the partnership approach, Kerins notes that trade unions are becoming more pro-active on major organisational changes.
Kerins says we need to get away from set agendas hatched behind closed doors. He says Aristotle was right to walk about and talk with his students. But adopting this approach does not mean the boss going on walkabout with acolytes in train.
The nine profiles in Sole Survivors highlight different challenges for the companies concerned. For example, Barker in the UK changed from a production focus to a market-led approach. The chapter on Finland's Pomarfin shows how five competitors worked together on a number of projects. Sweden's Arbesko has survived family feuding, state neglect and strong competition.
Sole Survivors is a comprehensive study of how small firms can become fighting fit and compete in a climate of increasing competition where traditional certainties no longer apply. It is well written and comes with a useful glossary and list of abbreviations.
jmulqueen@irish-times.ie
