Enigma Solution

Henry Ford the American legend, was obsessed with being the only shareholder and manager of his company.  Ford carefully analysed the work and its flow and broke up the tasks into the smallest possible elements so that tasks could be performed without application of mind or spirit repeatedly by faceless and nameless workers. Henry Ford designed his operations so that workers were completely dispensable and easily replaceable by any other able bodied worker. This approach inhumane as it may appear, gave the brilliant Henry Ford, tremendous improvements in productivity and savings in cost, helping Ford to leave his competitors a long way behind. Initial success was phenomenal. In early 1920’s Ford motor company’s share of American automotive market was an eye popping 75%. This approach soon thereafter became a norm in all industries. (This is why majority of trade union activities focussed more on work conditions than only on increase in wages.) Henry Ford was obsessed with be...

Tata Motors the 314th largest company in the world, acquired  UK based Jaguar Land Rover PLC from Ford Motor Company in June 2008 for $ 2.3 Billion (Rs 14,000 Crores). Soon after the acquisition was completed, Mr. Ratan Tata the head of Tata group called for a meeting in London to be attended by all the key persons of JLR. JLR is a premium luxury  car manufacturer and 45 of the top executives of all the plants, and markets came to London, either in the company's own private jets or chartered aircraft to attend. A rather extravagant expenditure. Mr. Ratan Tata, on the other hand, took a commercial flight from Mumbai to London. He then took a taxi from Heathrow airport to the office of JLR. People at JLR were astonished. How could such a big man, be so simple and unassuming? The meetings took place without Mr. Tata mentioning the lavish style of management, and unnecessary wastage of money. Many people earn money only to squander it, they may be ric...