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Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.: creating a competitive advantage through an empowered workforce

Sanjay Mohapatra (Sanjay Mohapatra is a Professor based at Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar,India)
Debapriyo Nag (Debapriyo Nag is based at ESADE School of business, Barcelona, Spain)
Ravi Tej P. (Ravi Tej P. is a Research Scholar based at Indian Institute of Project Management, Hyderabad, IndiaIndia)

Publication date: 8 October 2014

Abstract

Subject area

This case study concerns self-managed teams (SMTs) and high-performing work stations.

Studylevel/applicability

This study is applicable to training, employee satisfaction and developing economy in the society at large.

Case overview

High-performance work systems (HPWS) are processes in which organizations utilize a fundamentally different approach for managing work in place of the traditional hierarchal approach. HPWS uses an approach that is fundamentally different from the traditional hierarchical or bureaucratic approach otherwise known as the control-oriented approach. The fundamental difference between control-oriented and involvement-oriented approach is in organizing and managing at the lowest level in an organization. The basic purpose of HPWS is to create an organization based on employee involvement, commitment and empowerment. In these kinds of highly involved organizations, employees demonstrate more responsibility and commitments because of high empowerment and have access to information/knowledge and awareness to perform at the highest level. In this case study, the authors make a complete study about the ten pillars of SMTs in Dr Reddy's Laboratories Private Ltd. and the situation of FTO-4 at the Yanam plant and FTO-7 at the Visakhapatnam plant post-implementation of the SMT concept. This paper attempts to demonstrate how SMTs differ from conventional teams, as well as how effectively they contribute to the organization objectives.

Expected learning outcomes

To understand HPWS and concept of SMT; to understand how the concepts of HPWS and SMT were implemented in Dr Reddy'S Laboratories in *FTO-4 AND *FTO-7; to understand the key difference between traditional hierarchical systems and SMTs; to find out how continuous process improvement has made SMT initiative an evolving one (from 2002 to 2011); to understand how involvement of different stakeholders has made SMT initiative a sustainable one; and to understand the importance of SMT in this twenty-first century as they lead to a better and brighter future for everyone.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the following persons for their help in preparing the case study: Atul Dhavle, Vice-President & Head Operations Excellence and Continuous Improvement; Garima Yadav, Freelancer HR; Jagjit Singh, Associate Director – SMT OD; Richa Yadav, Manager HR; Srinivasu Malladi, Manager SMT OD; and Vaidehi Hussain, Assistant Manager, SMT OD.

Citation

Mohapatra, S., Nag, D. and Tej P., R. (2014), "Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.: creating a competitive advantage through an empowered workforce", , Vol. 4 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/EEMCS-08-2013-0170

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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