In January 1995, Rubicon Associates,
Case study
A chemical industry
multi-company work-
based management
development
programme
Brian Swain and Jeff Martin
The authors
Brian Swain and Jeff Martin are partners at Rubicon
Associates, Ashurst Wood, West Sussex, tel: 01342 824740
Abstract
Describes a two-tiered, multi-company, first line manage-
ment programme involving four chemical companies in the
North East of England. Highlights the benefits of the
programme, claiming that it successfully merges individual
management development and organizational develop-
ment with the commercial objectives of the companies
involved.Claims that investment in development is good
business when it comes to developing supervisors into
modern team leaders/managers, in light of specific indus-
try requirements.
Management Development Review
Volume 8 · Number 6 · 1995 · pp. 18–22
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0962-2519
18
Brian Swain and Jeff Martin, launched a
two-tiered, multi-company first line
management programme with four
chemical companies in the North East:
Perstorp Ferguson, Chemson Ltd, Syn-
pac Pharmaceuticals and Union Camp
Chemicals, who are members of the
North East Chemical Industry Training
Organization (CITO). This case study
describes its programme.
The case study successfully merges individ-
ual management development and organiza-
tional development – in the context of an
industry specific, multi-company training
programme – with the commercial objectives
of the companies involved and is driven by
work-based learning and improvement
projects.
Programme rationale
In September 1994, Rubicon were asked to
present their award winning Black & Decker
model of a two-tiered, multi-company first
line manager (FLM) development
programme at a monthly meeting of training
managers from the North East Chemical
Industries Training Organization.
The North East CITO group was aware of
the excellent results gained at two of its mem-
ber companies – Hydro Polymers and Wavin
Industrial Products – when FLM
programmes were run there by Rubicon
Associates. A number of other CITO compa-
nies in the area had expressed interest in the
FLM programme. None of them, however,
had a sufficient number of first line managers
available for a stand-alone programme. They
wanted, therefore, to hear about the two-
tiered, multi-company FLM model that
Rubicon had developed with the County
Durham TEC, Black & Decker, and five of
their supplier companies – and for which
Black & Decker won a National Training
Award.
Subsequent to that presentation, four
CITO companies – Perstorp Ferguson,
Chemson Ltd, Synpac Pharmaceuticals and
Union Camp Chemicals – joined forces with
Rubicon Associates to undertake a year-long
FLM training and development programme
for supervisors and middle managers follow-
ing Rubicon’s two-tiered, multi-company
model.
 A chemical industry multi-company work-based programme
Brian Swain and Jeff Martin
Although there were, and are, many devel-
opment initiatives taking place within all these
companies on a day-to-day basis, the attrac-
tion of the FLM programme was that it
appeared to offer an integrated development
approach which met many of their present
development needs:
• is well managed;
• can be easily evaluated over a significant
period of time;
• has the essential benefit of business-
focused improvement projects;
• creates an effective development frame-
work for continuous improvement.
The specific attraction of development at the
first line level of management is the strategic
requirement shared by all of these companies
to transform the old supervisor role into that
of the modern, lean production, team leader
role. Also important was the recognition that
the individuals chosen for the programme
were absolutely key to their companies, in
terms of implementing improvements in
quality and productivity, for the future.
The FLM programme allows these compa-
nies to address clear, agreed objectives in the
context of a work-based, project-driven,
competence-focused, NVQ level 4 manage-
ment development programme. The pro-
gramme is run with a multi-company group of
FLMs (two or three from each company)
meeting to learn together while initiating
improvements. Additionally, a group of senior
managers from each of the participating
companies meets regularly as a policy steering
group. Their role is to ensure that the out-
comes of the programme will be:
• properly supported;
• well managed; and
• effectively integrated into day-to-day busi-
ness activities.
The steering group is also a development
group focusing on improving mentoring and
coaching skills which are being practised with
the FLMs throughout the programme.
This approach also facilitates the meeting
of these companies in order to share best
practices – as a direct result of the detailed
analysis of operating systems which the FLM
programme requires of the participants – and
also to deepen their relationships in practical
and personal ways at these levels of
organization.
The overall, guiding objectives of the par-
ticipating companies are as follows.
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Management Development Review
Volume 8 · Number 6 · 1995 · 18-22
Chemson Ltd
The overall aim of this company is to build on
the FLM’s skills so as to allow him to con-
tribute to achieving the company’s goals.
Objectives
• Widen perspective of business as an enter-
prise.
• Develop leadership skills and personal
competence so as to enhance the perfor-
mance of the team.
• Ensure that departmental goals align with,
and contribute to, the organizational objec-
tives.
• Gain an understanding of managerial
competences.
• Build planning skills so as to move from
“fire fighting” to “fire prevention”.
• The programme to be a valuable compo-
nent of the NVQ pilot study programme.
• The project to be seen as a resounding
success in terms of:
– payback;
– enhancing the image of the department
and team.
• Underpin the overall training strategy.
Synpac
Objectives
• Increase the capabilities and confidence of
the FLMs throughout the course so that
they are able to make more decisions at
work which are currently taken by their
immediate manager. This will in turn allow
their immediate manager to deal with more
business-oriented matters.
• The FLMs must become agents for
change, constantly challenging existing
norms at Synpac and putting forward
improvements. Synpac in turn must be
open to this change and support any viable
improvements suggested.
• After the course, the FLMs must have a
broader view of Synpac as a business and
must no longer see themselves only in
terms of their own discipline.
• The multi-company nature of the course
should allow the FLMs to share best prac-
tice with other companies and again where
viable improvements are identified they
shall be implemented.
Perstorp Ferguson
Company objectives
• Provide FLMs with the skills needed to
meet their developing roles and responsi-
bilities in a changing, flatter organization.
 A chemical industry multi-company work-based programme
Brian Swain and Jeff Martin
• Enhance relationships and improve meth-
ods of communication between both inter-
nal and external customers and suppliers.
• Fulfil the company’s commitment to devel-
op, educate and train individuals for the
future.
Individual objectives
• Enjoy the learning process.
• Achieve a formal nationally recognized
management qualification.
• Become a more effective supervisor and
team member as a result of the course.
• Gain insight and greater understanding of
a manager’s role and responsibilities.
• Make presentations with effect and
confidence.
• Apply newly acquired skills and knowledge
directly to the workplace.
• Become a more educated and aware
manager.
Union Camp Chemicals
Objectives of the programme for supervisors
• Develop a broader understanding of the
business as a whole so that they are in a
position first, to understand the decisions
made by the senior management and the
reasons behind those decisions, and sec-
ond, to be able to communicate this to the
workforce in the most appropriate manner.
• Understand and appreciate the need to
change their current style of supervision
from that of an autocratic style to one
which is more of a supporter, mentor and
coach of the employees, and actively to
portray this new style in their daily
activities.
• Understand and appreciate the need to
develop a teamworking relationship with
everyone, particularly across disciplines,
and actively to portray this philosophy in
their daily activities.
• Develop their role and be seen as the
people who get things done through the
involvement of others and not just the
message carriers.
Description of training programme
The training is a two-tiered, work-based, open
learning programme involving four compa-
nies engaged in the chemical industry in the
North East. The programme uses the Henley
first line management development
programme which is designed to generate the
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Management Development Review
Volume 8 · Number 6 · 1995 · 18-22
requisite evidence for an NVQ level 4 in
management. The programme encompasses a
planning stage (which took place in late
1994), the main module work (started in
January 1995) and final project presentations
(December 1995).
The two-tier structure was required and
desired for its dynamic potential to integrate
and support organizational, personal and
commercial development, and to enhance
communication and sharing of best practice
between companies of the same industry. The
FLM group of ten participants meets on a
fortnightly basis throughout the course of the
programme, reviewing the work they have
covered in the open learning modules and
being tutored and coached by a Rubicon
adviser in the content of the programme,
group activities, work-based action and pro-
jects. The steering group of senior managers
with a Rubicon facilitator acts as a policy
body, meeting bi-monthly. The group guides
and supports the programme through the
multi-company development process, and
individually acts as coaches and mentors to
the FLMs.
The content of the programme was chosen
specifically for its focus on total quality man-
agement, continuous improvement and its
work-focused, project-based, action learning
methodology. The fact that the programme
was directly linked to competence-based
management development through the NVQ
level 4 assessment process, gave it a clear,
nationally recognized management develop-
ment context. The learning modules lead the
FLMs through the management of resources,
the controlling of processes and the creation
of the right social conditions for team work-
ing, as well as self-management and develop-
ment. The 12-month length of the
programme, although at first daunting, is seen
to be an essential part of any in-depth, per-
sonal and organizational development
process.
The programme began with the steering
group going through a team-building and
objective-setting process. These objectives
were then communicated and agreed with the
FLMs in an open session, with the individual
companies developing a set of specific objec-
tives in the light of the overall programme
objectives.
A continuous process of evaluation takes
place throughout the programme, but it was
not until the FLMs presented their project
 A chemical industry multi-company work-based programme
Brian Swain and Jeff Martin
proposals to a joint FLM/steering group
meeting in September 1995 that the pro-
gramme uncovered its true potential: all of the
projects identified defined improvements
which matched the objectives set out at the
programme’s initiation.
Benefits of the programme
At this point it is already possible to assess
emerging benefits of the programme. In order
to do this, it is necessary to look at the pro-
gramme from a number of points of view.
First, as the aggregate whole: how is the pro-
gramme succeeding in its original macro
objectives for the participating companies?
Equally, the programme must be looked at in
terms of operational benefits for each company
and in terms of the development of the FLMs
themselves, both as individuals and as mem-
bers of their companies.
On the macro level, the course is meeting
the objectives of helping to establish clearly
supported development cultures. This is seen
in two cases, as both Synpac and Union
Camp are launching major internal develop-
ment processes as a direct consequence of
their involvement in the FLM programme;
Synpac Pharmaceuticals has added a com-
plete team leader development programme to
their reorganization and expansion plans and
Union Camp is entering a major total quality
management reorganization with teams, team
leaders and quality improvement teams. Both
of these developments are directly supported
by the FLMs. On the individual level, the
confidence and capability shown by the FLMs
at this point, as compared with the initial
programme meetings, is impressive to see. On
an operational level, in direct relationship to
the objectives set by the steering group at the
beginning of the programme, the ten projects
speak for themselves.
Work-based actions
The FLM programme is designed to produce
work-based action. The fifth module, Initiat-
ing Change, establishes the goal of the pro-
gramme which is to develop managers who
will continuously develop all aspects of their
organizations. All aspects of the programme
direct the learner towards identifying specific
developments in line with the overall manage-
ment objectives of the companies. These
actions fall into two categories, a major
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Management Development Review
Volume 8 · Number 6 · 1995 · 18-22
project completed by the end of the
programme and many smaller actions, identi-
fied and completed throughout the
programme.
Projects
The FLM improvement projects were as
follows.
Production departments
• Introduce an ongoing multi-skilling train
plan for operators in conjunction with a
new grading structure designed to incorpo-
rate incentives to up-skill.
`• Develop and install a new, automated raw
materials loading system to replace a man-
ual one in order to reduce batch times,
eliminate wastage of product and packag-
ing and enhance working environment.
(Two FLM’s have identified this type of
project; one to replace the manual handling
of bags, and the other for drums.)
• Define and develop procedures for greater
control of intermediate product, increase
operator involvement and understanding of
the process, and introduce SPC into the
process area in order to improve quality of
finished product and customer satisfaction.
• Design and install a new waste materials
holding and reprocessing system to replace
present one involving the rental of road
tankers in order to reduce the cost of
removal of effluent waste from site.
• Educate and train all production personnel
in new operating and document control
procedures, redesigned in order to comply
with recent legislation and thus ensuring all
stages of production remain within
compliance.
Engineering departments
• Identify and install a radio transmission
communications system to link-up the
production, engineering and security
departments in order to facilitate commu-
nication and reduce customer complaints,
especially outside office hours.
• Design and install new tool store room and
calibration workshop in order to maintain
better control and documentation of
instruments, tools and equipment – which
at present are kept in various locations all
over the site.
 A chemical industry multi-company work-based programme
Brian Swain and Jeff Martin
A department
• Significantly reduce frequency of resam-
ples and retests and optimize sample fre-
quency and sample size through investiga-
tion and improvement of procedures,
techniques and training.
IT department
• Design and implement an electronic docu-
ment management system which will allow
control to be exercised over all procedural
documents on site.
Focus for action
As the FLMs work through the work-based
activities in the open learning modules, they
are required to take hundreds of small actions
for improvement. These have involved actions
so far in areas of:
• training needs analysis and upskilling
initiatives;
• enhancement of communication between
production and sales departments;
• significant reduction of raw materials and
energy wastage;
• time savings through co-ordination of
views and aims across departments;
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Management Development Review
Volume 8 · Number 6 · 1995 · 18-22
• implementation of new software systems;
• increase of production batch sizes;
• decrease of production cycle times;
• reduction of offsite equipment replace-
ments and maintenance through enhanced
communication with customers.
The effect of the training on future plans
This training is already justifying the substan-
tial input of both time and money so clearly
that Rubicon, at the request of the participat-
ing companies, have initiated a meeting in
December 1995 with the North East CITO
membership in order to present the idea of a
new group of multi-company FLMs begin-
ning the programme in January 1996 – with
many of the companies presently involved and
a number of new ones. This decision is based
on the qualitative and quantitative outcomes
the programme has seen to date as well as the
tremendous enthusiasm of all the partici-
pants. It is abundantly clear that investment in
development is good business when it comes
to the development of supervisors into mod-
ern team leaders/managers in light of specific
industry requirements.